Howden-le-Wear Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. Pupils make excellent progress in all classes across the school.

By the end of Year 6, they reach standards in reading and mathematics that are well above average. Standards and progress in writing are rising, but they are not quite as high as in reading and mathematics, particularly at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils do not always have enough opportunity to write at length across the curriculum.

Children have an excellent start to their learning in the Reception class. High-quality teaching ensures that pupils learn very well. Teaching is at least consistently good and outstanding overall.

Staff know pupils very well. Th...ey have high expectations and set challenging work that enables all pupils to reach high standards and make rapid progress. High-quality marking ensures that pupils know what they need to do to improve their work.

Teachers and teaching assistants work closely together to support the learning of individual and vulnerable pupils. This includes disadvantaged pupils and those who are disabled or have special educational needs. The progress of pupils is checked carefully, and any slower progress is addressed quickly and effectively.

Pupils' behaviour in lessons and around the school is outstanding. Pupils are very proud of and greatly enjoy their school. They have excellent attitudes to learning and are very keen to do well.

Pupils get on very well with one another and there are very strong relationships between pupils and staff. Pupils say that they feel completely safe in school and are looked after very well. They say that bullying is very rare, and that there is none in school at present.

The curriculum is rich, varied and well balanced, and engages pupils very effectively in their learning. There is a wide range of enrichment activities. The school promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very effectively, and pupils are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.

The school is extremely well led and managed. The headteacher, staff and governors have high ambitions. They are committed to continuous improvement and achieving the best outcomes for each child.

They have successfully improved the quality of teaching and pupils' achievement since the previous inspection. Parents are extremely supportive and strongly appreciative of the school.

Information about this school

The school is much smaller than the average sized primary school.

Pupils are taught in four classes from the Reception Year to Year 6, including three mixed-aged classes. Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds. All pupils speak English as their first language.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well above average. These are pupils supported by the pupil premium which is funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children looked after by the local authority. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The school shares its site, buildings and some staff with Howden-Le-Wear Pre-School. This is a private nursery run by the governing body of the school and which is inspected separately by Ofsted.