Westerhope Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness and impact of leadership and management, by:
  • defining the school’s priorities and direction clearly in improvement planning that is detailed and precise
  • measuring and evaluating the school’s performance accurately against national outcomes to inform perspective and raise expectations
  • monitoring the quality of teaching and learning across the school, incisively, supporting and holding staff accountable for the progress of all groups of pupils
  • developing efficient performance management systems that take account of school development priorities, pupils’ outcomes and individuals’ needs
  • analysing pupils’ outcomes effectively, to detect barriers and diminish differences, particularly within reading and mathematics identifying and tackling issues that lead to poor attendance decisively.
• Raise the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, particularly in mathematics and reading, by:
  • using the expertise and enthusiasm that exists within the teaching staff to address the variance in teaching practice, particularly within reading and mathematics
  • making sure that all staff pay sufficient regard to pupils’ existing skills, knowledge and understanding
  • supporting and challenging teaching staff to raise their expectations and plan
  • effectively for all groups of pupils insisting that all pupils read widely and often while improving the quality of reading materials to inspire them to do so
  • eliminating differences in outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, boys, and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities across key stages, including the early years
  • ensuring that progress for Reception pupils within the early years matches or exceeds that of Nursery pupils
  • creating an outdoor environment for early years children that is as stimulating as that seen indoors. An external review of the school’s use of pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Senior leaders and governors have an overly generous view of the school’s work. Evaluation has been too simplistic and optimistic. Information and outcomes have been accepted without enough probing. A poor understanding of the school’s performance compared to others nationally is the result.
• Leaders’ analysis of school information is incomplete. Not enough attention has been paid to outcomes for different groups of pupils. Differences in performance between groups of pupils, therefore, persist, particularly within reading and mathematics.
• Senior leaders’ improvement planning does not focus sufficiently on the correct priorities. Weaknesses in evaluation and a lack of in-depth analyses mean plans are too broad and generalised.
• Leaders and managers have failed to improve rates of attendance. Steps taken to deal with issues of attendance have not been examined carefully enough for impact. Pupils’ overall attendance sits stubbornly below other schools nationally, year-on-year. The proportion of pupils who are regularly absent is too high.
• Leaders and governors have not used the pupil premium funding to best effect. The extent to which the money has helped eliminate differences between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils is unclear. Actions have not been scrutinised for effect. Differences, particularly in reading and mathematics, remain.
• The new headteacher brings a fresh perspective to the school and he is challenging leaders and governors to look more objectively at the school’s performance. He speaks with a perceptive understanding of the school’s weaknesses and strengths. This means he is well-placed to lead and manage improvement. As yet, though, detail and strategic direction have not been fully captured in written plans.
• The new headteacher has recently restructured the leadership team to increase leadership capacity. Good relationships have quickly been established in this ‘impact team’. Staff are positive and united in their commitment to the headteacher’s vision. It is too soon, however, to measure impact of this change on the school’s performance or pupils’ outcomes.
• Subject leaders are enthusiastic about their curriculum roles and responsibilities. A wealth of skills and knowledge, as well as raw enthusiasm, exists across the teaching staff. Each leader works to maintain, and indeed raise, the profile of individual subjects. Capability exists to improve the consistency of teaching and learning, across the curriculum and in particular within mathematics and reading.
• All teachers conform to the school’s assessment policy. The extent to which pupils learn from teachers’ feedback, though, still varies from class to class.
• Leaders have created a culture of tolerance and respect. The development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills is threaded through the curriculum.
• Leaders use the primary sports funding well to enable pupils to experience a wide range of activities. Pupils regularly take part in sporting competitions and events within the local area. A specialist teacher contributes to improvements in the teaching and learning of physical education.

Governance of the school

• Governors’ knowledge and understanding of national measures and standards are weak. Governors are ill-placed, therefore, to compare and evaluate the work of the school and too often agree with leaders that outcomes for pupils are positive. As a result, leaders have not been held sufficiently accountable. Differences in outcomes between boys, disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and others, persist, and rates of attendance have remained below average over time.
• Governors visit school regularly and meet with leaders to discuss the work of the school. Staff know governors well and value their frequent presence and contributions. Challenging questions are at times asked. Governors do not, however, reliably use their skills to really interrogate the information that staff present to them. Interactions fall short of getting to the heart of the matter.
• Governors have ensured that the school’s website has up-to-date details of governors’ attendance, interests and committee structures. Statements explain the function and role of the governing body. Statutory requirements are met.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Attendance records are monitored and absences or late arrivals are followed up by the administrative team or the family welfare officer. More tenacious actions are needed, however, as overall attendance remains below average.
• Safety and welfare are strengths of the school. Leaders are trained in safer recruitment techniques. Questions asked at interview relate appropriately to child protection and safeguarding matters. Staff induction processes include reading tasks and references to the most recent guidance. Great care is taken to ensure that all staff are up to date in their knowledge and understanding. Weekly child protection sessions are led by the pastoral lead teacher. Well-documented records make sure that anyone who misses vital training catches up quickly. Effective practices mean pupils’ needs are well met.
• The school employs a family support officer and an external safeguarding consultant. There is regular engagement with the local authority’s health and safety team as well as the fire brigade. Additional partners include health services and children’s services. Safety and safe practices are effectively reviewed and monitored by these outside bodies alongside leaders and school staff.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teachers do not take sufficient account of the skills, knowledge and understanding that pupils have and bring with them to the lesson. Expectations are too low. Across each of the key stages, pupils too often practise things they already know and can do. Rates of progress and the extent of achievement are therefore limited.
• In planning for pupils, teachers are not suitably mindful of the differences between groups. As a result, support or challenge is inappropriately targeted and barriers to learning are not addressed. Consequently, differences persist, particularly for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils, including the most able disadvantaged, and boys.
• Teachers get excited about teaching and learning. They bring enthusiasm about their craft to the classroom. Pockets of strong subject and curriculum knowledge are evident. These fire pupils’ interests and contribute to more rapid progress. A consistent picture across key stages, however, is lacking, particularly in reading and mathematics.
• Not all pupils read widely and often. This leads to a variance in reading ability for pupils from similar starting points. Those who need to catch up do not do so rapidly enough. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, boys and disadvantaged pupils are particularly susceptible.
• The deployment of teaching support assistants is used effectively to support and challenge learning, particularly in Years 5 and 6. This leads to improved rates of progress and means no time is wasted.
• Relationships between teaching staff and pupils are positive and mutually respectful. This is a happy place to learn and a safe environment in which to grow.
• Not all parents agree that they have sufficient, accurate information about the progress their child is making. Links between their child’s achievement and national standards are seen by a proportion of parents as too vague. They said they would welcome further information and clarification.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. A pastoral leader works with all staff, pupils and parents to address issues of well-being. Positive partnerships are built with external agencies, such as educational psychology, children’s services and speech and language partners. Several parents volunteered their praise for this aspect of the school’s work in ‘getting things done’.
• Pupils’ physical and emotional welfare are of vital importance to all staff in the school. A flexible programme of support and guidance offers an important outlet for vulnerable pupils. Pupils frequently described teachers as ‘kind’ and ‘fun’ and they are confident that staff listen and care about their concerns.
• British values are actively fostered by the school. Pupils are democratically voted onto the pupil council where they understand that they are representing the views of many, not just themselves. The recent Paralympian success in Rio was used as a vehicle to explore respect for others and to discuss the need for rules and laws.
• A small proportion of parents expressed concerns about bullying. Inspectors found, however, that any incidents of poor behaviour were dealt with fairly and firmly by staff. Incidents are logged and monitored appropriately. Pupils feel strongly that ‘naughty’ behaviours will not be tolerated and the overwhelming majority said pupils behave well. The pervading ethos is one of welcome and calm.
• Pupils are knowledgeable about the benefits and risks of working with technology. They know how to stay safe online and how to report any concerns they may have. ‘Smart’ whole-school rules for using the internet are effective reminders and helpful safety and protection information is available on the school’s website.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Rates of absence for some groups of pupils have not improved over time. Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are especially likely to be hampered by poor attendance. Pupils from both of these groups are too regularly absent from school compared to other pupils nationally.
• Pupils conduct themselves well during breaks from lessons and in and around the school. Movement is orderly and a feeling of camaraderie exists. During a school assembly, pupils from all key stages joined in the singing wholeheartedly with a sense of pride and togetherness.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• The attainment of pupils in both key stage 1 and key stage 2 in all subjects has remained broadly in line with the national average over time. Progress from different starting points and outcomes, however, is too variable. For example, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, boys and disadvantaged pupils lag behind others in terms of progress and achievement, particularly within reading and mathematics. Work in the books of current pupils shows a similarly mixed picture.
• Differences between disadvantaged pupils and others in key stage 2 in all subjects have widened over time. In key stage 1, differences, though more variable, have also persisted in each subject. Disadvantaged pupils are less likely to reach the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check. All in all, the progress and attainment of disadvantaged pupils across key stages and subjects are weak in comparison to others.
• Boys do less well than girls in the school and less well than other pupils nationally in all key stages, over time. In 2016 in Year 6, Year 4 and Year 3, the proportion of boys achieving a high score in reading or mathematics was well below girls. For the last three years boys have also underperformed compared to girls and others nationally in the Year 1 phonics screening check.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities who receive additional support with their learning do not catch up rapidly in reading and mathematics. Outcomes for this group differ widely from others in all key stages, particularly in reading and mathematics. The difficulties they face in learning are not addressed with sufficient impact to reduce differences in outcomes over time.
• The frequency with which pupils read varies considerably. This inhibits achievement and means pupils from similar starting points make inconsistent progress. A small proportion of parents expressed concerns about the quality of reading materials issued by the school. ‘Tatty and torn’ were the refrains of some.
• In key stage 2 in 2016, the proportion of pupils of average ability reaching a high score in mathematics and reading was well below national averages. Also, no pupils with low prior attainment reached age-related expectations in reading, writing, and mathematics or English spelling, grammar and punctuation in 2016.
• The proportion of Year 1 pupils reaching the expected standard in phonics consistently exceeds national averages. Girls in particular do extremely well in developing this crucial early reading skill.
• In 2016, the most able pupils in key stage 2, including most-able disadvantaged pupils, achieved well. The proportion exceeding age-related expectations to reach a high score in reading, mathematics and English grammar, spelling and punctuation, was well above national averages. Some 83% of most-able pupils also reached a depth in writing, compared with a national overall figure of 15%.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• Leaders have not secured consistently high expectations of all children. Over time, fewer boys and disadvantaged pupils reach a good level of development as they leave the early years compared with other children nationally.
• Teaching in the early years is variable. Knowledge and understanding of early reading and mathematics skills that children pick up in the Nursery class are not built upon rapidly as children enter the Reception class. Progress slows as children go over things they can already do, know and have learned previously.
• The proportion of children reaching a good level of development has grown steadily over time to sit broadly in line with others nationally. Progress from starting points, however, is too variable. In 2015, for example, 80% of children entered the Reception class with skills and abilities broadly typical for their age. Only 69% reached a good level of development by the end of 2016.
• The outdoor learning environment is safe and secure. It is not, though, steeped in high quality mathematical and English resources. Children are not stimulated, supported or challenged outside to deepen their interests or further develop their early literacy and numeracy skills as they work and play.
• Indoors, children in the early years have access to a wide variety of good quality and exciting learning materials. They play happily and can freely access books, writing tools and number games. These foster their interest in basic English and mathematical skills.
• Nursery children make good progress. Teachers work with a calm, friendly manner to support children and help them settle quickly to well-established routines. For example, a group of children very new to the school walked happily and in a sensible, confident manner through the school together with adults.
• Children’s knowledge, skills and understanding of technology develop well. A higher proportion of children reach at least age-related expectations in this area of the curriculum than children nationally.
• All staff in the early years are highly vigilant in terms of the care, safety and protection of children. This is a real strength. Lots of smiles, gentle laughter and happy faces are evidence of this careful attention to children’s needs.

School details

Unique reference number 108457 Local authority Newcastle upon Tyne Inspection number 10000686 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Foundation 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 454 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Brid Fitzpatrick Mark Outterside 0191 267 4750 www.westerhope.newcastle.sch.uk admin@westerhope.newcastle.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 3–4 May 2012

Information about this school

• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about special educational needs, the pupil premium allocation or intended spend or the impact of the physical education and sport premium funding on its website.
• Westerhope Primary is a bigger than average primary school. It has become more stable over time, as fewer pupils leave to attend middle school education than in previous years. Mobility is broadly average.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is slightly above average.
• The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage and there are few pupils from minority ethnic groups, compared to nationally.
• The proportion of pupils for whom English is an additional language is lower than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who receive additional support for special educational needs and/or disabilities is broadly in line with the national average. However, the proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs and/or disabilities or an education, health and care plan is low comparatively.
• The school became a founder member of the Outer West Learning Trust in March 2014 and is now a foundation trust school.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning across classes and key stages. During day one of the inspection, all observations were conducted jointly by the lead inspector and members of the senior leadership team.
• Meetings were held with teaching assistants and teachers, subject and phase leaders, as well as the senior leadership team. Inspectors also met with governors, including the chair of the governing body, a representative from the local authority and several groups of pupils.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read, scrutinised their work and talked with pupils informally during breaktimes. The views of pupils were also considered during more formal discussions with inspectors and the 14 responses from the online pupil questionnaire were examined.
• A wide range of the school’s own information and documentation was studied, including the school’s self-evaluation, improvement plans and records of the checks made on teaching and learning. Information about the performance management of staff and safeguarding practices were also examined alongside policy documents.
• The opinions of staff were taken into account via their responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire and through formal and informal discussions.
• The views of 41 parents expressed in the Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View, were considered along with parents’ comments offered via free text and through discussion with inspectors at the start and end of the school day.

Inspection team

Fiona Manuel, lead inspector Dawn Foster Lucie Stephenson Andy Jones Gina White Her Majesty's Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Her Majesty's Inspector