Lingey House Primary School

Lingey House Primary School Inspection report

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108360 Unique Reference Number Gateshead Local Authority 331426 Inspection number 19 May 2009 Inspection date Margaret Farrow HMI 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 320 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 Mrs Christine Henderson Chair Mrs Christine Jones Headteacher 1 October 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Millford School address Leam Lane Estate Felling Gateshead NE10 8DN 0191 4334061 Telephone number 0191 4384262 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 19 May 2009 Inspection date 331426 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. 2 of 10 Inspection Report: Lingey House Primary School, 19 May 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspector’s and one additional inspector. Inspectors investigated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: the impact of actions the school has taken to improve the quality of provision and outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage; the extent to which all pupils make progress and how much they enjoy learning, particularly at Key Stage 1 and; the impact of leadership and management at all levels within the school. This was done by gathering evidence from scrutinising school documentation, pupils’ work and inspection questionnaires completed by parents; observing lessons and talking with pupils, the headteacher, staff and chair of governors. Other aspects of the school’s work were not investigated in detail, but inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school’s own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation

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Introduction

form, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

Lingey House is a larger-than-average-sized primary school serving an area of mixed housing towards the eastern edge of Gateshead local authority. Over a quarter of the pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above the national average. There are more boys on the school roll than average. Very few pupils are from minority ethnic communities or have English as a second language. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities is much higher than the national average while the proportion of those with a statement of special educational need is below. Early Years Foundation Stage provision comprises one full-time and one part-time Nursery class, a Reception class and a mixed Reception/Year 1 class. The school holds a number of nationally recognised national awards including: Artsmark Gold, National Healthy School Award, Activemark, International Award, Quality Mark for Basic Skills and

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Description of the school

recently the Eco Schools Award. A private breakfast and after-school club is based on the school site. It is subject to a different inspection and a separate report is available on the Ofsted website.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Lingey House Primary School, 19 May 2009

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Grade: 1

Lingey House is an outstanding school. Pupils, staff and parents readily embrace the school’s motto ‘to aim high’ and this is evidenced most clearly in the excellent progress pupils make, the high standards they attain, and in the exceptional curriculum and care, guidance and support provided. The school’s very successful focus on their aspiration for pupils to become confident, secure, caring individuals ensures that pupils’ personal, spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are also outstanding. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the education and care their children receive. Pupils talk enthusiastically and with confidence, about how much they enjoy school, and how, ‘Lingey House is the best school in the universe’, and this can be seen in their very positive attitudes to learning and their exemplary behaviour. Despite concerted efforts by the school to improve the rates of attendance of a few pupils who are

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Grade: 1

persistently absent, attendance is average overall; although it is improving and higher than that found in similar schools nationally. Children enter Nursery with skills and understanding that are well below that typical for their age; especially in communication, language and literacy and personal, social and emotional education. Until recently, they have made satisfactory progress by the time they enter Key Stage 1. As a result of improvements to leadership, teaching and the curriculum, children now make good progress in all areas of learning, but this has not had time to make a difference to standards at the end of Year 2 and the standards attained by pupils in their end of Key Stage 1 assessments over the last three years have generally been well below average; particularly in writing. Nevertheless, the foundations provided enable pupils to make exceptional progress as they move through Key Stage 2 and by the time they leave school, a much higher than average

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Grade: 1

proportion of pupils attain Level 4 or above in English, mathematics and science statutory assessment tests (SATS). Indeed, in 2008 all pupils gained at least a Level 4 and many more than that found nationally, attained the higher Level 5 in mathematics and science. School assessment data, individual pupil tracking information and inspection evidence shows that pupils in Key Stage 2 continue to attain highly and make very good progress in their learning. Standards are rising in Key Stage 1 and pupils are now making better progress due to improvements in the curriculum and in the quality of teaching and learning. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities attain well and make very good progress. This is due to regular assessment of their learning and the individual care and targeted support they receive from teachers and well trained teaching assistants. Teaching is outstanding. Relationships between staff and pupils in class are generally excellent

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Grade: 1

and, as a result, pupils are ready and keen to learn. Staff know their pupils extremely well and in the best lessons plan activities and tasks that capture their interest and motivate them to work hard and enjoy their lessons. Pupils are increasingly involved in taking responsibility for their own learning and they work equally well in groups, pairs or independently. Pupils are proud of their work and books are well presented. Effective marking helps to acknowledge their achievements and point them in the right direction for their future learning. Teachers track pupil progress rigorously and regularly. The tracking systems in place since September record precisely how well individual pupils are achieving and any areas of concern are quickly identified and actions taken to tackle them. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Lingey House Primary School, 19 May 2009 Improvements to the now outstanding curriculum assure a wider range of experiences that add

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Grade: 1

to pupils’ achievement, enjoyment and sense of fun. Theme weeks such as the outside learning week and cross-curricular projects, provide pupils with opportunities to learn their basic skills alongside challenging and interesting activities that draw together subjects such as science, art, history and geography. Information and communication technology (ICT) plays a key role in pupils’ learning and pupils get plenty of opportunities to develop and use these skills across the curriculum. Many pupils learn to play a musical instrument and all Key Stage 2 pupils learn French. The curriculum is successfully broadened by a range of well attended out-of-school clubs and visits, such as outward bound residential activities and with visitors to school. These build pupils’ confidence, raise their self-esteem and broaden their horizons and they talk positively about how much they appreciate these opportunities. The school’s large grounds,

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Grade: 1

allotment and range of themed gardens chosen by the school council are used well to promote pupils’ understanding of how to live healthy lives as well as providing havens where they can be peaceful, speak French, be eco-warriors or just have fun and play together. Pupils say they feel very safe and are confident that adults will listen and respond to any of their concerns. They are adamant that bullying is rare and if it does occur it is quickly dealt with. They are particularly well aware of the dangers of the internet and cyber-bullying. Safeguarding procedures are robust and meet current statutory requirements. Pupils have a keen sense of responsibility for others and their charity work is impressive. They make a good contribution to their community through their many responsibilities in school, their work as school councillors, and work in the local community such as the ‘Big Tidy Up’. Partnerships are a strength of the school. They include working with the police and fire service,

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Grade: 1

with parents, with agencies that support the most vulnerable pupils and their families, and a range of local and national businesses, such as the National Gallery who contribute to the outstanding curriculum. These are used well to develop pupils’ confidence and social skills, as well as their creative skills, business acumen and financial literacy. Together with good transition arrangements pupils are very well prepared for the next stage of their education. Leadership and management at all levels are outstanding. The headteacher has been a key lever for change; she has built morale and raised expectations and she enjoys the overwhelming support of staff, governors and parents. They all demonstrate high levels of commitment to the school’s improvement. The leadership team have successfully tackled the areas identified as being in need of improvement following the last inspection and have secured the current

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Grade: 1

very high standards and outstanding progress of pupils leaving school. The leadership team and the highly effective governing body tenaciously monitor and evaluate the work of the school. They have developed middle managers to support them and, as a result, all have a very clear knowledge and understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for the improvement. They contribute fully to the school’s accurate self-evaluation and school improvement planning. This is a harmonious school and pupils get on together extremely well. Community cohesion is effectively promoted. The school’s work within the local community is strong and pupils have many opportunities to meet and engage in activities with, and meet pupils from local primary and special schools and Gateshead College. The school has European links in France and their International School’s award provides a good focus for understanding the wider world

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Grade: 1

communities, for example, through their multicultural festival work. However, the school is aware that pupils have more limited understanding of the diverse religious, ethnic and socio-economic contexts across the country and plans are in place to improve this aspect. Given the track record of improvement since the last inspection, the very high standards pupils attain 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Lingey House Primary School, 19 May 2009 by the time they leave school, their very good progress and the range of excellent aspects of the school’s work, the school has an outstanding capacity to continue to improve.

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Grade: 2

Provision in, and leadership of, the Early Years Foundation Stage has improved since the last inspection and is now good. Children make good progress because of the improvements made. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported and make similar progress to their peers. All are very well cared for and excellent welfare systems are in place to ensure children are safe and secure. Children’s personal development is outstanding. They settle quickly into school routines because transition arrangements are very good. Key workers visit children’s homes before they enter Nursery and make sure they know their children well so they can pin point what experiences children need to have to help them make progress and enjoy their time in the Nursery. This also helps to develop positive relationships between the school and parents. Staff successfully monitor children’s progress through regular observations

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Grade: 2

and assessments to plan the next steps of learning. These observations enable activities to be well matched to children’s learning needs. As a result, there is a good balance between adult-led and child-determined activities. Children are encouraged to develop their speaking and listening skills and become independent, yet sociable learners and thoroughly enjoy taking a full part in the many interesting activities on offer. Good use is made of the indoor facilities and this fosters children’s development in all areas of learning. The outdoor provision is well developed but restricted access limits the impact of this provision. There is a happy, harmonious atmosphere in this safe and caring environment. Children behave well; they respond to instructions, cooperate with each other readily and develop the very positive attitudes to learning which sustain them as they move through the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards in Key Stage 1, particularly in writing.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve access to outdoor provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Lingey House Primary School, 19 May 2009 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Lingey House Primary School, 19 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? 1 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? 1 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

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Lingey House Primary School, 19 May 2009

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 1 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? 1 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Lingey House Primary School, 19 May 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

20 May 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Lingey House Primary School, Gateshead, NE10 8DN Thank you for making the inspection team so welcome when we visited your school recently. We were very impressed by your friendly, polite and mature attitudes.. A special thanks to those of you who spoke to us during the day; you spoke so well and helped us understand why you think Lingey House is, ‘the best school in the universe’. Please thank your parents who completed the inspection questionnaire. Almost all of those who responded were very positive about the quality of education and care you receive. We agree with you and them that Lingey House is an outstanding school. Outstanding aspects include:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the standards you attain, the progress you make and the help you receive to ensure you are well prepared for secondary school ■ your personal, social, emotional, spiritual, moral and cultural development

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your very good behaviour and the relationships between teachers and yourselves as well as the care and respect you have for each other and adults in school ■ the very good curriculum, extra-curricular activities and theme weeks such as outdoor learning week, in which you all take part ■ the care, guidance and support you receive from all adults in school and the leadership and management of Mrs Jones your headteacher, her senior team and governors. Mrs Jones, governors and staff are constantly thinking about what they can do to continue to improve the school and have made many improvements since the time of the last inspection. We have asked them to make sure that pupils in Key Stage 1 attain higher standards and to make sure that all children in Nursery and Reception can access the great outdoor provision more regularly. On behalf of the team, I extend my best wishes to you all during your remaining time in school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and in your eventual move into secondary school. All the best Margaret Farrow Her Majesty’s Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Lingey House Primary School, 19 May 2009

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