Hareside Primary School

Hareside Primary School Inspection report

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122268 Unique Reference Number Northumberland Local Authority 334903 Inspection number 9–10 June 2009 Inspection dates Mary Sewell 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 476 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 Janet Bell Chair Mrs Karen Chetwynd Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Hareside School address Cramlington Northumberland NE23 6BL 01670 712440 Telephone number 01670 716422 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 9–10 June 2009 Inspection dates 334903 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 11 Inspection Report: Hareside Primary School, 9–10 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a larger than average primary school which was created in September 2007 following local reorganisation which involved the closure of four local middle schools and one first school. This is the first year that the school has Year 6 pupils. The school makes provision for Early Years and Foundation Stage where children attend the Nursery part-time and full-time in Reception. The school is situated in a residential area where socio-economic conditions are broadly average and almost all pupils are from White British families. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. Currently, there are very few children who are in the care of the local authority. The school has Basic Skills Award, Healthy schools and Activmark. At the time of the inspection a large number of Year 5 and Year 6 pupils were out of school on a residential visit. There is an out of school club on site, run by a private provider, and this was inspected separately

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Hareside Primary School, 9–10 June 2009

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Grade: 2

Hareside Primary is a good school with some outstanding features. It provides good value for money. It has excellent provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage, for care guidance and support and the curriculum. The school is well led by a dedicated and committed headteacher and senior team. Their leadership benefits from the strong support of a well informed governing body. The relocation into a new building, reorganisation of staff and the influx of pupils following local reorganisation, have been superbly managed. Although senior leaders have a clear idea of the strengths and areas for improvement in the school, this has not as yet been transmitted in sufficient detail into the school’s planning documents. Planning is not sufficiently detailed to allow improvement to be carefully budgeted for and success to be closely monitored. Pupils thrive in this calm, caring environment because they are at the heart of this school’s

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Grade: 2

agenda. High quality care and support means that all pupils whatever their needs, whether it be academic, social or emotional, make good progress. This is a school where every child really matters. Pupils start Year 1 with above average standards and sustain these standards by good progress so that by the end of Year 2 current standards are well above average. This is the first year the school has had pupils in Year 6 and the cohort has increased and changed during Key Stage 2. Current standards are above average in mathematics and well above in English. Standards are rising as the pupils who joined the school after the merger settle down and their progress starts to improve as they respond to the many strengths in this school. Based on their individual starting points all pupils now make good progress. Boys in particular are well motivated to extend their writing as they have excellent skills in information and communication technology

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Grade: 2

(ICT). As a result, writing is a strength throughout the school. Good teaching and an outstanding curriculum underpin the high standards and good progress. Lively, pacy, lessons in which pupils take an active part, excellent marking and positive relationships are common features in most lessons. Assessment procedures are too numerous to be easily accessible and are therefore not always used effectively in matching work to pupils’ ability. Pupils enjoy coming to school, and as one pupil commented, ‘it’s great here, lessons are brilliant’. They are keen to take up responsibilities, some of them as school councillors. By the time they leave they are confident, mature and articulate young people. Most pupils attend extra activities and clubs beyond the school day. They are particularly enthusiastic about residential visits, recycling activities and learning Chinese! Well founded and understood procedures contribute to a climate where pupils are protected

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Grade: 2

and supported. As a result, pupils say they feel safe and well looked after, and parents fully agree with this. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive and say ‘it’s a fabulous school’. They value the school website and the way they can interact with school via email and text messaging. The school is now in a good position to accelerate achievement and standards even further.

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Grade: 1

Provision is outstanding. When children enter the Nursery their skills and abilities are below what is typical for their age especially in early writing skills. Progress is outstanding especially in their personal development and writing. Children enter Year 1 above average. They feel very 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Hareside Primary School, 9–10 June 2009 safe because they trust the adults who help them. Children quickly learn to respond to instructions. Some are sufficiently confident to invite visitors to watch their puppet show! Learning and development are outstanding because teaching is outstanding. It is built around high expectations and a clear understanding of how children learn. Very good planning leads to a good balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. Indoors, an adult very skilfully helped Reception children to double numbers. Outdoors, Nursery children were thrilled to splash their feet in the water of a rock pool, while others worked independently making music.

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Grade: 1

The delay in completing the construction of an outdoor Reception facility does not stop children accessing stimulating learning activities. One parent summed up provision as ‘learning is fun’. Welfare is outstanding. The excellent care stems from consistent application of daily routines and the personal impact of a ‘key worker’ to each child. Exemplary assessment practices give detailed, well organised information. Leadership is outstanding. Excellent teamwork has resulted in the rapid implementation of the new framework for under-fives and promotes a strong partnership with parents. A parent described attending a curriculum workshop as, ‘informative and useful to helping my child at home’.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Consolidate and share the best practice in using assessment to match work closely to pupils’ needs and abilities. ■ Improve the detail of the school’s development plans so that the actions undertaken can be carefully budgeted for and outcomes more closely monitored.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good. Pupils start Year 1 above average and make good progress. Teacher assessments at the end of Year 2 are impressive being well above average for several years in reading, writing and mathematics. Current standards remain high and the school has established a consistent trend of high standards at the end of Year 2. This is the first year that the school has had pupils in Year 6 and so as yet there are no results of national tests to compare standards with the national picture. Also the range and ability of the cohort has changed in Key Stage 2 with the influx of pupils following the merger. Nevertheless, the school’s tracking shows all pupils make good progress from their individual starting points. Those new to the school have settled well and their progress is accelerating as they respond to the many strengths in the school. Current standards in Year 6 are well above average in English, and above in mathematics and science. Most pupils in Year 6 have exceeded

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Grade: 2

their challenging targets in mathematics and English. Writing is a strength throughout the school because teachers take every opportunity to encourage writing in other subject areas. The good achievement can be traced to good teaching and an outstanding curriculum which inspires and motivates pupils, especially boys writing. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive well targeted support and make good progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development, including their moral, social and cultural development is good. Spiritual development is outstanding. In their time at school, pupils become mature and reflective young citizens. They think deeply about world issues such as global warming. One suggested, 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Hareside Primary School, 9–10 June 2009 ‘Act now because doing a little can make a real difference!’ Pupils have an excellent understanding of how regular exercise and a balanced diet contributes to a better lifestyle. They feel safe knowing they can promptly access help from very supportive adults. Their behaviour is good. Attendance has improved and is average, but it continues to be pulled down by pupils taking holiday leave during term time. The school is working with parents to improve attendance. Pupils love lessons and other school events. Their favourites include writing, history, physical education and practical activities such as science experiments and designing the wildlife

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Grade: 2

garden. Pupils make a good contribution to the community. This can be seen in their enthusiasm to serve as school councillors or in other roles of responsibility in school. Preparation for the pupils’ future economic well-being is good because they acquire good basic skills including ICT and are involved in industrial projects.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good. The relationship between pupils and staff is excellent and pupils say they love their lessons because ‘they are fun’. Teachers use an excellent variety of approaches and this, combined with challenging materials and a fast pace, mean that pupils’ interest and concentration is maintained and learning is rapid. A particularly strong feature of teaching is the very good planning and preparation of lessons. Marking is particularly good and is helping to improve writing. This high quality marking is just as apparent in other subjects. Teachers are adept at questioning pupils to ensure that they fully understand what they are learning and make opportunities for pupils to consolidate what they understand. Teaching assistants provide very good support to pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and enable them to access their studies with considerable confidence.

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Grade: 2

Most teachers match work very well to pupils’ needs and levels of attainment. However, a very few teachers are less effective at ensuring work matches pupils’ needs. This is because current systems for recording pupil progress are too numerous and varied. Nevertheless, pupils are fully conversant with the targets set to help them understand how to improve their work.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding. The work and activities that the school provides for pupils are innovative, exciting and enjoyable. All groups of learners benefit from a vibrant but balanced curriculum. Extensive and popular extra-curricular activities such as Chinese, cookery and line dancing combined with outside visits and residential experiences develop pupils’ confidence and team-building skills. These add greatly to a sensitively taught personal and social education programme. As a result, pupils learn to lead safe and healthy lifestyles because these issues are seamlessly and creatively woven into many aspects of the curriculum. A significant strength of the school is the way in which teachers successfully help to develop pupils’ writing by providing outstanding opportunities throughout the curriculum in all years to practice and develop their skills. The exceptional opportunities provided for pupils to access ICT results in

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Grade: 1

their exceptionally high levels of skills in this area. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Hareside Primary School, 9–10 June 2009

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Grade: 1

The care provided for pupils is outstanding. Children are at the heart of this school’s agenda. Throughout the relocation, the pupils’ safety and welfare has remained paramount. Staff work relentlessly to ensure that pupils are happy and that they achieve well. All safeguarding, child protection and staff vetting procedures are in place. The arrangements for the care and learning of pupils with a learning difficulty and/or disability are extensive and thoughtful. Very supportive links with other professionals ensures individual pupil’s needs, whether they be social, emotional or academic are met quickly and effectively. The school’s enhanced procedures for securing high attendance are having an impact and fewer families are taking holiday in term time. The school is very successful in involving parents in their children’s learning. The use of a variety of methods, such as websites and email, underpin the very effective additional support and

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good with a real strength in the excellent leadership from the headteacher. She is supported well by members of the leadership team and together they are creating a positive, calm and industrious ethos. The senior team have demonstrated high quality strategic management in relocating the school to a new building, integrating pupils from a closing school and dealing with the attendant staffing problems. High profile, high quality leadership is promoting the dissemination of excellent practice and ensuring consistency. The school has a precise understanding of where its strengths and areas for development lie because all senior staff undertake the role of monitoring its work very seriously. Currently, plans for further improvement are not clearly recorded in the school’s documentation and this makes it difficult to measure success and plan spending. Governance is good providing both support

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Grade: 2

and challenge. The school is now settled and stable and is in a good position to improve further. Leaders evaluate community cohesion well. They have produced a good audit that has helped them identify actions to strengthen pupils’ understanding of their place in school and the local and wider communities. The impact is best illustrated by the opportunity pupils have had with local artists and ex-miners in tracing the cultural heritage of Cramlington. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Hareside Primary School, 9–10 June 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. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Hareside Primary School, 9–10 June 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?

1 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 1 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 1 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Hareside Primary School, 9–10 June 2009

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 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? 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 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Hareside Primary School, 9–10 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

11 June 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Hareside Primary School, Northumberland, NE23 6BL Thank you for making our inspection of your school so enjoyable. We loved your lovely new school building and were very impressed at the way you all kept it so clean and tidy. We enjoyed meeting you, visiting your classrooms, looking at your books and those fantastic displays. We especially want to thank those of you who gave up time to come and speak to us about your school. You were very friendly and polite and we were impressed by how much you really enjoyed school. These are the things we found out about your school from our visit. You attend a good school. Your excellent headteacher and her team were determined that the move into your new school would not stop you doing your best and we found that this was the case. Your parents told us they think your school really cares about you and we agree. The Nursery and Reception classes are excellent. All the people who work in the school are doing

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

a very good job in making sure you are safe, well cared for and happy. We found that you all made good progress in your lessons because your teachers gave you a number of exciting and interesting activities to do. Some of you said that you sometimes need extra help and that other adults helped you catch up. We were very impressed that you all had excellent ideas of how to stay fit and healthy. You have plenty of opportunities to do jobs around the school and this is helping you become very grown up and responsible. Your behaviour is good and you pay attention in your lessons. This means that your learning is good and that you do better than children in other schools. We found that writing is good throughout the school because your teachers give you all plenty of things to write about in other subjects. We really loved the ‘Through the door’ stories which Year 4 did and were very impressed with the ‘What If?’ work on global warming.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have asked your teachers to share their good ideas about how to record your assessment and check that your work is always set at the correct level. We have also asked the teachers to make sure the plans they use to make your school better are written in more detail. We all agreed that you look very smart in your uniforms, ready for work and keen to do well. May we take this opportunity of wishing you all every success in the future! Yours faithfully Mary Sewell, Derek Sleightholme and James Hall Inspectors 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Hareside Primary School, 9–10 June 2009

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