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National
Katie Dickinson

All the North East schools rated inadequate by Ofsted in 2019

These are the schools who need to do better, according to an education watchdog.

Ofsted inspectors are constantly visiting schools across the North East, with results announced on a rolling schedule throughout the year.

There are four grades that can be given - outstanding, good, requires improvement and inadequate.

These are the North East schools with the lowest rating so far in 2019.

Bluebell Meadow Primary School

Bluebell meadow primary school Trimdon, Co Durham (Newcastle Chronicle)

Inspectors said that "over time, leaders and governors have failed to address weaknesses in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment" here.

The report said: "Consequently, pupils in each key stage make insufficient progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

"Considerable instability in staffing, including at leadership level, has had a negative effect on pupils’ learning and the pace of improvement.

"Subject leadership is poorly developed. Challenge, expectation and support have been lacking."

Walbottle Campus, Newcastle

Walbottle Campus (newcastle chronicle)

Inspectors said the quality of teaching, learning and assessment was inadequate.

They also found some teachers had "low expectations" and provide work that is too easy and lacking in depth.

Some pupils were also found to have a "negative or apathetic attitude" to learning.

Washington Academy, Washington

Washington Academy on Spout Lane in Washington (Newcastle Chronicle)

Last year, the school suffered a significant breakdown in leadership and management which resulted in strike action.

Inspectors said it means some parents still have little confidence in the school.

They also said school records show incidents of boisterous behaviour causing injury and peer-on-peer assaults happen too often.

Thomas Walling Primary Academy, Blakelaw

Thomas Walling Primary Academy (newcastle chronicle)

Inspectors have slammed "ineffective" teaching at a primary school where staff couldn't show a "strong understanding" of how their pupils learn to read.

Thomas Walling Primary Academy, in Blakelaw , Newcastle, has been handed a damning 'inadequate' grading from inspectors, after their most recent visit to the school.

The 447-pupil primary fell from its previous 'requires improvement' grade, though it avoided being put into 'special measures',

Monkwearmouth Academy, Sunderland

Schools in need of improvement, Monkwearmouth Academy, Seaburn Dene (The Chronicle)

Falling from 'requires improvement' to 'inadequate', this school apologised to parents and pupils after falling into the 'inadequate' category.

Leaders had not prevented a "decline in the quality of education" since the last inspection.

In particular, a "serious decline" was seen in the English curriculum, which doesn't give pupils the knowledge and understanding they need at GCSE and earlier.

The provision for pupils with special educational needs was "poor" and the quality of teaching "extremely variable".

Too many pupils "lack confidence as learners" because teachers' expectations are "too low".

However, inspectors did note recent improvements in teaching "beginning to bear fruit".

Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development was described as "good".

Tanfield School, Specialist College of Science and Engineering, Stanley, County Durham

Tanfield School (Newcastle Chronicle)

This science school fell from 'Requires Improvement' to 'Inadequate' following its latest inspection, though it dodged the damning 'special measures' category.

But inspectors said head Steven Clough had taken "effective action" to improve teaching since joining the school 18 months ago, and that new routines were 

Norham High School

Norham High School in North Shields (Newcastle Chronicle)

According to the inspection report, results at the school went into a "sharp decline" after 2016's peak at "broadly average".

The fall in 2017 was followed by worse results in 2018, which leaders had not managed to halt, the report says.

"Many of the same weaknesses" spotted at the last inspection haven't been removed, while leaders are accused of having an "overly positive" view of the standard of teaching, inspectors said.

Leaders at North Tyneside Council say curriculum changes and the new style of GCSE exams increased the challenge for the struggling school.

But inspectors say teaching simply hasn't been good enough. In the report, they claim Year 9 students were doing the same work in their maths lessons as the "least able" Year 7 students.

The Hermitage Academy, Chester-Le-Street

General view of The Hermitage Academy, Waldridge, Chester-Le-Street (Newcastle Chronicle)

The inspection, which took place late last year, found that: "Leaders and governors have been too slow to halt the decline in the quality of education that pupils receive."

"Low level disruption" among pupils "remains unchecked", according to the report published on the Ofsted website.

In 2018, GCSE results in English, maths, sciences and humanities were all "significantly below" national averages.

Teachers' expectations were "too low", with teenagers often finding work too easy, and therefore becoming "disengaged".

The report said pupils weren't offered enough opportunity to develop their writing skills, and learning was slowed down when teachers failed to correct "common" spelling, punctuation and grammar mistakes in some subjects.

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