Newton Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Linda Shepherd Headteacher Newton Primary School Hall Lane Newton Alfreton DE55 5TL

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No formal designation monitoring inspection of Newton Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 2 November 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.

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No formal designation monitoring inspection of Newton Primary School

This monitoring inspection was conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for inspecting schools with no formal designation. The inspection was carried out because Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector was concerned about the effectiveness of safeguarding at the school.

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Evidence

I scrutinised the single central record and other documents relating to safeguarding and child protection arrangements. I met with you, three representatives of the governing body, two groups of pupils and a representative of the local authority. I spoke to parents at the beginning of the school day. We conducted a tour of the school together and visited all classes to see pupils and staff at work. I observed pupils at breaktimes and lunchtime.

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Evidence

Having considered the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Context

You took up post in January 2015. Newton Primary is smaller than the average- sized primary school. The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language, and those from minority ethnic groups, is well below average. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average.

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Context

You and other school leaders place a high priority on pupils’ well-being and safety. The safeguarding policy and procedures have been updated to reflect the most recent statutory requirements, such as ‘Keeping children safe in education 2016’, and are well understood and carefully followed by all adults in the school. Records show that all staff, including non-teaching staff, receive regular and appropriate training, including training relating to protecting pupils from extremism and radicalisation. As a result, they know how to respond to any concerns about a pupil’s well-being and safety. The teachers and support staff I spoke to had a good knowledge of what to do if they have concerns. Safeguarding is discussed at every staff meeting. This reminds staff of the important role they play in safeguarding pupils and of the need to be vigilant at all times.

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Context

You and other senior leaders, including governors, ensure that arrangements for the recruitment of staff follow safeguarding guidelines and appropriate checks on staff and volunteers are carried out and carefully recorded. Several leaders and governors are trained in safer recruitment so that there is a trained person on every interview panel. These leaders ensure that references are collected and retained for all staff, and include a direct question about the individual’s suitability to work with children. Interview questions and notes are retained and include questions which establish the candidate’s awareness and understanding of child protection issues.

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Context

You keep appropriate records of behaviour incidents and of any bullying which occurs in school. You monitor these records regularly to identify any emerging patterns and trends. Accident and first-aid records are completed carefully by all staff. Risk assessments are carried out appropriately using the online system ‘Evolve’. All records are stored securely.

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Context

The day-to-day procedures to keep pupils safe are appropriate. I observed appropriate levels of supervision at playtime and lunchtime. Midday supervisors are proactive in engaging pupils in purposeful activities and as a result, pupils play cooperatively together and enjoy their social times. I observed pupils managing their own behaviour well and demonstrating sensitivity towards others. The school site is secure during the school day. All visitors have to be admitted by a member of staff, who checks their identity and ensures that they sign in and wear a badge.

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Context

Pupils who I spoke to said they felt safe in school. They explained that bullying is rare and were confident that any incidents would be sorted out quickly by yourself or other adults in the school. Pupils were able to explain clearly how they are taught to stay safe in different circumstances. For example, pupils know how to keep themselves safe when using the internet and how to respond if there is a fire. They know that they should tell an adult immediately if they hear anyone using derogatory language. Pupils explained that at Newton Primary everyone is treated fairly and with respect. You place a high emphasis on listening carefully to pupils’ views and as a result, pupils actively influence many aspects school life, including safeguarding. Your pupil anti-bullying ambassadors are well trained and take their roles very seriously. They are proactive in preventing any potential bullying incidents in the playground

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Context

because of their vigilance and considerate support. The pupil-safety officers meet regularly with you every week to discuss any concerns. They told me how their suggestion of a yellow line in the playground, to separate an active area from a quieter area, is successfully reducing collisions at playtime and lunchtime.

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Context

Parents I spoke with felt that their children were safe at school. They told me that you are always available at the beginning of the school day to listen to any concerns. They are confident that any concerns or worries will be dealt with sensitively and resolved as quickly as possible.

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Context

You are promoting and celebrating good attendance effectively. Classroom posters displaying attendance rates encourage pupils to attend regularly because high rates of attendance enable them to collect class jewel rewards. The highly effective work of your family resource worker is significantly reducing the number of pupils who are persistently absent.

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Context

Governors understand their safeguarding responsibilities. They ensure that policies and safeguarding checks are appropriate and up to date. Governors receive regular training and ensure that safeguarding is an agenda item at every meeting. Minutes from meetings of the governing body show that governors keep a close eye on safeguarding issues. For example, they recently reviewed the procedures for recruiting volunteers. All volunteers are required to have a comprehensive induction and sign an agreed code of conduct.

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Context

The school website provides parents with some helpful links to help them keep their children safe, for example, a link to ‘ThinkUknow’, which provides information about internet safety.

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External support

You work closely with a range of external agencies to keep pupils safe. These include the local authority, social services and the police. The local authority has supported the school recently in completing a safeguarding audit and devising a subsequent action plan.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body and the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Derbyshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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