Bewick Bridge Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are attending a school that keeps getting better. This helps many pupils to achieve their best.

Pupils enjoy books because the staff are so accomplished at teaching them to read.

Pupils who find reading hard become confident and fluent readers. This is due to the well-judged support they receive. One pupil said, 'We love reading because every story is a new adventure'.

Many pupils happily spend their lunch break in the school library 'devouring' more storybooks.

Pupils know the two school rules: be safe and be respectful. Pupils give many examples of how they demonstrate these rules in everyday life.

This simple approach to the rules ...helps pupils to behave kindly and politely. For example, the older pupils are keen to be paired with a child from the early years so they may keep an eye on them at lunchtime.

Pupils understand what bullying involves.

They recognise that people who bully may 'feel sad inside'. Pupils say bullying happens rarely. They are confident that if it does, the pupils involved will be helped by staff to make sure the bullying stops and does not happen again.

Pupils know the staff at this school will drop everything to help them feel safe.

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

Governors have worked effectively since the previous school inspection to set the school on the right path. They have appointed effective leaders.

Together they have helped the school go from strength to strength.

Leaders are unwavering in their ambition to have every pupil reading. Leaders ensure staff receive useful training.

This helps staff teach reading well. Many pupils become fluent readers by the time they reach Year 2. Teachers give books to pupils that they can read independently.

Pupils also select books from the well-stocked school library that a parent may read to them. Teachers read regularly to pupils.Teachers select books that introduce pupils to people and ideas they may not otherwise discover themselves.

Staff quickly spot the few readers not keeping up with the pace of the programme. They waste no time in putting in place effective support. This helps these pupils to read with confidence.

If they do make mistakes, they know strategies to self-correct. This success in reading sets up many pupils to achieve well across the curriculum.

Leaders continue to evaluate and improve the curriculum.

They have selected what they want pupils to learn and have sequenced this sensibly in key stages 1 and 2.Following the school's recent amalgamation with a pre-school, some leaders have adapted curriculum planning well to include what must be taught in the early years.This supports teachers to help pupils make links between what they are being taught and what they already know.

Not all leaders have the knowledge to do this confidently. A small number of subjects do not set out clearly the important knowledge children need to know in the early years.

Where assessment is used well, teachers help pupils know the important knowledge or skills they need to demonstrate and how this links to previous learning.

For example, in science, at the start of a topic, pupils will record what they already know and will add to this recording over time. This helps them and their teachers to recognise the progress pupils are making. In some subjects, assessment is less well developed and so not as effective at providing this information to pupils and teachers.

In the early years, staff support children to engage in meaningful activities. Staff question children to describe and explain. This helps children to develop their language skills.

Staff use an online platform to share children's achievements with parents. Staff say this also helps parents to see how they may support their child at home.

Staff care deeply about the pupils in the school.

Adults come together regularly to discuss pupils needing extra support. Staff identify and help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly. Staff in 'the nest' help pupils develop their behaviour and social skills well.

Pupils talk positively about how they learn to value differences among people. They enjoy their school trips, including some which happened remotely, such as a visit to a Sikh temple. Pupils speak excitedly about the in-school events, such as the film nights or a visit from a circus.

Pupils know the school council makes a difference. They are proud that the school council improved what activities are available at lunchtime.

Pupils look puzzled when asked about unkind behaviour.

They say it does not happen often. They know that pupils will receive a 'reflection' if they make a wrong choice. Pupils who receive a 'reflection' develop a mature understanding of what may have gone wrong and how to avoid this happening again.

Leaders have thorough systems for identifying pupils whose attendance may be a concern. Staff work kindly but firmly with parents to address this. It is because of this approach that pupils' attendance at this school is high.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders, including governors, are tenacious and meticulous in how they oversee safeguarding. Because they are well trained, staff are as knowledgeable as leaders about safeguarding.

Staff raise concerns quickly so leaders may arrange support for pupils and their families. Leaders make sure the necessary checks are completed so all staff and visitors in school are safe to be around the pupils. Pupils know they can use the 'worry box' to raise a concern.

Many pupils say any member of staff will help them if they have a problem. Pupils of all ages know how to keep safe online and offline.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There are systems for assessment in all subjects.

Where leaders have provided training and clarity, teachers know how to use these well. For some subjects, teachers are less clear about leaders' expectations and how assessment systems should best be used. Leaders must check the systems for assessment are appropriate in all subjects and provide teachers with the necessary guidance to use them effectively.

• Not all curriculum planning pinpoints how teaching in the early years could prepare children for later learning in specific subjects. This means that staff in the early years are unaware of how what they teach prepares children for Year 1. Leaders should provide training and support to help leaders identify on curriculum planning what knowledge and skills should be taught in the early years.

Also at this postcode