Chillingham Road Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have nurtured a welcoming and inclusive environment.

There is a strong sense of belonging for all. The school is firmly rooted at the heart of the community. The school's history is kept alive in the fascinating 'living museum'.

Pupils display a mature understanding of equality and diversity. They are assured that 'it is ok to be different here'. Pupils learn quickly to treat everyone with respect and to show tolerance of others.

As a result, relationships are strong.

Pupils say their friends are the best thing about their school. They say there is always someone to talk to and to play with.

Pupils behave well. They have a secure und...erstanding of bullying and its forms. Pupils know it is important to tell.

Leaders have high expectations of what pupils will achieve. However, despite leaders' strong aspirational vision, the quality of education requires improvement.

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

Leaders have thought carefully about the curriculum they want for their school.

They have set out ambitious priorities for each year group in all subjects. Enquiry questions are posed for each study unit to engage pupils in their learning.

In mathematics, the curriculum is well structured.

It provides pupils with a chance to practise what they are learning so they can remember more. Pupils can use what they already know to support new learning. Teachers use ongoing assessment to identify pupils in need of extra support.

Leaders are nurturing a love of reading in pupils. In early reading, teachers follow a highly structured scheme to teach phonics. Books are matched to pupils' phonic knowledge.

Leaders use assessment effectively to make sure pupils are keeping up.

Older pupils can talk with confidence about the books they have read. Leaders have chosen quality texts to act as a stimulus for pupils' wider reading and writing.

There is an intention that pupils will know the key features of a range of genres. However, curriculum guidance is too broad, which leads to some variability in pupils' outcomes. For example, a review of comprehension books demonstrates an emphasis on developing retrieval skills at the expense of inference skills.

In subjects such as geography and science, curriculum plans are not sharply focused. Plans do not specify the important knowledge that pupils must learn and how this knowledge will build year on year. Assessment in these subjects is still developing.

It is not informing curriculum adaptations as leaders intend. As a result, pupils struggle to recall facts and to deepen their learning.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified promptly.

Leaders have sharpened the quality of the target-setting process for them. Targets now identify the small steps needed to help pupils with SEND make progress through the curriculum. However, there remains variability in the effectiveness of the support provided.

This means that some pupils with SEND are not able to access learning well enough.

The provision for pupils' personal development is carefully constructed and thoughtfully planned. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of relationships and health education.

They receive many opportunities to debate and discuss a range of topics. Pupils recently led the 'Safer Streets' initiative to reduce pavement parking outside their school. Similarly, 'Waste Warriors' have reduced food waste in school by a third.

Such projects are preparing pupils well to be active citizens.

In the early years, emphasis is given to the prime areas of learning. Leaders prioritise the development of children's language and communication skills.

Throughout the day, there are ongoing opportunities to repeat learning activities. The personal and social development of children is most effective. Some of the very youngest children can negotiate effective play with their peers.

Although there are weaknesses in the quality of education, leadership of the school remains good. Leaders, including governors, are reflective, and identify the right priorities for improvement. They are committed to moving the school forward.

There are several teachers new to the school this year, including some early career teachers. Staff report that they feel very well supported. Leaders are strongly committed to ensuring that staff and pupils are free from harassment and bullying.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders know their pupils and wider families exceptionally well. Leaders are quick to act on concerns brought to their attention.

They work well with other agencies to support families when needed.

Recruitment procedures are thorough. A strong programme of training makes sure that all staff know the important role they play in keeping children safe.

An equally robust training programme is available for pupils, which begins as soon as pupils start school. Leaders use a simple and effective format of 'five ways to', such as five ways to keep yourself safe on the internet. As a result, pupils' knowledge of how to keep themselves safe builds progressively.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In subjects beyond English and mathematics, pupils struggle to remember what they have learned. Subject-specific knowledge is not mapped out with enough precision to build pupils' understanding. Leaders need to ensure that the precise knowledge pupils need to learn is clearly defined and sequenced so that pupils can remember more.

• The use of assessment is not consistent across all subjects in the curriculum. Assessment information is not used well enough to make the curriculum adaptations needed so that learning builds on what pupils already know and can do. Leaders need to ensure that they embed their approaches to assessment to help pupils learn more.

• There is variability in the effectiveness of the support provided for some pupils with SEND. This means that some pupils are not able to access their learning well enough. Leaders need to ensure that all pupils with SEND have appropriate provision to meet their needs and to help them to be successful in their learning.