Seaburn Dene Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school encourages pupils to 'dream big, show determination and be respectful and kind'. They respond to this challenge.

Pupils play and learn together in harmony. Older pupils play and read with younger pupils. Disputes and fallings-out are rare.

Pupils know that adults listen and react swiftly and positively when they raise concerns. Issues are dealt with calmly and fairly.

Pupils talk about the fun they have in learning and how they are supported if they feel unsure about new knowledge.

Weekly certificates reward pupils who display the school's 'value of the week', be it respect, kindness, determination or aspiration. The school council leads o...n new initiatives, such as playground storage sheds and fundraising. The weekly class attendance trophy guarantees a few extra minutes breaktime for one class.

Pupils know the importance of finding different ways to get to school other than by car. The travel tracker lists the various green and sustainable journeys made by pupils. The school is typified by order and calm.

The 'golden broom' is awarded to the tidiest cloakroom, classroom or even a teacher's desk.

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

Pupils' needs lie at the heart of the school's well-developed curriculum. In most subjects, learning is delivered through short units of work lasting a few weeks.

The essential knowledge that pupils must learn and retain is crystal clear. This allows checks to be made on the knowledge pupils have acquired. Well-sequenced lessons build on the knowledge pupils have learned already.

Checks in lessons make sure that no one falls behind and extra help is given if needed. More formal assessments check pupils' learning over a longer period in mathematics and English. Gaps in learning are then addressed.

In a small number of subjects in the wider curriculum, such as music and computing, plans are not as well structured as they need to be. In these subjects, pupils do not make the progress they should. In addition, the key knowledge that children need to know at the end of Reception, before they start the wider curriculum in Year 1, is unspecified.

Pupils achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils' needs are identified early so that additional help is provided that is tailored to these needs. Pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers.

A range of strategies, such as peer support, digital recording, movement breaks and lists of vocabulary, supports pupils' learning across the curriculum.

Pupils quickly become fluent and confident readers. Daily phonics lessons use the same terminology, structure and routines to help pupils know the letters that sounds represent.

Sounds and words are modelled correctly for pupils to repeat by well-trained staff. Reading has a high profile in school through class book areas and the library. School librarians take turns to keep reading areas tidy and inviting.

Pupils love being read a story, irrespective of their age, because texts are carefully chosen to capture their interest.

Pupils behave well. Attitudes in lessons are positive as most try their hardest to succeed.

Children in Nursery play and learn together happily. They know what is expected of them. In Reception, children show maturity while accessing tasks independently.

Pupils follow instructions quickly. Occasional off-task chatter is swiftly addressed. Outside, pupils are well supervised and play games usually without disputes.

Pupils line up at the end of a break and return to class without fuss.

The school provides a range of exciting and challenging experiences called the 'Seaburn Dene Eighty'. Pupils try to mark off five or six activities each year, including having a picnic, visiting a bookshop or meeting an author.

The school seeks to raise pupils' aspirations and career goals through links to businesses, including car manufacturing, engineering, public transport and the construction industry. Visits, such as to the mayoral offices and places of worship for different faiths, broaden pupils' understanding. Pupils experience the performing arts, such as working with two members of the Royal Northern Sinfonia and watching theatrical productions, including a French opera.

Governors know the school well through a series of programmed visits. They support the school but also ask challenging questions to check on the effectiveness of leaders' improvement actions. Governors have sound relationships with a very supportive parental community.

The school engages positively with the local community. Pupils support a soup kitchen, cancer research and the provision of sports clothing in Liberia. Staff report their pride in being part of the school team in which they are treated fairly and with respect.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum in a few foundation subjects is not as well structured as it is in others. The most important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember at the end of a unit of work is not sharply identified.

This includes the specific knowledge that children need before they start learning in Year 1. This is limiting pupils' progress in these subjects and areas of learning. The school needs to make sure that all subjects are equally well mapped out.

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