Henshaw Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a nurturing and welcoming school, with a caring ethos. The school's Christian ethos underpins school life; it helps pupils to care for and respect each other. Pupils enjoy attending school.

They say that they feel safe and happy because everyone gets along well. Pupils take the values in the 'School Promise' seriously. They are proud to be part of the school community and act with kindness.

Leaders want pupils to experience an ambitious curriculum that extends well beyond the classroom. Pupils' learning is enriched through a broad range of experiences, including visits to historical sites, sporting competitions and museums. Leadership opportunities for pupils,... such as the school council, 'Eco Warriors' and religious education leaders, are developing pupils' strength of character.

Parents and carers value the dedication of staff. Many parents commented that staff 'go above and beyond' expectations in their support of pupils.

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school.

They are polite and friendly to staff and visitors. Records show that bullying is rare. However, pupils know that if anything were to happen, then adults will deal with it swiftly and effectively.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders' ambitions for pupils at Henshaw Church of England school are high. They want pupils to develop strong subject knowledge, alongside an appreciation of the rural community the school is situated in. Leaders have designed a well-sequenced curriculum which takes advantage of the delightful rural setting, using outdoor learning to fire pupils' curiosity.

This begins in the early years, where children learn about growing by looking after the school allotment, and continues throughout school.

The curriculum sets out the key knowledge pupils need to know and remember. This helps pupils build their knowledge over time.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. Their subject expertise is shared across both schools in the West Tyne Church Schools Federation. In most cases, the work given to pupils helps them to develop the intended learning.

Teachers use 'I can' statements and short quizzes to assess pupils' learning. However, leaders have not fully developed the systems to check for gaps in pupils' knowledge in every subject. This means that sometimes, gaps in learning go unchallenged.

Leaders have prioritised reading across the school. They have provided pupils with a wide range of high-quality texts. Pupils study these in detail, developing comprehension skills such as inference.

Pupils' love of reading is inspired through events such as the 'Big Bedtime Story' and trips, for example to a local book festival. Children in Reception benefit from a language-rich environment. They begin learning phonics straight away.

Staff have received extensive training in phonics. They use this training to great effect, carefully matching the books that pupils read to the sounds they know. The teaching of phonics is highly effective across the school and the vast majority of pupils are fluent readers by Year 2.

Pupils who find reading more challenging get the targeted support and help they need to catch up.

Leaders have clear systems in place to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified quickly. Teachers are knowledgeable about the needs of individual pupils and make suitable adaptations to enable them to access a full curriculum.

Pupils' needs are reviewed regularly so that they continue to receive effective support while developing greater independence.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils' behaviour and conduct. Pupils meet these expectations and have positive attitudes to their learning.

They understand the 'traffic light' reward system and strive to reach 'gold', the highest reward level. Respectful relationships between staff and pupils are evident in all aspects of school life.

There is a very strong focus on pupils' broader development.

Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities and experiences. For example, pupils have visited Durham University, staged a musical production at the local high school and worked with local artists. Pupils say this helps to develop their confidence and aspirations.

Personal, social and health education lessons teach pupils about healthy choices and how to keep themselves safe. Pupil leadership roles allow them to put their learning into action to support each other. For example, the school council introduced a healthy lunchbox policy, and weekly 'walk and talk' well-being sessions see older pupils buddying up with younger pupils.

Pupils also learn about different faiths and cultures.

Governors have a thorough understanding of the strengths and areas for development in the school. They challenge and support leaders to ensure that pupils achieve well.

Staff are proud of the school. They feel valued by leaders and appreciate the support they receive for their well-being and workload. Leaders have built strong relationships with parents, who welcome the many opportunities to come into school and join in with their child's learning.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders provide staff with thorough safeguarding training. This is updated regularly so that staff know how to recognise the signs that a pupil may be at risk.

Rigorous reporting systems give leaders the information they need to act quickly. Leaders ensure that pupils and families receive the support they need. Leaders carry out the necessary checks so that all adults are safe to work in school.

The curriculum supports pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe. This includes how to keep safe online and local risks, such as river safety.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum is relatively new and has not been through a full cycle.

Leaders have not fully developed systems to check pupils' knowledge in previous units of work in every subject. As a consequence, teachers do not know the starting points of some pupils and where pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should ensure that teachers are aware of prior learning and are able to provide the knowledge pupils need should it be lacking.

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