Newcomen Primary School

Newcomen Primary School Trent Road, Redcar, North Yorkshire TS10 1NL

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is an outstanding school

 The inspirational headteacher, supported ably by driven and passionate leaders at all levels, has been relentless in her determination to improve outcomes for all pupils.  Both staff and pupils alike live by the school‟s motto of „Believe, Achieve, Succeed‟. Pupils are motivated and inspired to be successful learners and make a positive contribution to society.  Leaders, governors and staff are dedicated to engaging with parents to enable pupils to flourish and excel.  The governing body is highly effective. Governors have a strong set of skills. They challenge and support leaders in equal measure.  The curriculum affords opportunities for pupils to widen their knowledge and skills in motivating and engaging ways.  Teachers and other staff are committed to ensuring that pupils are learning effectively. This results in pupils making outstanding progress.  Teachers‟ subject knowledge, particularly in English and mathematics, is exceptional. This

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This is an outstanding school

ensures that pupils‟ subject knowledge is superb.  The approach to the teaching of writing is inspired and bespoke to meet the needs of all the pupils.  The way in which mathematics is taught is innovative. Pupils are given the tools they need to solve complex problems very quickly.  Reading underpins the whole curriculum and, because of this, children‟s love of books and appreciation of literature are evident throughout the school.  Pupils make outstanding progress on their learning journey through the school. This is in all subjects and across all year groups, including in the early years.  The development of pupils‟ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development lies at the heart of all that school staff do. They are determined that all pupils grow into respectful and tolerant members of society.  The behaviour of all pupils is exemplary. High standards and expectations are met. Pupils are proud to be part of the school family.

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This is an outstanding school

 Systems and procedures are robust in order to keep pupils safe from harm. Pupils feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe.  Leadership is exceptional in the early years. Every child has tailored activities to ensure that they make rapid progress during their time in the setting.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the proportion of pupils who achieve the higher levels of attainment by the end of key stage 1.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 An inspirational, dedicated and passionate headteacher has led this school over the last six years to an enviable position, where all staff buy into her vision that every single pupil can flourish and believe in themselves. Supported by leaders with the same unfaltering determination, the headteacher has ensured that pupils in this school are indeed achieving at the very highest levels, and have a level of maturity which means that they are making a positive contribution to our society.  Newcomen Primary School prides itself on being a „family school‟. Leaders, governors and staff work extremely hard to engage parents in their own children‟s learning and to welcome them into school for the benefit of all pupils. Parents appreciate the lengths the staff go to. Parents overwhelmingly support events and activities throughout the year. Leaders listen carefully to what parents say and respond positively to their requests. An annual „family fun day‟ was moved to a Saturday in response to parental

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

requests, and this resulted in even more families being part of a special event. These events are used to share different aspects of the school‟s work and, recently, pupils demonstrated their understanding and respect for the world in which we live through a „Life in Modern Britain‟ celebration.  The school motto of „Believe, Achieve, Succeed‟ permeates every aspect of life at Newcomen. Pupils talk passionately about what this means to them and have firm views about what they need to do to be successful. Leaders, governors and staff have created this high-achieving culture, in which pupils want to learn and are determined to do so. All leaders work very closely together and inspire both staff and pupils to succeed. Staff morale is very high, as shown in the responses to the staff questionnaire. One teacher stated, „Ours is a truly wonderful school with strong leadership and a collective ethos that means all staff

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

willingly “go the extra mile”. We live, eat, sleep and breathe Newcomen.‟  Leaders have significantly raised standards in all subjects by being methodical and robust when planning their improvements. Identified actions are monitored rigorously by leaders at all levels, and staff training focuses precisely on how to get even more impact and improvement. The leaders for English and mathematics have designed bespoke programmes to raise standards in all year groups. They monitor these effectively and they are impacting significantly on outcomes.  Pupils‟ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development lies at the heart of all the work of staff and leaders. It does not happen by chance. It is planned meticulously, along with the quality teaching of religious education, to ensure that pupils can make educated decisions and can have informed discussions about the learning and opportunities afforded to them. A recent visit to a mosque, which initially was a

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

concern to a few parents, opened the pupils‟ minds and ideas about how similar everyone is. They are able to link this to their own core values. One leader summed this up by stating, „We open up children‟s minds to the wonderful world we live in.‟  Leaders and governors hold staff closely to account, and the management of teachers‟ performance is extremely effective in rewarding high-quality teaching and in securing improvement. Teachers have targets which are linked directly to the impact their teaching has on pupils‟ outcomes, to the wide variety of additional responsibilities they have in the school and to the teachers‟ standards. Staff truly value the professional development opportunities available to them, alongside team-teaching and coaching opportunities when required. As a result, extremely strong teaching over time has led to outstanding outcomes.  Additional funding is used to support disadvantaged pupils very effectively. The school is recognised both

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

locally and nationally for the range of strategies used to remove any barriers to learning and to ensure that all pupils achieve well. Leaders thoroughly evaluate how the pupil premium is used, to ensure that it has the intended impact. As a consequence, disadvantaged pupils across all year groups achieve the same high outcomes as their peers.  The school‟s curriculum is exciting and engaging. Pupils‟ work shows that they are genuinely energised by the breadth of the themes and topics they study. Work in all subjects is of a very high standard, and pupils have many opportunities to practise their writing and mathematical skills as part of their studies. Leaders have designed the curriculum with a key focus on using literature, so that pupils develop a passion for reading. Consequently, standards, progress and outcomes across the whole curriculum are outstanding. A wide variety of after-school opportunities, such as choir, judo and guitar clubs, enhance

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

the curriculum even further, and ensure that pupils enjoy and develop a broader range of skills in the wider curriculum.  The additional sports funding for primary schools is used effectively to develop the sports skills of individual members of staff, and to motivate and enthuse pupils in a wide range of sports activities. There is increased participation in festivals and competitions, and individual pupils are targeted to encourage them to become more active and to make healthier decisions and choices.  As a local authority, Redcar and Cleveland think highly of this school and its leaders. As a national leader of education, the headteacher supports a variety of schools on their own improvement journeys. Along with the deputy headteacher and other leaders, including a specialist leader of education, the headteacher has made a significant contribution to supporting and developing staff from many schools

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

both in and beyond Redcar and Cleveland local authority. As a result, many schools are benefiting from the outstanding practice at Newcomen.  The governance of the school The governing body has an in-depth knowledge of the school and the work of its leaders. As a group, the governors are able to challenge vigorously, yet offer a supporting hand during its mission to provide an outstanding education for all pupils. Governors take their role seriously, and understand that they need to ensure that leaders are nurtured and well cared for while they wholeheartedly dedicate themselves to improving outcomes for pupils. The well-being of staff is of utmost priority to ensure that high-quality provision is sustained. A recent reconstitution of the governing body ensured that members with the key knowledge and skills which are necessary to function effectively are deployed well, in order to lead and manage strategically and hold leaders to account. This means that the school is going from strength to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

strength. Alongside leaders, governors monitor and evaluate the impact of the quality of teaching and learning. Their knowledge and expertise enables governors to ask incisive questions of leaders. Governors challenge leaders about any perceived weaknesses in performance.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Policies and procedures are regularly updated, and relevant and regular training is provided for all staff members. As a result, staff know what to do if they have any concerns about the well-being of a pupil, and prompt action is always taken to keep pupils safe. Leaders engage in training which broadens their knowledge and provides information for staff to be mindful of. Training around female genital mutilation, child sexual exploitation and domestic violence ensures that staff are well equipped to manage vulnerable pupils. Training for all staff and governors has highlighted what to do if they have concerns around radicalisation and extremism. The safety and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

protection of all pupils from harm is paramount to all at this school. Links with parents are highly effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

 High expectations of, and aspirations for, all pupils to achieve the best standards lie at the very heart of the outstanding teaching and learning being delivered and received across the school.  Teachers have extremely strong subject knowledge and this is exemplified in the high-quality understanding and knowledge the pupils demonstrate in their own learning. This results in pupils who have exceptional understanding and skills, particularly in English and mathematics.  Teachers‟ questioning skills are precisely focused to ensure that they challenge all pupils, regardless of their ability. The most able pupils are consistently pushed to deepen and extend their learning. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are continually challenged to extend and consolidate their learning. Work in books shows that pupils do not always get it all right: this is due to the high level of challenge for all. Pupils are stretched, make mistakes and are resilient in pursuing how to correct them.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

 The teaching of writing, including spelling and grammar, is impacting significantly on high outcomes for all. A consistent and methodical approach, using word families and grammar checklists, is making sure that pupils have the correct skills to develop their writing at a rapid pace. They write with flair and creativity while using the correct sentence structures, punctuation and tenses. By the time they leave Year 6, many pupils are writing well beyond what would normally be expected at their age.  The teaching of mathematics is inspirational, which is leading to outstanding progress being made by all. The innovative development of „Magic 12‟ and „Magic 20‟, which prompt pupils to recall facts at a rapid rate, is giving them the tools to carry out more complex new concepts with a greater depth of understanding. It ensures that no time is lost trying to remember key facts when new subjects are

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

introduced. This has resulted in many pupils working at higher levels than would be usual for their age.  Pupils read and understand a range of texts and literature which would normally be accessed by their much older peers. Novels are used to support learning across a vast array of subjects within the curriculum, and are providing opportunities for pupils to demonstrate their strong levels of understanding, and to use high-level vocabulary in their own writing. For example, pupils in Year 5 are reading „A little piece of ground‟ by Elizabeth Laird, and participate keenly in discussions around occupation in Ramallah, Palestine. Not only is this being used to encourage and develop literacy skills and vocabulary, it is also providing opportunities for pupils to be reflective and to empathise with other religions, cultures and beliefs from around the world.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy their learning, and work well with staff and their peers. It is clear that pupils want

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

to achieve and succeed, and are able to improve the quality of their work. They thrive on being challenged, which results in their behaviours for learning being superb.  Teachers are keen to seek advice and support to improve and develop their own practice. Experienced teachers support those just embarking on their own teaching careers. Teachers with certain exceptional subject-specific skills are sought out to enhance the most experienced teachers‟ practice. Leaders actively encourage this and provide the time for this to optimise its effect. The collegiality of this approach has considerable impact on the quality of learning.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school‟s work to promote pupils‟ personal development and welfare is outstanding. The whole-school commitment to enabling every pupil to succeed is evident in every aspect of its work.  Pupils show a high level of respect and tolerance for others, both in school and in the wider community. Pupils are thriving in an environment where they are well cared for and looked after as part of the „Newcomen family‟. Pupils readily help each other with their work and other issues. They are very keen to succeed and are extremely self-motivated. Self-esteem displays in each classroom, for example in the Year 4 „#ilovemyselfie‟ and the Year 1 „Climb every mountain‟ epitomise the importance of pupils‟ self- belief.  Staff and pupils tackle all forms of discrimination and intolerance so that a cohesive and respectful school community is developed. Quick-response assemblies reacting to current affairs, curriculum opportunities

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Personal development and welfare

to learn about cultural and religious celebrations, educational visits and visitors to the school are all enhancing the pupils‟ knowledge and understanding of the variety of traditions and cultures that exist here in Great Britain, and beyond in the wider world. A special topic called „One world, our world‟ wove together all the cultural diversity, religious practices and traditions within the school, and celebrated both the uniqueness and sameness of the families attending the school.  Pupils feel safe and secure in school, and value the support and commitment of all school staff. They feel confident that they would report any concerns and that they would be dealt with sensitively and effectively. Worry boxes are regularly used for pupils to express their concerns. Pupils also have a good understanding about how to stay safe when using the internet, and know how to maintain a healthy lifestyle. A Year 6 pupil described the school as „a sanctuary‟. The school was recently awarded the

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Personal development and welfare

platinum award from SafetyMARK for excellence in safety for the second time.  Pupils are given varied ways in which they can have their say and express their opinions. There is a school council and an eco-council. Enterprise activities ensure that leaders give pupils opportunities to reflect on a range of issues and to make a difference to everyday school life.  Pupils are making a valuable contribution to wider society and feel a strong sense of moral purpose to help others locally, nationally and internationally. A recent initiative raised funds for a local animal charity, and pupils are continuing financial supporters of ActionAid‟s „Send my friend to school‟ initiative. Furthermore, each age phase of pupils supports an animal conservation charity, and the work of the charity is focused on during learning across the curriculum. Key stage 1 pupils support work to protect barn owls, Year 3 and 4 pupils support the work of the Born Free Foundation, and pupils from Years 5

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Personal development and welfare

and 6 support gorillas and the Shark Foundation. This is ensuring that pupils are becoming responsible, global citizens.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Their behaviour in lessons, around other areas of the school and outside, in both structured and non-structured times, is exemplary.  Pupils benefit from positive, warm and trusting relationships from both staff and peers alike. Pupils talk with confidence and display extremely mature attitudes, both towards their learning and to their responsibilities around them and in the wider world. As one Year 3 pupil stated, „We have a culture of respect, and we respect everybody.‟  Pupils demonstrate wonderful attitudes to their learning in lessons, and this is making a significant contribution to the outstanding progress they are making. There is a palpable buzz in the classrooms, where pupils are excited, motivated and eager to learn. They collaborate well with other pupils, demonstrating their robust social skills, and this is having a powerful impact on their learning.

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Behaviour

 Pupils demonstrate high levels of enjoyment while at school, and this is shown in the number of pupils who attend school on a regular basis. Attendance rates are higher than in other schools nationally, and the number of pupils who regularly miss school has decreased significantly. This is because leaders have effective strategies in place to support families who find themselves in vulnerable and difficult situations.  Pupils understand what bullying is and report that it happens extremely rarely. School records show that behavioural incidents are followed up swiftly, and are acted on well and in an appropriate manner.  The views of staff, parents and pupils confirm the consistently high standards of behaviour at this school.

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

 The most recent national tests and teachers‟ assessments for the end of Year 6 show that pupils are continuing to achieve significantly higher standards than others nationally. The vast majority of pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing, English grammar, spelling and punctuation, and mathematics, with 95% achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined. This is comparable to a national figure of 53%. This shows that pupils have continued to attain at a high level over a sustained period of time.  Historically, national tests for pupils have demonstrated that a large proportion of pupils achieve more than expected progress and achieve the higher levels. This year‟s results indicate that a significant number of pupils will have exceeded the expected standard. This is supported by the high-quality work in pupils‟ books in both English and mathematics, which confirms that outstanding progress has been made.

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

 Pupils make very strong progress over time across the whole school. Pupils currently in school are making rapid and sustained progress in a range of subjects across every class. As a result, pupils are developing strong knowledge, secure skills and a sound understanding of what is being taught. This ensures that pupils are ready for their next stages of education.  Outcomes in the phonics screening (the sounds that letters make) check in Year 1 have been above the national average consistently over time. This has continued in 2016. Due to effective and precise teaching and intervention, most pupils have a secure phonological understanding which enables them to read very well.  Leaders recognised that attainment by the end of Year 2 needed to improve to attain both the nationally expected level and the higher levels. They have focused their priorities for improvement in this area, and standards have improved greatly over time. More pupils are now attaining the expected levels, and the

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

recent new assessments show that there are now more pupils demonstrating a greater level of understanding than would normally be expected. This rightly remains an improvement priority for the future.  Pupils‟ writing is at an exceptionally high level, regardless of individual pupils‟ abilities. Their work is presented beautifully, and is written using complex grammar concepts and intriguing vocabulary. Spelling is of a very high standard. The same standard of work is also evident in other curriculum subjects.  The progress of all groups of pupils is similar across each class. This is because leaders have a rigorous system to check and track how well each pupil is doing. Both leaders and teachers intervene rapidly when a pupil may not be on track to reach the challenging level expected of them. The quality of work in pupils‟ books supports this. There is very little difference in the progress of disadvantaged pupils, most-able

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

pupils, pupils who have special education needs and/or disabilities, and boys and girls.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 The leadership of the early years is outstanding. The leader‟s knowledge of the progress children are making is exceptional. He is able to pinpoint exactly what ability children have when they arrive in the setting and tracks their progress very closely as they journey through their time in the early years. If children are not making the rapid progress expected of them, he makes it his business to find out why and puts effective strategies in place to address their individual needs.  The school‟s evaluation of the effectiveness of the early years is accurate. The action plan for further improvement identifies exactly what needs to be tackled next and the steps required to be able to do it.  Safeguarding in the early years is effective. The school‟s use of passwords for families to use when picking up children from the setting is particularly innovative and is keeping pupils safe. All the statutory

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Early years provision is outstanding

welfare requirements are also met to a high standard.  Engagement with parents is extremely strong. Parents told the inspection team that there is nothing that they would like to improve in early years. They particularly value working with their children every morning and recording their views in their child‟s „family book‟. Parents are extremely appreciative of the work that is provided for their children to complete at home, and feel it adds value to their already outstanding education.  Children make exceptional progress in the early years. The vast majority of children enter with skills and knowledge which are typically below what is expected for their age, and three quarters of them leave Reception at age-related expectations. Although boys begin their learning journey with significantly fewer skills than girls, there is little difference between the progress made by boys and girls throughout their

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Early years provision is outstanding

time in the early years.  All staff play an equal role in assessing children‟s progress. For example, a child formed a number incorrectly in his work. He told an adult how he formed it. The adult spent time explaining how to form it correctly, then went back at a later point to check that he was applying his new learning – which he was.  Additional government funding for disadvantaged pupils is spent judiciously. Over the last three years, the gap narrowed and has now closed between disadvantaged children and other children in the school.  Children in the early years love attending school. Their behaviour in class and at more unstructured times, for example during Sports Day, is outstanding. They are eager to learn and want to please. They enjoy learning and, for example, during an activity in the Reception class, were joyful when they discovered how to multiply by 10 using their fingers.  Teaching is highly effective throughout the provision. Activities are provided to address identified areas

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Early years provision is outstanding

for development. For example, an easel was placed strategically in the large construction area to encourage boys to „mark make‟ to develop their early writing skills.

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School details

Unique reference number 111638 Local authority Redcar and Cleveland Inspection number 10003612

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 382 Appropriate authority The local authority Chair Mark Hassack Headteacher Kinga Pusztai Telephone number 01642 484318 Website www.redcar- cleveland.gov.uk/newcomen.nsf/Web?ReadForm&id=A0E 2505D22A0BC2B80257A40003F358B Email address office@newcomen.rac.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 16–17 June 2011

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Information about this school

 Newcomen Primary School is larger than average and is oversubscribed.  The school is part of the Landmark Teaching School Alliance, and has recently been designated as a national support school.  Children attend part time in Nursery and full time in Reception.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for support from the pupil premium is higher than average. The pupil premium is additional government funding for children looked after and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is higher than average.  The school meets the government‟s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils‟ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.  The school runs its own breakfast club and offers a range of after-school activities.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this school

 The school has recently received a range of awards including Healthy School Status, Silver Eco Award, the Anti-Bullying Charter and Basic Skills Awards.  The chair of the governing body is a national leader of governance.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in a range of lessons and also made some short visits to classrooms. The headteacher jointly observed lessons with the lead inspector.  Inspectors listened to a range of pupils read and reviewed the work in pupils‟ books.  Pupils‟ behaviour in lessons and during break and lunchtime was observed.  Inspectors talked informally to pupils in lessons and around the school, and held formal meetings with pupils from across key stage 2 and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, subject leaders and class teachers, governors, and an officer from Redcar and Cleveland local authority.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation including leaders‟ evaluation of the school‟s performance, school improvement planning, documents monitoring the effectiveness of teaching and learning, minutes of governing body meetings, the school‟s own policies and documentation relating to

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding and attendance.  Inspectors took into account the views of parents during the inspection, as well as 55 responses to the Ofsted‟s online questionnaire, Parent View.  Inspectors took into account the views of the staff through the online staff survey and four questionnaire returns in paper form.

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Inspection team

Suzanne Lithgow, lead inspector Her Majesty‟s Inspector Belita Scott Her Majesty‟s Inspector Alison Aitchison Ofsted Inspector Oliver Flitcroft Ofsted 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

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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