Caldew Lea School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an inadequate school Fractured relationships between staff, governors and the new senior leadership team have led to a significant deterioration in the standard of pupils' behaviour and slowed the rate of school improvement. Leadership at all levels is ineffective. Leaders' plans for improving the school lack specific criteria by which success can be measured.

Governors do not provide sufficient support or challenge to the senior leadership team. Some middle leaders' impact on improving teaching and learning in their subjects is limited. Pupils' behaviour is not managed effectively, and poor behaviour is not consistently challenged.

As a result, incide...nts of unacceptable behaviour are now far too common. Fixed-term exclusions from school are above the national average. Pupils' attendance, including that of disadvantaged pupils, is below the 2017 national average.

Some parents and carers, as well as staff, have lost confidence in the leadership of the school. Some teachers do not match work well to pupils' different needs. As a result, pupils of similar abilities make better progress in some classes than others.

Although the curriculum enables pupils to study a range of subjects, their achievement is inconsistent. The development of pupils' skills in geography and art is not as strong as it is in other subjects. Pupils do not apply their spelling skills in their writing.

Leaders do not use funding for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities effectively. These pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Pupils' attainment in reading at the end of Year 6 is typically lower than in writing and mathematics.

There is more to be done to develop pupils' skills in reading comprehension. This is particularly the case for disadvantaged pupils. Teaching in the early years is not consistently matched to children's needs.

The quality of outdoor provision is in need of improvement. The school has the following strengths Pupils leave the school with attainment in mathematics and English that is broadly in line with national averages. Staff plan engaging visits and trips to support pupils' learning.

Information about this school

The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding is above the national average. The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is similar to the national average.

There have been a number of changes in staffing. A new headteacher and new assistant headteacher took up post in September 2017. A number of classes have had more than one teacher this year because of staff absence.

The school meets the government's floor standards. These are the minimum standards and rate of progress expected in reading, writing and mathematics of pupils in key stage 2. An associate adviser is supporting the senior leadership team.