Ashley Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the consistency and effectiveness of teaching and learning so that pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, make better progress by:
  • ensuring that pupils’ skills in phonics are applied more rigorously and accurately in key stage 1 and carried forward into key stage 2 to further raise standards in writing
  • ensuring that the good practice seen in some classes in promoting rapid progress in reading is seen more consistently across all classes and year groups, especially in key stage 2
  • establishing systems that better capture the progress pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, make over time from their various starting points so that interventions can be made in a timely manner
  • sharing more widely existing effective practice in recognising when pupils are ready to move on quickly in lessons, so maximising learning time, especially for the most able.
• Improve the leadership and management of the school by:
  • ensuring that senior and middle leaders have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities and contribute more effectively to identifying strengths and weaknesses in classroom practice
  • ensuring that senior and middle leaders review pupils’ work more rigorously to better identify inconsistencies in classroom practice and identify more accurately differences in the rates of progress pupils are making
  • improving the quality of information provided to governors about the rates of progress pupils are making over time from their various starting points so they can check more rigorously on the impact of school leaders’ actions
  • implementing the recommendation from the ongoing review into pupil premium provision, ensuring a sharp focus on the progress that disadvantaged pupils are making from their various starting points. 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

• School leaders, including governors, have an overly optimistic view of how well the school is doing. As a result, actions to improve outcomes for pupils have lacked sufficient rigour and urgency. This is because school leaders do not systematically track the progress of pupils from their starting points to check on pupils’ progress over time. Consequently, some issues have persisted and have not been addressed quickly enough.
• Some senior leaders are not secure in recognising effective practice and weaknesses in teaching. Senior and middle leaders have only a partial role in ensuring that school priorities are followed up in classrooms.
• There is a commitment from staff to improving teaching and learning which ensures a focus on individualised professional development alongside whole-school training. This helps teachers and teaching assistants develop the necessary skills to improve outcomes for pupils and can be seen in the recent improved rates of progress seen in mathematics and writing in key stage 2.
• Leaders ensure some accuracy of day-to-day assessment information by checking work in books and reviewing data about the progress pupils have made since the start of the school year. They use this information to provide additional support where necessary, including for the most able. Evidence seen by inspectors shows that this practice is not secure and does not always pick up on inconsistencies across classes. Consequently, school leaders do not have secure evidence to support their evaluations of the quality of teaching.
• The headteacher has worked hard to establish an enthusiastic staff team that reflects her strong commitment to the personal development and well-being of pupils. Building on strengths seen at the last inspection, staff and pupils have developed strong and trusting relationships built on mutual respect.
• Funding to support pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is used well. This is because the leader of SEN provision is knowledgeable and effective in ensuring that pupils’ needs are identified and ensuring that provision matches their needs. He collects and analyses the information to check that these pupils are identified correctly and are beginning to catch up. As a result, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make strong progress. In addition, the specially resourced provision for early years foundation stage children is effective in supporting children and families to address their needs.
• Additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is well planned, but the evaluation of its impact is limited by the school’s assessment system. However, current pupils’ performance is tracked and the progress they make is monitored regularly. Provision is adjusted to take account of their individual needs, including for the most able. Consequently, these pupils are now making stronger progress and some differences in performance are diminishing.
• The school’s curriculum offers a regular and balanced diet that reflects the full breadth and depth of the curriculum. It provides pupils with opportunities to explore key ideas, apply basic skills in different contexts and build up a wider view of the world. A wide range of curriculum and extra-curricular opportunities ensures that regular vital and engaging experiences are offered, which the pupils are enthusiastic about. For example, during the inspection, ‘international week’ included aspects of cultural diversity found in Britain today, such as Bollywood dancing and Chinese cuisine.
• Homework is project based and enhances the engagement of parents and carers with their child’s learning. Expectations about reading at home are not consistent across all classes.
• The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is effectively promoted in the personal, social and health education provision alongside the religious education programme of study. Local and global events, British values and emerging concerns raised by pupils inform this provision and ensure that pupils have opportunities to gain a well-rounded view of the world.

Governance of the school

• Governors are highly committed to the school and have a comprehensive overview of the school’s day-to-day life. They receive regular reports from the headteacher that keep them informed about the actions undertaken to improve the school. Members of the governing body visit the school to check that what is being reported is happening. However, the information they receive lacks sufficient emphasis on pupils’ progress over time set against current national indicators in order for them to fully evaluate the impact of the work of school leaders. Consequently, some issues have not been tackled with the urgency they require.
• Additional physical education and sport funding is used effectively to promote a wide range of sporting and competitive activities and to develop teachers’ skills in teaching physical education. Consequently, pupils have a positive understanding of fitness and health, but are less secure in their understanding of healthy eating.
• Governors have a secure overview of the use of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils, but have not fully evaluated the difference it has made. They track how the funding is spent and check that planned actions are put into place. However, the school’s assessment systems do not capture the progress of key groups of pupils from their starting points sufficiently. Consequently, governors are not clear about the difference the additional money is making to pupils’ progress over time. The recently commissioned review of funding for disadvantaged pupils is still to be completed.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a well-defined culture of safeguarding across the school that informs the work of all staff. All staff have a clear understanding of what to do, and what to be aware of, in ensuring that children are kept safe. Training programmes and regular updates are a part of school life. These ensure that staff remain vigilant and aware of current and ongoing issues.
• The curriculum is responsive to current and emerging issues both locally and nationally and ensures that pupils have a secure knowledge of how to keep themselves and others safe, including when on online, at home and outside school in the wider community. Key themes underpin the personal, social and health education and mirror the school’s drive to promote positive mental health and equality.
• The designated governor keeps a close watch on the quality of the provision to ensure the safety of children and adults. They meet regularly with school leaders to ensure that good practice is reviewed and maintained.
• All child protection and pupil records are reviewed and checked on a regular basis. They capture the timeline of events systematically. The oversight of records about the suitability of staff included some administrative errors that have now been corrected.
• Well-targeted support, challenge and assistance are provided to families, including those that require help with attendance issues.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching requires improvement. This is because the strong teaching and learning seen in some classrooms and pupils’ work are not consistent across all year groups and classes.
• Although improving, teaching in reading has been variable and results in weaker progress in key stage 2. Pupils generally read well and are able to discuss their reading enthusiastically. The teaching of reading skills and the expectations of what pupils should be able to achieve are becoming more embedded across the curriculum, although this does not consistently match that seen in mathematics.
• In mathematics, teachers’ planned learning pushes pupils to explain their reasoning. They use strong subject knowledge to extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding, and explain complex concepts in interesting and varied ways. Consequently, pupils’ learning is improving more rapidly, especially in key stage 2.
• Some effective teaching and learning enable the majority of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, to make better progress. Most staff build on a good knowledge of their pupils and positive relationships to plan engaging and interesting learning opportunities. However, this is inconsistent across some year groups.
• The teaching of phonics is promoting a good understanding of phonic skills, which is helping pupils to develop better reading skills and to tackle more difficult texts. These skills are not being applied consistently in pupils’ writing. Consequently, pupils make simple mistakes and their writing lacks accuracy and fluency. This is not always rectified in lower key stage 2 classes.
• Leaders do not have robust systems to check on and challenge weaker teaching. Senior and middle leaders rarely directly observe teaching of others to ensure that the best practice is seen consistently across the school.
• Pupils have a positive attitude to their lessons. They settle to their learning quickly and are swift to react when responding to adults or moving between tasks. Time in lessons is generally used effectively. On some occasions, the most able pupils are not moved on to challenges swiftly enough.
• Teachers set homework in line with the school’s homework policy. Pupils and parents respond positively to homework projects, which they say support their enthusiasm for learning.
• There is inconsistency in teachers’ use of the school’s marking and assessment policy to support progress. The school’s monitoring systems have not recognised this with sufficient accuracy. Consequently, some pupils’ work contains too many uncorrected mistakes, and spelling and punctuation errors, which results in slower progress being made in some classes.
• Targeted interventions are being used well to support progress and attainment for low-attaining pupils, disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities. However, some pupils are potentially being missed due to the lack of information that tracks where pupils should be, given their starting points from the end of the previous key stage.
• While these interventions have markedly improved progress in mathematics and writing in key stage 2, their impact, although improving, has been less dramatic in key stage 1 writing, and reading in key stage 2, especially for disadvantaged pupils.
• In some lessons, it is not always clear how teachers address the needs of disadvantaged pupils.
• In early years, adults are skilful at supporting children to move their learning on quickly and ensure that children have a positive view of learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils increasingly take pride in the quality and presentation of their written work, although opportunities to ensure that this is consistent across all classes are inconsistent.
• Staff, including the headteacher, work hard to get to know the pupils well. Strong and positive relationships ensure that children are confident in sharing their concerns with any adult and they trust that it will be dealt with sensitively. Staff work with families to ensure that support is provided, and the vast majority of parents value this aspect of school provision.
• The planned curriculum ensures that pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe in school and beyond the school gate, including when going online. Pupils say that they feel safe in school.
• Pupils can discuss and value each other’s differences because leaders ensure that they are aware of the uniqueness of individuals. Displays around the school, planned activities and work in books recognise and value diversity in modern-day Britain.
• Pupils are aware of healthy lifestyles, and how to manage relationships that could be detrimental to their physical and mental health. They talk less knowledgably about the impact healthy eating has on their health.
• Most of the parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and who spoke with the inspector are confident that their children are kept safe by the school. The vast majority say that any worries they raise are taken seriously, addressed quickly and resolved fairly.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are considerate of each other and polite in corridors and lessons. They arrive to lessons in a timely manner, ready to learn, and settle quickly with positive attitudes to their learning.
• Pupils say that bullying rarely happens. They have an understanding of the different forms that bullying can take. Pupils talk confidently about challenging the use of derogatory language. Some name-calling and rough play can happen at playtimes, but this is rare. When it occurs, pupils are aware of the steps they need to take.
• Pupils and parents are confident that issues with bullying will be taken seriously and resolved effectively by staff.
• Pupils say that there is very little distraction in lessons from other pupils. If this does happen, teachers are quick to react.
• While attendance is improving towards that seen nationally, some pupils continue to be frequently absent. The recent appointment of a family support officer to tackle this issue has had some immediate impact. Her tenacious work and challenge to support families to get their children into school are making a difference. Consequently, a recent rise in the number of pupils being frequently absent has now been largely addressed.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• In key stage 2, pupils’ progress in reading has been persistently below that seen nationally over time. While progress is improving in a number of areas, pupils do not make consistently strong progress in reading in key stage 2.
• The 2017 key stage 2 tests and assessments show improved standards in reading, writing and mathematics in line with those seen nationally. Consequently, pupils leave the school better prepared for the next stage of their education, although slower progress in reading and weaker progress for disadvantaged pupils limit the preparedness of some pupils.
• In 2017, the improvements in pupils’ progress in writing and mathematics and the overall attainment of pupils were offset by the slower progress pupils made in reading in key stage 2 and a dip in writing outcomes in key stage 1. Evidence seen in lessons and in pupils’ work shows that this is improving in the current year, but insufficient evidence is collected by school leaders to demonstrate that this has been sustained over a longer period. The increased rigour and challenge evident in many lessons and books are not consistently evident in others.
• In 2017, disadvantaged pupils continued to make slower progress than other pupils nationally across key stage 2. New initiatives are beginning to address their needs more fully, but teaching over time has not addressed their underperformance rapidly enough. Some differences are diminishing in the progress that disadvantaged pupils are now making.
• Recent improvements in teaching mean that the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, are beginning to make improved rates of progress. This is still inconsistent and reflects the varied practice seen across classes and year groups.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are making improved progress. Planned programmes and interventions are effective in helping those who need to catch up begin to do so.
• In key stage 1, pupils in current classes are making stronger progress from their starting points in reading and writing. Evidence seen in lessons and in pupils’ workbooks confirms the school’s own assessment information that the proportion of pupils working at age-related expectations is increasing. However, progress in mathematics is less secure.
• Outcomes in the Year 1 phonics screening check continue to improve and help pupils do well in their reading, but less so in their writing by the end of key stage 1 and beyond. Evidence seen in pupils’ books shows that pupils are not challenged sufficiently to apply their phonics skills to their writing.
• In early years, outcomes have improved year on year since the last inspection and now match those seen nationally. Children make rapid progress and now complete early years with skills typical for their age. Information about how well high attainers achieve is limited and does not inform the school’s self-evaluation.

Early years provision Good

• Children start in Nursery with a range of abilities and skills and pre-school experiences. The school accurately identifies children’s skills and abilities on their point of entry and uses this information well to tailor the curriculum and meet individual needs.
• Adults have realistic expectations of what children can be expected to achieve, which are evident across nearly all classes and year groups. The establishment of positive and secure relationships between children and staff ensures that learning is celebrated, risk and challenge are encouraged and children develop positive attitudes to their learning.
• Detailed records for children inform their next steps in learning, and support adults in providing individualised support. Accurate assessments, supported by closer working with parents, inform planned learning opportunities that take account of children’s interests and needs.
• Most adults are quick to recognise when children have a grasp of new concepts and ideas and move them on quickly in their thinking. They are skilled at providing targeted support for those who need help to catch up.
• Children make typical progress from their starting points and some make rapid progress. Evidence seen in the provision and in children’s work logs supports the school’s view that the proportion of children, including disadvantaged children, with skills and attributes typical of their age is increasing.
• Staff are astute and skilful at recognising children’s interests and experiences to help plan learning that provides stimulating opportunities for children to engage with. Planned learning activities are underpinned with clear routines and expectations. Children are engaged by stimulating learning opportunities that help children to try out new experiences and re-visit activities that require further work. Interesting and engaging opportunities are provided to ensure that children apply their basic skills in mathematics, reading and writing in a variety of contexts.
• Children are successfully encouraged to establish good relationships with adults and other children. Consequently, they are well behaved, take turns and work well together.
• Staff work closely with families and other agencies to ensure the identification of, and care and support for, vulnerable children. As a result, safeguarding is effective and staff identify and meet children’s emotional needs well. Welfare requirements are met.
• Children who attend early years foundation stage assessment provision make rapid progress from a variety of starting points because adults provide exemplary support and provide activities precisely tailored to their individual needs.
• The early years leader has taken the lead on initiatives to raise expectations and standards. She has an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses in the provision.

School details

Unique reference number 108685 Local authority South Tyneside Inspection number 10042208 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 462 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr T Haram Headteacher Denise Todd Telephone number 0191 4564977 Website www.ashleyprimary-southtyneside.org.uk Email address dtodd@ashley.s-tyneside.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 23–24 April 2014

Information about this school

• Ashley Primary School is much larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is well above the national average.
• The school has a specially resourced provision for early years foundation stage children from across the borough. This provides part-time and short-stay education for 12 children so that their higher than average SEN and/or disabilities can be carefully assessed before placement in a school.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors held discussions with governors, the headteacher, senior leaders, the local authority and some subject leaders, including that for modern foreign languages.
• The inspectors observed learning in all classrooms. Joint observations were carried out with the headteacher.
• The inspectors looked at pupils’ work, had discussions with pupils and listened to some pupils read.
• The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school, at playtimes and in lessons.
• The inspectors looked at the responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, considered some written comments from parents and met with some parents at the start of the school day.
• The inspectors examined a wide range of documentation, including information about the performance of teachers and pupils, evidence of the school’s self-evaluation and reports to the governing body.
• Inspectors also reviewed information on the curriculum, safeguarding and other key policies.

Inspection team

Jonathan Brown, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Alison Aitchison Ofsted Inspector Donna Callaghan Ofsted Inspector