Kelvin Grove Community Primary School

Kelvin Grove Community Primary School Inspection report

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108323 Unique Reference Number Gateshead Local Authority 324744 Inspection number 30 April –1 May 2009 Inspection dates John Paddick Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 321 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Cllr Ian Mearns Chair Mrs Janice Skelton Headteacher 5 February 2008 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Kelvin Grove School address Gateshead Tyne and Wear NE8 4UN 0191 477 4186 Telephone number

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3–11 Age group 30 April –1 May 2009 Inspection dates 324744 Inspection number 0191 490 1899 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 30 April –1 May 2009 Inspection dates 324744 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 30 April –1 May 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Kelvin Grove is a larger than average primary school and has children who attend the Nursery part time. It serves an area of considerable deprivation close to Gateshead city centre. There is a constant pattern of pupils arriving mid-term, often from abroad, and leaving when their families relocate. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is more than twice the national average. There are 22 first languages other than English and 30% of pupils come from minority ethnic groups. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well above average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 30 April –1 May 2009

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Grade: 3

In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement. Kelvin Grove provides its pupils with a satisfactory and improving standard of education. There are many strong features. Most of the weaknesses evident at the previous inspection have been eliminated. The calm and welcoming atmosphere provides pupils with a good setting for their education. The excellent displays and attractive school garden are strong supporting features. It is a very inclusive school where the skills and abilities of all pupils are valued and nurtured; this is particularly so for those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who join the school from other countries who are often at the early stages of learning English. Contribution to community cohesion is good. The way in which the school celebrates cultural diversity and

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Grade: 3

ensures pupils have a very real understanding of other faiths is a very strong feature, which is appreciated by parents. Children progress well in the Nursery and Reception classes and make satisfactory progress in Years 1 to 6. Achievement overall is satisfactory and improving because the focus on tracking pupils’ progress accurately and improving lessons is resulting in much better standards of work than were previously evident. Although standards and national test results in Year 6 are below average, the gap between the school’s results and the national average is closing. Nevertheless, there is still room for further improvement in the results so that they fully reflect the rising standards that are evident in lessons. Pupils’ work is extensive, generally neatly produced and celebrates the success of their visits and experiences. Personal development is good and pupils are prepared satisfactorily for their future well-being. Boys and girls conduct themselves well

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Grade: 3

and respond positively to the challenges set by their teachers. They develop good social skills and relate well to each other and to adults. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They say that they feel safe and can explain how healthy living is important to them. Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall and improving. They are better than at the time of the previous inspection. Frequently, lessons are good. However, in some of the satisfactory lessons observed, the pace of learning slowed because teachers talked too much rather than getting pupils involved more actively. The elimination of weaknesses in mathematics and science since the previous inspection has helped to raise the quality of the curriculum to good. All aspects of welfare provision and the accurate tracking of pupils’ progress are strong features of the school’s work. The good quality of leadership and management at all levels has been instrumental in forcing

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Grade: 3

the pace of change and improvement. Teachers fully understand their responsibility to ensure that their classes make at least average progress compared with the country as a whole. Good tracking of pupils’ progress gives them a very clear indication of how successful they have been in meeting their targets. Any underachievement triggers extra support for individual pupils, if necessary from outside school. The school is now quickly moving in the right direction. This is clear to see from the quality of pupils’ work. There is still room for further improvement but the pace of change indicates that the school is well placed to continue to improve. Staff morale is very good and fosters a fervent desire for even greater success with a potentially challenging mix of pupils. 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 30 April –1 May 2009

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage because the school’s provision in the Nursery and Reception Years is very effective. Children start with skills that are well below those of children of similar age. By the time they enter Year 1, they have improved to below average in most aspects of learning. They achieve particularly well in personal, social and emotional aspects of development. Teaching and learning are good. The staff set good examples in personal conduct, demonstrating how to listen well and modeling role-play. The curriculum is good. It meets all requirements and provides a wide range of interesting and often exciting opportunities for children to play, explore and be challenged in their learning. Welfare is a strong feature. There is a genuine warm welcome for children and the adults who bring them to school. This helps them to settle in quickly and grow in confidence and independence. They very soon begin to learn how to

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Grade: 2

look after themselves and cooperate with others. Staff very carefully assess children’s learning needs and adjust provision accordingly. They challenge the more able well and support effectively those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those for whom English is an additional language. Leadership and management are good; teamwork is strong and all members of staff have high expectations of all of the children, irrespective of their backgrounds and abilities.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve outcomes at the end of Year 6 to reflect pupils’ accelerating progress in lessons.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase the proportion of good lessons by improving questioning skills, increasing pace, and planning for more active learning activities. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Standards in Years 1 to 6 are below average but improving. Achievement is satisfactory. Since the previous inspection when standards were too low, there has been an improvement in response to better teaching and a good system for tracking progress. Children enter the Nursery with skills that are much lower than usually found in children of similar age. They make good progress there and in the Reception Year and join Year 1 with standards that are closer to average than when they started school. Standards remain below average in Years 1 to 6 but this represents satisfactory achievement because the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is higher than usually found and there are significant numbers of arrivals from other schools in the UK and abroad. Some of these pupils are at an early stage of learning English. All groups of pupils make satisfactory progress. The below average national

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Grade: 3

test results in Year 6 improved in 2008 compared with 2007 and current school data indicates the likelihood of further acceleration, particularly in mathematics and science. This is confirmed by the current quality of pupils’ work. 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 30 April –1 May 2009

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and have good attitudes to learning. They relate well to each other and to the adults who work with them. Pupils say that they feel safe in school and that there is always someone on hand to help them. Behaviour is almost uniformly good, and racist incidents and bullying are rare. This results in harmonious relationships, where children from different backgrounds and cultures feel completely at ease with each other. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good because the school plans carefully to make it so. Pupils have a good understanding of the importance of pursuing healthy lifestyles. Attendance is satisfactory overall and punctuality good but there is a small core of persistent absentees. Pupils eagerly accept responsibility through the work of the school council, buddies for younger children and raising money for

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Grade: 2

charity. Preparation for future economic well-being is satisfactory rather than good because there is still room to improve basic skills in literacy and numeracy.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. They have improved since the previous inspection as a result of rigorous monitoring and review. Hence, more lessons are good and pupils’ progress is accelerating. The best have a brisk pace, work that is matched well to the needs of all pupils, and lively teaching that engages their interest. In some lessons, however, the progress is slower because too much time is devoted to teachers’ explanations rather than pupils’ engagement in more active learning activities. Here, pupils have fewer opportunities to learn independently than they might and some tend to become restless. The school recognises the need to develop teachers’ questioning skills further to extend and deepen pupils’ understanding. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those for whom English is an additional language are very sensitively and effectively supported in class by teachers and teaching assistants.

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Grade: 3

Teachers mark work thoroughly and give pupils clear pointers for improvement.

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Grade: 2

Pupils benefit from a good curriculum that provides them with an interesting and often exciting education. This is a substantial improvement since the previous inspection. Shortcomings in mathematics and science have been eliminated so learners now make at least adequate and often better progress in these subjects. Pupils say that they enjoy the wide range of extra-curricular activities, the educational visits, and learning about how people from different cultures live their lives. Class portfolios chart pupils’ experiences and the positive way that they respond to them. Planning for all subjects is good so pupils receive teaching at the right level for their stage of development.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. The school takes great care of its pupils; their health, safety and well-being are at the heart of its work. All safeguarding procedures, including those 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 30 April –1 May 2009 for child protection, are firmly in place. The school monitors pupils’ absence carefully and makes strenuous attempts to ensure that they attend regularly. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, those who have English as an additional language and those who join the school mid-term are particularly well supported by teachers, specialist teaching assistants and a wide range of outside agencies. The school has a very effective system for tracking pupils’ progress and intervening in their learning if they are in danger of falling behind. Any underachievement is rapidly identified and effective extra support is triggered when appropriate. This is helping

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Grade: 2

to increase the pace at which pupils make progress.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher, senior staff and governors are effective in providing clear direction for the school. They are firmly focused on raising standards and have made good progress in addressing areas for improvement from the previous inspection. Hence, the school is well placed to improve further. Development planning is good and the school’s progress towards its goals is monitored and reviewed regularly. Consequently, the quality of lessons and pupils’ progress are currently being monitored carefully. Senior leaders have an accurate knowledge of the school’s strong features and the areas that still need to be improved. Governors are becoming increasingly effective in monitoring the school’s work, especially in relation to standards and attendance. Efforts to bring about greater community cohesion work well. Examples are the way in which the school enables pupils to visit a wide

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Grade: 2

variety of places of worship and brings in parents and other visitors from as many cultures as possible so that diversity is seen to be valued. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 30 April –1 May 2009 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 30 April –1 May 2009

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 30 April –1 May 2009

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 30 April –1 May 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

4 May 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, Gateshead, NE8 4UN Thank you for your help in contributing to the recent inspection of your school. We enjoyed meeting with groups of you and speaking to you in class. In many respects we were impressed by the quality of your work, especially your written work. We are pleased to hear that you are happy in school and we can understand why you say you enjoy coming. You will be pleased to know that your school no longer requires the substantial improvement that it did a year ago. It is now providing you with a satisfactory education and there are many good features. The rate at which you are learning has quickened so most of you make satisfactory progress. For some of you it is better than that. We are impressed by the way that you develop personal skills, especially the good attitudes in class and the way that you relate to each other

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and to your teachers. However, there is still room to improve your standards in Year 6 so that they reflect the quality of the work that you produce in class. Your lessons are at least satisfactory and frequently better than that. However, there are still some improvements that can be made, for example, sometimes you become a little restless when the pace slows and teachers’ explanations are too long. Planning for the subjects that you study is now much improved, especially in mathematics and science, where you are making better progress than a year ago. The teachers and their assistants care for you all very well and there is now a very good system of tracking your progress so that if you start to fall behind you get extra help. Your school is led and managed well so it is well placed to improve further. With best wishes for your future success. Yours faithfully John Paddick Lead inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 30 April –1 May 2009

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