Hadrian Park Primary School
Addington Drive
Wallsend
Tyne and Wear
NE289RT

Phone:0191 2007257
Headteacher: Ms Christine Wright

341 pupils, Mixed

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. The inspectors observed 15 lessons, taught by ten teachers. They observed as many of the school's other activities as possible and held meetings with governors, staff, pupils and a representative from the local authority. They analysed the school's documentation, data on pupils' progress, welfare arrangements and the 64 questionnaires that were returned by parents and carers, as well as those from staff and Key Stage 2 pupils.

• the extent to which the school is succeeding in improving pupils' progress in Key Stage 2

• teachers' use of assessment to ensure that all pupils are challenged consistently well

• the quality of the everyday curriculum and its impact on pupils' learning

• pupils' awareness of the different cultures and communities in the United Kingdom and wider world

• the effectiveness of the monitoring of the school's provision by all levels of subject leaders and governors.

Information about the school

This is a larger-than-average primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is broadly average. Almost all pupils are from White British families. Fewer pupils than average have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school is part of a federation with 14 other local schools. The current headteacher was appointed in September 2009. The school holds several awards including the Artsmark and the Activemark for sport. The Just Kidds Out of School Club and Hadrian Park Under Fives Playgroup operate on the school's premises, but are privately run and are subject to separate inspection.

Main findings

The school provides a satisfactory education for its pupils. Following a period of declining standards among older pupils, the school has implemented important changes and standards are now rising. The capable leadership of the headteacher has been the key to moving the school forward by introducing new systems and re-energising staff, who have responded positively to these new systems. The school has a warm, welcoming atmosphere, much appreciated by parents and carers, in which pupils enjoy learning and develop good social skills. The school takes good care of its pupils so they feel secure and valued, and behave well. They lead active and healthy lifestyles, and relish the interesting activities that are increasingly provided outside lessons, and sometimes in lessons. Consistently above average attendance demonstrates pupils' positive attitudes to school.

Children have a good start to their education in the Nursery and Reception classes. Here, a good range of lively, well focused and challenging activities ensure good progress in all areas of learning. As they move through the school, the provision is satisfactory but inconsistent. Some teaching is good. In such lessons, learning is pacy, stimulating and satisfying for pupils. Sometimes, though, lessons lack sufficient challenge for pupils of all abilities and time is not always shrewdly used, and so learning slows. Sometimes, teachers underestimate what pupils can do. Even so, teaching is improving and is good enough for standards by the end of Year 6 to be now average. This represents satisfactory progress over time.

Guided by accurate self-evaluation and well supported by the local authority, the headteacher has done well in her short time at the school to establish coherent policies and procedures across the school. Her leadership is the driving force, but the overall leadership has become more cohesive so that all senior staff and governors are now better equipped to manage their areas of responsibilities. However, they are not decisive enough when monitoring the school's activities and there is not enough clarity in the recording of pupils' progress. This influences the effectiveness of plans for improvement. The school has mutually beneficial links with the local community but recognises that it could do more to strengthen pupils' awareness of the variety of cultures and communities beyond the immediate area. Overall though, improvements to standards, the better teaching and learning, and a more creative curriculum show that the school has satisfactory capacity to sustain improvement.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve pupils' achievement and standards, especially in Key Stage 2, by ensuring greater consistency in:

• providing pupils with suitably challenging work based on their prior learning and capabilities

• maximising the time available in lessons to increase pupils' pace of learning

• increasing the scope to learn basic skills in literacy and numeracy through other subjects.

• Increase the effectiveness of the school's development by ensuring that:

• the monitoring by senior teachers and the governing body is more rigorous and linked more closely to the outcomes for pupils

• the leadership at all levels has a clear overview of pupils' progress.

• Extend opportunities to improve pupils' awareness of the diversity of cultures and communities in the United Kingdom and the wider world.

• About 40% of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

Pupils enjoy learning and respond well in lessons. They are thoughtful, listen intently and readily take on challenges that teachers provide. They concentrate hard when motivated and work equally well in groups or on their own. Their good behaviour, especially in lessons, boosts their learning. Even so, their progress is satisfactory, not better because teaching is inconsistent. Progress tends to be better in Key Stage 1, although not exclusively. Standards by Year 2 fluctuate between average and above average. Standards are generally at least average by Year 6, but they slipped to below average in 2009. A whole school focus has certainly raised standards throughout Key Stage 2 in English and mathematics, so that they are now average. Achievement is therefore satisfactory for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Pupils have good skills in physical education and relish the variety of sport available. They understand the importance of a healthy diet and keeping fit. They interact well not only with one another but also with adults, because they are self-assured and quite articulate for their age. They take their responsibilities seriously in school and engage well with the local community. However, their links beyond school and their awareness of the multi-cultural nature of the world are underdeveloped. Their good social skills and adequate basic skills prepare them satisfactorily for life ahead.

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

¹ The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low

How effective is the provision?

The quality of teaching is variable. It is never less than satisfactory and often good. When it is more effective, more usually in Key Stage 1, it is because teachers use assessment more skilfully and ensure that the pace of pupils' learning is good. Lessons are livelier and have a clearer sense of purpose. Pupils know that much is required of them and they respond eagerly; they know their learning targets. At times, though, teachers underestimate what pupils can do and set only moderately challenging work. They do not adapt lessons enough so that pupils can work at the right speed for their different abilities. The new systems for assessment are helpful but are not yet being fully deployed. For example, there is some good guidance through marking, but practice is inconsistent. The support by classroom assistants is satisfactory, kind and encouraging, but they sometimes direct learning too much.

The school has improved the diversity and range of the curriculum. Interesting activities and visits motivate pupils and broaden their knowledge. A tour of important buildings in Newcastle on an open-top bus certainly fired the enthusiasm of pupils in Years 1 and 2. The provision for pupils' personal, health and social education is good. However, the day-to-day curriculum lacks the variety and blend of activities to really stimulate pupils and put the learning of basic skills in context. The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are gifted and/or talented is satisfactory.

The school takes good care of its pupils. The happy, warm atmosphere relaxes pupils and they respect the accepted boundaries of behaviour that are laid down. Staff respond sensitively to the physical and emotional needs of pupils. The formal procedures for looking after pupils' welfare are secure and include good links with outside expertise, especially to help the more vulnerable pupils do as well as others. The school has done well to sustain good rates of attendance.

These are the grades for the quality of provision

How effective are leadership and management?

The leadership of the headteacher has been decisive in driving improvement in the past year. She has made staff aware that standards were not high enough and ensured that they adopt good systems to improve them. New procedures for assessment, marking and tracking pupils' progress, as well as a richer curriculum, have already improved standards. Training, especially through good partnerships with the federation and the local authority, has helped senior staff to understand their roles more fully and begin to be more effective in carrying out their duties.

The governing body has done well to reduce a long-term budget imbalance without any detriment to resources for pupils. All statutory requirements are met, including good systems for safeguarding pupils. For example, there is rigorous vetting of all adults' suitability to work with children and thorough staff training in health and safety. However, governors have not been rigorous enough in the past to check that the school was performing as well as possible. They too have benefited from advice and training, and are already more capable of assessing the school's development accurately. Even so, the monitoring skills of governors and senior teachers are not yet embedded securely and there is an insufficiently streamlined overview of pupils' academic progress to help guide future plans.

The school has a strong commitment to equal opportunities. There are few consistent differences between groups of pupils; the differences in progress between pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 are being reduced apace. The school has improved communication with parents and carers, for example by an improved website and coffee mornings, and is keen for parents and carers to be more involved in their children's learning. The school has analysed its provision for community cohesion and knows what it should do to improve it. However, its plans are not yet focused enough and there are aspects, particularly pupils' awareness of the world beyond the locality, that are underdeveloped.

These are the grades for leadership and management

Early Years Foundation Stage

Children achieve well in the Nursery and Reception classes. Staff work hard to provide a welcoming and stimulating environment, in which children feel at ease and learn readily. Most children start school with skills and abilities appropriate for their age. Effective teaching and a varied curriculum enable them to make good progress and a high proportion reach the levels expected for five-year-olds; a minority exceed them. Teachers provide the right balance of directed learning and independent activities where children learn through investigation. Mostly, the activities are well planned to challenge children and build on prior learning, but not always. Sometimes, the learning is repetitive rather than progressive. Most staff are adept at guiding pupils' learning at the right time to maximise opportunities that arise. For example, some children unearthed a large lump of concrete outside and described their find as a dinosaur's skull. Skilful questioning built on this imaginative beginning and also demonstrated children's abilities. When asked what a skull is, one said: 'It is a bone inside the head that protects the brain.' Children clearly enjoy learning, get on well together and mostly sustain concentration. Sometimes, they potter between activities, but staff are good at re-directing their focus. Children feel secure because staff take good care of them; welfare procedures are efficient. There is a clear vision and commitment by the leader of the Early Years Foundation Stage that successfully drive improvement but also a vitality that imbues an enthusiasm in all staff.

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

Views of parents and carers

A minority of parents and carers returned the questionnaires to express their views of the school. These replies were essentially positive and praised in particular the progress their children make, the commitment and approachability of staff and the positive impact of the headteacher. Several expressed concerns about the school's management of pupils' behaviour. The inspectors found no evidence to support any concerns about the behaviour of pupils overall. A few parents and carers felt that there were weaknesses in the communication between school and home. Inspectors judge that the school has recently improved communication with parents and carers, and has encouraged them to support their children's learning. However, inspectors are aware that the school is already taking steps to improve communication even further.

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Hadrian Park Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school.

In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school.

The inspection team received 64 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 334 pupils registered at the school.

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

Overall effectiveness of schools

Dear Pupils

I am writing to thank you for the part you played in the recent inspection of your school. My colleagues and I enjoyed meeting you, watching you work and hearing your views. Your opinions were important to us.

Your school gives you a satisfactory education. You benefit from a good start in the Nursery and Reception classes, where exciting activities lead to good learning. Your progress in Years 1 to 6 is satisfactory and you leave Year 6 with standards in English and mathematics that are expected for your age. Teaching is often good here, especially when teachers make learning fun and challenge you fully, but this does not always happen. Sometimes you do not learn enough in lessons because teachers do not always make the best use of the time available. We have asked the school to make sure that all lessons are interesting, challenging and pacy.

You clearly enjoy school. Your above average attendance is impressive and reflects your keenness to learn. You behave well, are considerate of others and relate to adults very well. It is good that you are adopting an active and healthy lifestyle. You have a good sense of community within school and the local area, but we would like the school to make you more aware of the differences in the world at large.

The school takes good care of you. Staff know you very well and help you with any problems you may have. As a result, you feel safe at school. Your headteacher has done a good job in her short time at the school and, with the help of staff and governors, has made some improvements, for example, in marking and target-setting as well as in providing more interesting activities outside lessons. However, we would like senior staff and governors to make sure that they have a clear view of your progress and that everything they do has a direct benefit for you. In this way, they can make the best decisions for your education.

I wish you every success for the future.

Yours sincerely