Mountfield Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. This is an improving school. Results in tests and assessments had been below average since the previous inspection but improved in 2014 to be closer to average by the end of Year 6.

Attainment is rising and the progress of current pupils is accelerating rapidly because the quality of teaching is good. Leaders, managers and governors have successfully tackled weaknesses in teaching and have improved pupils' achievement particularly in the early years and at Key Stage 1. The school is well placed to build on this success and improve further.

Teachers use interesting resources to engage pupils' interest and they manage their classes well. T...he progress of all groups of pupils is tracked carefully and extra help given to those who need it. Good leadership of the early years ensures children quickly become confident learners.

In the Nursery and Reception classes they make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The good behaviour of pupils makes a major contribution to the good climate for learning that exists at Mountfield School. Pupils attend regularly, feel safe at school and have good attitudes to learning.

They feel they are listened to and that their opinions matter. The curriculum is broad and gives pupils a wealth of experiences which promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils understand and respect those who have different faiths and cultures to their own.

They are well prepared for life in modern Britain. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Pupils are sometimes not moved on to challenging work quickly enough. Teachers do not always insist on high quality presentation of work in pupils' books.

In mathematics, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills. Teachers do not fully share their own good practice and have insufficient opportunities to observe good and outstanding teaching in other schools.

Information about this school

This is a below average-sized primary school.

The proportion of disabled students and those who have special educational needs is above average. The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and so eligible for support through the pupil premium is well above that found nationally. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils eligible for free school meals and those in the care of the local authority.

An above-average proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and a similar proportion speaks English as an additional language. A well-above average proportion of pupils join the school partway through their primary education. The on-site provision for childcare, 'Mountfield Pre-school and Creche', is not managed by the governing body and receives its own inspection report which is available on the Ofsted website.

A Sure Start children's centre also shares the school's site. The school works in partnership with schools and businesses in the 'Newcastle North West Learning Trust.' Children in the early years are of Nursery and Reception age.

Those in the Reception class attend full time while those in the Nursery class attend in the mornings only. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. There has been considerable staff change since the previous inspection with over half of teachers taking up their posts in the last two years.

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