Newbold School

Popeswood Road, Binfield, Bracknell, Berkshire RG42 4AH

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is a good school

 The headteacher sets high standards and has driven the school’s improvement forward with determination. All groups of pupils leave the school strongly prepared for secondary education.  Pupils’ achievement at the end of key stage 2 is consistently high in reading, writing and mathematics. The achievement of current pupils is rising further because leaders hold teachers closely to account for the progress pupils make in each class.  High quality, bespoke professional development is targeted effectively to ensure that teaching is good or better. Staff feel valued and supported.  Governors have strengthened their work successfully. They gather a wide range of information to check the difference leaders’ actions make and challenge leaders when further improvements are needed.  Pupils show mature understanding of a wide range of social issues and are expertly equipped with skills that support their future adult life. Respect for others

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This is a good school

underpins pupils’ experience at this school.  A widened, interesting curriculum develops pupils’ knowledge and understanding across a range of subjects. Pupils use the skills they learn in English and mathematics well to strengthen their work.  Parents work in close partnership with the school to support their children and are kept well informed about how they can make a positive difference to pupils’ achievement.  The provision in the early years is good. The curriculum enables children to develop strong communication, language and personal skills. Children in the current Year 1 made a very successful start to key stage 1.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Currently, some children in the early years have not caught up quickly enough to make a strong start to Year 1 in reading, writing and number.  Some teaching does not focus precisely enough on the most important gaps in pupils’ writing skills.  Some pupils miss school more regularly than they should.  Leadership in the wider curriculum is not as effectively developed as that in English and mathematics.

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Compliance with regulatory requirements

 The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen work with parents to reduce the number of pupils who miss school regularly.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop leaders’ evaluation and use of performance information to inform improvements to teaching further so that: children in the early years, whose reading, writing and number skills are low, catch up rapidly and make a strong start to Year 1 all teaching responds quickly to the needs of pupils in writing, consistently starting from a high enough point, and reshaping activities appropriately pupils’ achievement rises across a wider range of subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 School leaders have ensured that all of the independent school standards are met. The headteacher sets high expectations and drives the school forward with passion and commitment. A culture of respect permeates the school.  Parents value the work of leaders and teachers within the school. They feel able to communicate ‘openly and regularly’ with staff and are pleased to see their children progressing quickly. Parents are delighted by the ‘miraculous change’ in their children’s attitudes to learning during their time at Newbold.  Leaders know this school well. They use a wide range of information to help them know their strengths and the areas they need to focus on next. Leaders in English and mathematics have widened the range of checks they make so that they can target their actions more precisely to secure further improvements.  Leaders have built a culture of improvement in the school. Staff feel able to discuss aspects of their work

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

openly, knowing they will be supported to improve. High-quality professional development makes a positive difference to teachers’ practice. Consequently, teaching has improved quickly and is now good.  The curriculum has been improved and expanded effectively. There are a wide range of opportunities for pupils to develop their knowledge and understanding across a range of subjects. Pupils benefit from studying a wide range of cultures, traditions and faiths from an early age. Pupils are interested in discovering more about periods of time in history and are motivated by finding out about the world around them through key scientific ideas, such as forces and simple cells.  Leadership of the wider curriculum is at an early stage of development. Pupils’ skills are not always considered progressively in planning for these subjects. Leaders’ evaluation of what pupils know and can do in these subjects and to identify gaps in pupils’ skills is not routinely used to inform teachers’ planning.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Equality and diversity are promoted exceptionally well, because leaders ensure that pupils’ personal development is given high priority. Pupils learn about democracy, their individual rights and collective responsibilities because they are encouraged to think about their own and others’ choices. They regularly consider points of view and beliefs that are different from their own.  The governance of the school Governors have addressed shortfalls in their skills and experience, refined committee structures and sharpened their use of information to hold leaders more closely to account for aspects of school performance. They are asking challenging questions where information shows there are areas to improve. Governors have secured improved arrangements for the performance management of staff. Changes are impacting positively on the quality of teaching. Governors are good ambassadors for the school and champion the work of leaders and staff appropriately.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

Proprietors ensure that good quality training and support is provided for leaders to further enhance their practice. They have ensured that governors’ skills have been strengthened effectively and hold them to account for the impact of their work.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff know how to keep pupils safe from harm because they receive regularly updated training from leaders. Leaders, including governors, prioritise this aspect of the school’s work in their strategic planning and everyday practice. Leaders ensure that information sharing between agencies strongly supports families where pupils may be vulnerable. Leaders put the welfare of the child first where concerns arise and challenge other professionals who do not do this effectively.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers build relationships with pupils that are positive and nurturing. All adults in the classroom seek to get the best from pupils. Pupils with additional needs are expertly supported to ensure that they make the progress they should. Additional adults support the full range of pupil abilities and are well informed about the skills they are developing within each of the groups they work with.  Teachers use information about what pupils know and can do to plan their activities. They identify what pupils do well and give them helpful information about what they need to do next. Phonics books in Years 1 and 2, for example, show routine use of targets to motivate and move pupils on through sounds quickly. In a phonics lesson, pupils participated readily, showing accuracy in identifying the correct spelling for the ‘air’ sound in the words repair, rare and pear.  Teachers use questions routinely to check how well pupils understand what they are learning about during

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

lessons. They also pose challenging questions which stretch pupils’ thinking. In Years 5 and 6, pupils reasoning about the properties of shapes considered, ‘How many rectangles have a perimeter and area of the same numerical value?’. This was followed by the question ‘How do you know if you have found them all?’ to encourage systematic working, and ensure pupils found all possibilities.  Pupils, particularly in the older year groups, want to improve their work. They make time to go back to their work and make it better in both writing and mathematics. In younger year groups, pupils sometimes rely too heavily on the teacher correcting their work.  In writing sessions, pupils remain focused and make more rapid progress when teachers intervene directly to improve their work during lessons. In Year 5 and 6, pupils responded to their teacher’s challenge to consider whether they had written a balanced view of an ‘Invictus’ rugby game by asserting that the winning team

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

had won ‘fair and square’. Pupils subsequently edited their writing to remove any bias. Teachers’ confidence and skill to pinpoint necessary improvements in pupils’ writing is not consistently as strong across all year groups.  Pupils use their skills of writing and mathematics across other curriculum areas. They develop their knowledge and understanding of other subjects well. However, teaching does not always develop pupils’ skills in science, history and geography progressively because planning for subjects in each year group does not always take enough account of how skills should develop and strengthen as pupils move up the school.  Pupils read widely for pleasure and for information. There is a high-quality selection of books in every classroom as well as a well-stocked library for pupils to choose from. Teachers help pupils to probe texts well and consider why authors use particular words for effect. Pupils in Year 2 who read to the inspector

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

understood why ‘trampled’ was an effective work to describe the movement of a yeti and suggested that ‘skipped’ or ‘tiptoed’ was less effective.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Pupils debate issues to widen their understanding of social issues regularly. Consequently, pupils develop open, enquiring minds. They are alert to ways in which discrimination can influence decision making and know how they can show tolerance and understanding of contrasting points of view in their relationships with others.  Pupils show high levels of respect for others because the curriculum and whole-school values strongly underpin their learning in these aspects. Respect is embedded in the fabric of the school through the ‘Respect X 5’ motto. Pupils show these values routinely in their work and play.  Incidents of bullying are rare. Parents unanimously agree that pupils develop into well-rounded young people who care for each other and work together harmoniously.  There is an open culture to promote safety. Pupils and staff have a high regard for personal safety and the

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Personal development and welfare

safety of others. Pupils are closely involved in helping their peers to understand any risks, such as those posed online. The school council recently surveyed pupils to identify their understanding of safeguarding issues, evaluated the responses and performed short plays to improve understanding of any areas where younger pupils were less certain.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are proud of their school and show positive behaviour to others at all times. Parents, staff and pupils agree that behaviour in the school is good.  Pupils are attentive, take turns and speak confidently. They respond quickly to staff requests and regulate their own behave well. They settle quickly at the start of lessons and move around the school considerately. Older pupils play well with younger pupils, encouraging them to make good use of the wide range of attractive play equipment on offer to them.  Pupils who receive additional support to develop their learning behaviour progress quickly. Pupils respond positively to praise and enjoy receiving rewards such as leaves to add to the school’s learning tree.  Pupils show excellent attitudes to their work in English and mathematics. They are productive and take great care with the quality of presentation in these subjects. In the wider curriculum, pupils do not always show

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Behaviour

the same level of pride in their work.  Most pupils come to school regularly and enjoy all of the opportunities the school gives them to learn with their friends. Although leaders quickly spot any issues with pupils’ attendance, some pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should and miss out on aspects of their learning.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 2 is above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. A large proportion of pupils, including the most able, secure above-average attainment in these subjects, ensuring that they are very well prepared for the next stage in their education.  Children achieved well across all areas of learning at the end of the early years in 2015. A higher than average proportion of them secured a good level of development. They are continuing to make good progress in their learning within Year 1 currently.  At the end of key stage 1, pupils’ attainment was above the national average in reading and mathematics. In 2015, pupils’ progress in writing in key stage 1 was not as strong as that in reading and mathematics. A small number of pupils need to catch up more quickly in Year 3 currently to ensure that they meet the standards expected for their age at the end of the year in writing.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils with special educational needs or disability make good progress from their starting points. Sensitive support, led by both the teacher and additional adults, is used well to narrow any gaps in achievement. Pupils with English as an additional language progress rapidly and achieve as well or better than other pupils nationally by the end of key stage 2.  Pupils acquire knowledge and understanding in a range of topics across the curriculum. Pupils’ achievement across the curriculum prepares them effectively for the next stage in their education.  Pupils’ progress across the school is improving because leaders are focusing closely on pupils’ starting points, identifying any barriers to learning and securing good or better teaching. Most pupils are currently making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics from their starting points. Leaders and teachers are acutely aware of the small numbers of pupils for whom this is not the case and are taking effective

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Outcomes for pupils are good

action to address this.  Leaders have implemented a reliable and accurate system to measure pupils’ progress and current attainment against new national assessment arrangements. The information is validated by leaders of English and mathematics who routinely sample pupils’ work. Leaders facilitate work with other schools to widen teachers’ experience of making accurate judgements.

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Early years provision is good

 Leaders have ensured that all of the independent school standards for the early years are met. There are no breaches of statutory welfare requirements.  Children make good progress from their starting points across all areas of learning. Pupils’ development in the prime goals receives appropriate focus. However, where children’s starting points are lower in these areas, teachers do not always ensure that children’s skills build rapidly enough to meet the expected standard in writing and number by the end of the early years.  Leaders have worked hard to ensure that the curriculum provision is interesting and engaging. It stems from children’s interests and resources are carefully selected to engage children’s curiosity. One child investigated the changing stages of caterpillars, using the magnifying glass. ‘It is hanging’, she said and located a picture of this event in the ‘Big hungry caterpillar’.

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Early years provision is good

 Language is developed very well because all practitioners prioritise this aspect of children’s development. Adults take every opportunity to extend children’s language choices. In one group, children used their senses to describe how the ingredients for playdough took shape and were asked, ‘Could we use it now?’ when the ingredients were at different stages.  Regular observations, both online and paper based, contribute effectively to building an accurate picture of what children know and can do. Practitioners check the validity of these judgements with external agencies appropriately.  Parents are regularly engaged with the design of ‘learning weeks’ and contribute to children’s assessments through their sharing of what their children know and can do.  Children respond positively when adults give them instructions. They know how to keep safe when they are playing inside and outside of school. They work cooperatively using a sand timer to know when their turn

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Early years provision is good

using popular toys, such as the lawnmower, is over.  Leaders work very well with other agencies. Safeguarding practice is a strength, matching the strong practice across the rest of the school.

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School details

Unique reference number 110141 Inspection number 10012939 DfE registration number 867/6004

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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School details

Type of school Seventh-Day Adventist primary school School status Independent school Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 76 Number of part time pupils 19 Proprietor South England Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists Chair Paul Thompkins Headteacher Jaki Crissey Annual fees (day pupils) £4,140 Telephone number 01344 421088 Website www.newboldschool.co.uk Email address headteacher@newboldschool.co.uk Date of previous inspection 21–23 May 2013

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Information about this school

 The school is a Seventh-Day Adventist Christian independent, mixed day school for pupils aged from three to 11 years.  The school is situated on a purpose-built site in Bracknell, Berkshire.  The school is registered for 86 pupils and there are currently 76 pupils on roll.  The current headteacher took up post after the last inspection. A new chair of the governing body was appointed in January 2016.  A quarter of pupils are identified as having special educational needs or disability. Two pupils receive funded additional support from the local authority in the early years.  There are a higher-than-average number of pupils who speak English as an additional language. The school population is diverse in heritage. Pupils join and leave the school more regularly here because some families stay temporarily while studying locally.  The school uses additional provision at the neighbouring college for physical education.

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Information about this school

 The school’s previous full inspection was in May 2013.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out with one day’s notice.  Inspectors observed 12 sessions, four of which were carried out jointly with the headteacher.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other leaders in the school and a group of five governors including the chair of the governing body. Inspectors also met with a representative of the British Union Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views through talking to pupils around the school, in lessons and by meeting with a group of pupils. Pupils’ behaviour was observed in lessons and around the school at breaktime.  Pupils’ work in all year groups and across all areas of the curriculum was analysed to look closely at their current achievement. Inspectors heard a sample of pupils in Year 2 read.  A range of documentation was scrutinised related to the independent school standards, including the school’s checks on its own effectiveness, information about current pupils’ achievement and attendance,

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Information about this inspection

behaviour logs, minutes of governing body meetings and the school development plans. Inspectors checked the school’s procedures for keeping pupils safe, including the checks made on staff. In addition, inspectors toured the school in order to check areas against the independent school standards.  Inspectors looked at 14 responses to Ofsted’s online survey (Parent View), including 14 free text responses. In addition, inspectors considered 17 responses to leaders’ survey of parent views carried out in April 2016 and spoke to parents at the gate. Inspectors also considered the responses from 15 staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Abigail Wilkinson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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