Newton Primary School

Newton Primary School Hall Lane, Newton, Alfreton, DE55 5TL

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress because they are taught well in all age groups.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs do well because their needs are understood and they are well supported.  Provision in the Reception class is good and from starting points that are below average, children make good progress.  Teachers convey high expectations of work and behaviour, and plan lessons well. Some teaching is outstanding.  Pupils receive good advice on how to improve their work.  Behaviour is outstanding. Pupils feel very safe and show exceptional attitudes to learning.  The school is led and managed well. The new headteacher has successfully improved the quality of teaching, and this has led to results improving steadily over the past three years.  Governors know the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They provide good support but also ask demanding questions to make sure it

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

keeps on improving.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a particular strength. Pupils in all years support each other well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough pupils are helped to reach the higher National Curriculum levels in tests, particularly in English.  Pupils do not always have enough opportunities to practise their writing in different subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in all classes. She saw 10 lessons or parts of lessons, and additional support sessions for pupils. Six of the lessons were seen jointly with the headteacher. The inspector also observed two whole-school assemblies.  Meetings were held with various senior and middle leaders, and the Chair of the Governing Body. The local authority representative was spoken to on the telephone.  Pupils’ views were sought throughout the inspection, during lessons and break times, and the inspector met with two groups of pupils, including members of the school council.  Staff views were noted during the inspection and staff questionnaires were also analysed.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents. These included the school’s own data on pupils’ progress, policies, planning and monitoring information.  The inspector paid close attention to school information on attendance, behaviour and all

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Information about this inspection

aspects of safeguarding.  The views of parents and carers were taken into account through the 13 responses to the online Parent View questionnaire, three letters from parents, and discussions in the playground at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Aune Turkson-Jones, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Newton is smaller than the average primary school.  The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportions who speak English as an additional language, and those from minority ethnic groups, are well below average.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for additional funding through the pupil premium is also below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or through a statement of special educational needs is above average. The proportion supported at school action is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2010, after the previous inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make teaching and achievement outstanding, particularly in English, by:  making sure that the work set in lessons is always demanding, especially for the most-able pupils  creating more opportunities for pupils to practise their extended writing across all subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When children join the school in the Early Years Foundation Stage, their skills in English and mathematics are often below national expectations for their age. They make good progress through the school, and by the end of Year 6 attainment is broadly average. Some pupils make outstanding progress, particularly in reading and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Parents and carers and pupils themselves say that progress is good. There are no significant variations in the achievement of boys and girls. Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals also achieve well. Extra funding through the pupil premium is well used to provide additional teaching support and ensure that their learning meets are met.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards of reading are average. The more-able pupils in Years 2 and 6 read fluently and with good expression, demonstrating skills above those expected for their age. Less-able pupils in these years show a secure grasp of the principles of reading and how they have been taught to cope with unfamiliar words. Pupils talk readily about what they enjoy reading and how often they read with adults in school and at home.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive good-quality support and achieve well as a result. Additional funding to provide adult support for smaller groups has been effective in promoting pupils’ success in learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make at least good progress in most lessons. In some of the lessons observed, progress was outstanding. Pupils are keen learners and rise to the challenges set for them by their teachers. In a typical mathematics lesson, pupils were encouraged to choose their own method for solving problems and then had to explain it by teaching it to others in the group.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ progress in writing is generally good, although more pupils are capable of reaching higher levels in their work. Opportunities for pupils to practise extended writing in different subjects are not fully exploited. The school recognises this, and writing is at the heart of its current improvement plan.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Lesson observations and the work seen in pupils’ books show that good teaching enables pupils to make good progress and achieve well. They also show that teaching has improved over time, and is now outstanding in an increasing number of lessons.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ planning takes careful account of what pupils already know, understand, and can do. This ensures that tasks are demanding, engage the interest of both boys and girls, and motivate them well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage children benefit greatly from exceptionally well- organised activities. Skilful staff consistently create opportunities for children to extend their thinking and make good and better progress. Even the youngest children make confident choices and are beginning to take responsibility for their own learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The needs of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are identified early. Their progress is tracked carefully. They receive high-quality support from teachers and specialist teaching assistants, either within lessons or in one-to-one or small group activities nearby.  Activities in lessons are lively and varied. Teachers use computer technology, visual aids, games, competitions, group and pair activities, and many ‘hands-on’ tasks so that pupils do not have to sit and listen passively for long periods of time. Their resulting motivation and enjoyment of learning contribute to their good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Where teaching is outstanding, teachers are very effective in creating opportunities for pupils to develop their thinking, apply ideas and work independently. All pupils are challenged and rise to meet the high expectations of the adults steering their learning. Just occasionally, teaching is not demanding enough to make sure that pupils aim as high as possible in their work, especially the most-able pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking is good; teachers use a common policy, which pupils understand. Good-quality feedback makes sure that pupils know how to improve their work. Pupils are very keen to write neatly and accurately, so that they can earn their ‘pen licence’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils have exceptionally positive attitudes to learning. They manage their own and each other’s behaviour very well and play an active part in maintaining the positive atmosphere in the school. School councillors act as ambassadors for behaviour, checking and rewarding behaviour in every school assembly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attitudes enable teachers to teach effectively and pupils to learn rapidly. Clear routines and high expectations are communicated from the start of the Early Years Foundation Stage, where children are very responsive because staff treat them with warmth and encouragement.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Relationships between adults and pupils are based on mutual respect and regard. Pupils are proud to be a part of the school and school councillors are excellent role models for others to follow. They show great sensitivity for the needs of others and willingly offer their help and support.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils and their parents and carers are confident that school is a safe place to be. Pupils show a good awareness of different types of bullying, including internet-based bullying. They have confidence that the school will respond well to any such instances if they should arise.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school’s behaviour policy is well understood by pupils and is applied consistently by all staff, ensuring good behaviour management. Parents and carers express satisfaction with the way staff manage any unacceptable behaviour from individual pupils and ensure that it does not disrupt the education of others.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Attendance rates have risen considerably and are now above average. A new attendance policy and clear system of rewards and sanctions have contributed to good attendance by most pupils and fewer term-time family holidays.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school gives good support to pupils whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable. This has enabled them to maintain good standards of attendance, behaviour and work, and make good progress in line with that of their peers .

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils from different cultures and backgrounds get along noticeably well together. Pupils give thoughtful responses when given the opportunity to reflect on spiritual or moral issues during assemblies and in lessons. They show respect for, and interest in, the views of others.

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The leadership and management are good

 The new headteacher has been successful in establishing and communicating a clear vision of improvement for the school. The leadership team work well together, and their high expectations are reflected throughout the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school keeps all aspects of its work under constant review. School improvement plans are realistic and sharply focused. They illustrate well the school’s ambition to seek ongoing improvement, although they have not yet had a full impact in improving pupils’ writing skills.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders make sure that the way they check on teachers’ performance links directly to whole- school priorities, the impact on pupils’ progress, and in turn staff salaries. This has raised the quality of teaching in the school, including the proportion of outstanding lessons. Parents and pupils have commented on this improvement since the last inspection.

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The leadership and management are good

 Good staff training and the opportunity to work in partnership with an outstanding setting have led to marked improvements in the Early Years Foundation Stage, and the way in which teachers mark and assess pupils’ work. This means that they are more skilful in tailoring work to suit the needs of individuals and groups.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher plans to strengthen the skills and expertise of all staff by providing specific training for midday supervisors as leaders of learning through play. This is intended to promote further opportunities for pupils to enhance their skills and knowledge between lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils are taught a broad and interesting range of subjects. Special events provide inspiring and memorable experiences, and pupils enjoy the different themes and topics they study. Pupils greatly enjoy learning French and are developing links with pen-pals in two French schools.

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The leadership and management are good

 Equal opportunities are rigorously pursued. No pupil, regardless of background or need, is denied access to anything the school has to offer. Leaders ensure that there is no discrimination against any pupil.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. It has strong links with the local community, boosted by a good range of extra-curricular activities and visits. Pupils work alongside members of the parents’ association on the school allotment and are developing a nature and sensory area.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has supported the school very well. It has contributed to improvements in the Early Years Foundation Stage, and its assessments of the quality of teaching and learning have contributed to the rise in the quality of teaching. As the school has improved and is now good, support is at a much lighter level.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding meets current government requirements. The school carries out the necessary checks on staff to ensure their suitability to work with children. All staff have undergone training at the required levels.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors work in close partnership with the school and the local authority. They show a clear determination to improve standards, while retaining a strong belief in each pupil as a unique individual. They ensure that financial resources continue to be efficiently managed, for example in the way that pupil premium money is spent on providing additional teaching support for pupils who are behind in their literacy and numeracy. They are also aware that retaining boys’ interest in reading and writing is essential, and have committed some funding towards the purchase of individual computers. Governors see that staff performance management is checked carefully, so that improved teaching remains the key to improving achievement.  Governors make sure their monitoring includes regular visits to check directly on key areas of the school’s work such as achievement, the quality of teaching, or leadership and

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The leadership and management are good

management. This helps them to gain a good working knowledge of the school’s strengths and what still needs to improve, and is supported by training in improving their own role so they can compare how well the school is performing against other comparable schools.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 112507 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 401276

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 104 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sue Twigg Headteacher Rebecca King Date of previous school inspection 5 November 2009 Telephone number 01773 872384 Fax number 01773 872384 Email address headteacher@newton.derbyshire.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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