Stephenson Way Community Primary was the subject of an Ofsted inspection at the beginning of the summer term and are delighted to report that they were awarded a “good” judgement by Ofsted.
The two day inspection was the first Ofsted visit since significant changes at the school in early 2013. During that period, the school converted to academy status, becoming part of Tudhoe Learning Trust in the process. At the same time, the senior leadership of the school was changed with a new headteacher and deputy headteacher appointed.
The rate of improvement onset by these changes was noted in the report, stating “the school is improving quickly because leaders and the Academy Trust have high aspirations and an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses” and that “Pupil progress and attainment have improved rapidly over the past two years” almost exactly corresponding with the switch to academy status.
To form their judgements, inspectors focussed on four areas: the achievement of pupils, the quality of teaching, the behaviour and safety of pupils, and the leadership and management within school.  During their visit, Ofsted deemed that the school achieved “good” in all four of these areas. This outcome indicates that every aspect of school is working well to ensure pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
Ofsted determined that “the quality of teaching in the school is good” and is having a positive effect on the pupils’ achievement across all Key Stages, stating:
Speaking about the Early Years Foundation Stage; “In the safe, caring and happy area, children settle quickly and, by the end of Reception, all groups of children make good progress”.
“Attainment in Key Stage 1 and predicted pupil outcomes show a strong improvement”
“Pupils make good progress overall across Key Stage 2”
The school’s focus on reading was also positively received, noting that “reading has a high profile in school and a good range of resources support this” and that due to this, “pupils express an enjoyment in reading”.
The report makes note of the high levels and effective use of support the school provides, noting that the individual support the school provides “is very successful in raising the achievements of pupils”.
Behaviour was described as having undergone a “considerable transformation over the past year”. The new leadership team’s strategies for improving behaviour are described as “massively impressive with an impact on all areas of school”. Inspectors observed pupils to be “polite, well-mannered and show respect for each other and adults”.
The school received glowing praise from parents, who were given the chance to voice their opinions of the school by speaking to inspectors or through a questionnaire. The feedback and data received by the inspection team led them to conclude that “parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school” and that all parents “feel their children are safe, happy and well looked after”. The school is immensely proud of its strong links with parents and the community and was pleased to have this officially recognised.
The hugely successful sports and PE programmes were praised, reporting the school has “broadened the range of sporting activities”  having a positive effect on pupils’ physical well-being and lifestyles”. This official recognition is the latest accolade of a programme that‘s had a fantastic impact on sporting performance over the past 18 months and seen the school with high levels of representation at sporting events.
The Head Teacher, Mr. Cassap, said “Everyone involved with the school is pleased that we have been recognised as delivering a ‘good’ service for the local community. We will now strive to provide an outstanding service for the community we serve.”
The Full report is on the school website at www.swcps.co.uk.