Newbold School

Newbold School Popeswood Road, Binfield, Bracknell, Berkshire RG42 4AH

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have created a culture of high expectations for learning within a welcoming and inclusive school.  Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas still left to develop. They are supportive of the school and visit regularly. All of the independent school standards are met.  The quality of teaching is good. Staff work closely together in this small school. They have high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour.  Assessment procedures are strong. Regular checks of achievement ensure that pupils make strong progress in all year groups. Attainment at the end of key stages 1 and 2 is good. Not enough pupils are reaching the higher standard in writing by the end of key stage 2.  The curriculum meets pupils’ needs well. Pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted.  Staff provide good support for pupils’ personal

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

development and welfare. Pupils behave well and take great pride in their work.  Middle leaders in subjects other than English and mathematics are, as yet, still developing their roles. They are not fully accountable for pupils’ progress in their areas of responsibility.  All parents and carers receive annual reports but there is some variability in the information about pupils’ progress and attainment in the different classes.  Children make good progress in the early years. Progress in the Nursery is particularly strong. In Reception, children are working well towards achieving their early learning goals. The most able children are not supported well enough to exceed these goals.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 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?

 Further improve the quality of leadership and management by: – developing the role of middle leaders who have responsibilities in subjects other than English and mathematics so that they are more accountable for pupils’ progress – improving the consistency of reporting so that parents in all classes have the same information about the progress and attainment of their children.  Ensure that a greater proportion of pupils achieve the higher standard in writing by the end of key stage 2 by further developing skills in composition and dialogue.  Develop the skills and abilities of most-able children in Reception so that a higher proportion exceed the early learning goals.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher and her team provide effective and supportive leadership. They have established a culture of high academic expectations. Leaders and governors work well together to ensure that the school continues to improve. They have ensured that the independent school standards are met.  Leaders are supported by a motivated and well-qualified staff team. They all share the school’s ambitious vision. Teachers explore new initiatives aimed at further strengthening the quality of teaching and learning.  Middle leaders in English and mathematics fulfil their roles effectively. They check work in books and visit lessons. They provide effective support and advice to their colleagues and this has had a positive impact on pupils’ progress. The school is still developing the role of middle leaders in other subject areas. These leaders are not yet accountable for pupils’ progress within their areas of responsibility.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Parents who spoke to inspectors are very positive about the school. They are very happy with their children’s education and the care that staff provide. All parents who responded to the Parent View questionnaire would recommend the school to another parent. One parent summed this up by saying: ‘This is a thoroughly caring school with a lovely community feel. When you drop your children off you know they are going to be completely looked after and inspired to learn.’  The curriculum has a clear intent. It aims to prepare pupils for the next stage of their education. This means that, as well as English and mathematics, pupils experience a wide range of other subjects. For example, during the inspection, pupils were learning about flight during the science, technology, engineering and mathematics week. Music is a particular feature of the school. Pupils appreciate the specialist teaching in singing. They

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

enjoy learning instruments such as the recorder and the piano. Pupils say how much they enjoy demonstrating their skills at local music festivals. Sports are a key feature of the curriculum, including football, netball and badminton. Extra-curricular activities are plentiful and include touch-typing, sewing and a book club.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted. Pupils are encouraged to think about the needs of others. Strong Christian values permeate almost every aspect of school life. Pupils have many opportunities to learn about British values.  Information provided to parents about forthcoming events and activities is detailed but there is some variability between classes in the information provided in pupils’ reports about the progress and attainment of pupils.

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Governance

 The governors have a wide range of expertise. They provide effective support to the school in areas such as financial planning and recruitment. Governors visit the school regularly. They have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and the areas to further develop.  Governors place a high priority on keeping pupils safe. The site is well managed and there are regular health and safety checks of the premises and equipment. Members of the governing body also conduct risk assessments on a regular basis.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The safety of pupils is the paramount concern of staff. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained in a range of different safeguarding aspects. Staff know, for instance, the appropriate procedures to follow when reporting concerns to the designated person. There are good links with a range of external agencies. Thorough procedures are in place to ensure the suitability of staff to work with children.  There is a suitable safeguarding policy which complies with the latest government guidance. It is available for parents on the school’s website. The website also includes a range of policies to inform parents about aspects relating to pupils’ safety and welfare.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 As a result of good teaching, pupils make strong progress in all year groups. Pupils say that ‘Lessons are good fun and we always learn something interesting.’ Staff know the pupils well. The relationships that exist between pupils and staff are a strength of this school.  Teachers have high expectations of pupils. They provide work that is usually well planned to match pupils’ needs. This enables pupils to make strong gains in their learning. Teachers provide timely feedback to pupils, in line with the school’s policy.  Leaders have introduced a comprehensive system to assess pupils’ skills and abilities. Staff record information on pupils’ attainment and progress regularly. They identify any pupil who is falling behind and put in place additional work to help these pupils to catch up.  Phonics skills are well developed and pupils are confident when tackling unfamiliar words. They show a good understanding of the key themes in the books they are reading. Pupils

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

are able to express their own interpretations of plots and characters.  In writing, pupils plan and edit their work carefully. They develop effective spelling and grammar skills. Pupils have a good understanding of poetry and they know how to evoke a scene using imaginative vocabulary. For example, one pupil wrote, ‘Beside my house is a school rumbling with noisy children.’  Pupils have a good understanding of mathematics. They apply their understanding and problem-solving skills well. Older pupils are able to use their knowledge of decimals to solve complex problems.  Science skills are well developed. Pupils are taught to think hard about theoretical concepts and how they can be tested. For example, during the inspection, some pupils refined their paper aeroplane designs after reading more information on the principles of flight.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning. They concentrate hard in lessons and know how to be successful learners. Books are neat and well presented.  Staff work hard to ensure that pupils develop confidence and faith in their own abilities. They celebrate each pupil’s strengths, such as in art, sport and music. Parents are pleased with how well the school has supported their children’s development. They say that their children ‘flourish at this school and thrive both academically and socially’.  The school provides strong pastoral and spiritual support. This is further enhanced by the close link with the adjoining church, which pupils visit on a regular basis.  Pupils like taking on responsibilities. Some enjoy being school council representatives, others like looking after new pupils who join the school. Pupils appreciate the trust put in

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Personal development and welfare

them in these leadership roles.  Pupils know how to stay safe in a variety of situations. They know how to cross the road safely and the dangers presented by strangers. Pupils know how to stay safe when using the internet. They have a good understanding of the potential dangers associated with social media.  Pupils say that bullying is rare. All parents who responded to the Parent View survey believe that the school deals effectively with bullying.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  School records show that there are few incidents of inappropriate behaviour. Pupils say that, although there are occasional disagreements, behaviour in this school is good. Pupils have a good understanding of the school’s rules and rewards policies.  The attendance of pupils was an issue at the previous inspection. Leaders have worked hard to improve attendance and they have introduced effective strategies. Attendance is now a little above the national average.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils achieve well, and attainment in English and mathematics is good. This is as a result of strong teaching and effective monitoring of pupils’ progress. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their learning.  Attainment in key stage 1 is improving following a dip in results last year. Current pupils are making strong progress from their starting points. Work in pupils’ books and school data show that most are achieving well. They demonstrate effective skills in reading, writing and mathematics.  Strong progress continues across key stage 2. For example, from low starting points at the beginning of the year, pupils in the current Year 3 are now achieving well in their writing. School data, together with work in pupils’ books, shows that current Year 6 pupils are doing well. Many are starting to work at greater depth in their reading and mathematics. Lower proportions of pupils are reaching the higher standard in their

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Outcomes for pupils Good

writing. This is because pupils’ skills in composition and dialogue are not always well enough developed.  Groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make the same strong progress as their peers. This is due to the effective support provided by teachers and other adults. Pupils who speak English as an additional language consolidate their speaking and listening skills quickly and make good progress from their starting points.

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Early years provision Good

 The early years is well led. It provides an exciting curriculum that ensures that children have the opportunity to develop their skills in all areas of learning. Leaders have ensured that children are well prepared for their learning when they enter Year 1.  Staff in both the Nursery and Reception classes are very committed to the children in their care. Parents are pleased with the school. They say, ‘This is a very caring school which pays close attention to every child.’ Children are polite and behave well. They feel confident enough to try new things out for themselves.  Teaching is effective. Staff have a good understanding of how children learn. They provide well-planned activities that engage children in their learning. There is a strong focus on developing children’s speech and language skills. Phonics is well taught. Children soon start to develop their understanding of letters and sounds. By the end of Reception,

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Early years provision Good

most children are able to read simple texts and write basic sentences. Mathematical skills are also well taught.  Children make good progress across the early years. Progress in the Nursery is particularly strong. As a result, children often enter Reception with skills and abilities that are well above those found typically. Evidence in books indicates that some most-able children in Reception are already reaching their early learning goals. However, their skills and abilities are not developed enough to enable them to exceed these goals.

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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

Proprietor South England Conference of the Seventh- Day Adventist Church Chair Marcel Ghioalda

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School details

Email address headteacher@newboldschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26–28 April 2016

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Information about this school

 This Christian day school follows the ethos of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The school’s mission is to ‘create a secure, loving environment by presenting God as the source of all life and truth, encouraging children to practise Christian values with respect to themselves, others and the environment’.  The school is situated on a large site. It is registered for 86 pupils, and currently there are 75 pupils on roll. The early years provision includes a Nursery with 18 places for three- year-olds. Some attend full-time and others attend part-time. Children in the Reception class attend full-time. There are three other classes in the school, including a key stage 1 class, a Years 3/4 class and a Years 5/6 class. There is a maximum of 20 pupils in each class. Additional provision for physical education is provided at a nearby sports facility.  The school population is diverse. There is a higher-than-average proportion of pupils who

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Information about this school

speak English as an additional language. Few are at an early stage of learning English. A small proportion of pupils join and leave the school at different times because some families stay temporarily while studying locally.  There are no pupils with an education, health and care plan. No pupils receive pupil premium funding.  A number of personnel who sit on the board of the proprietor, the South England Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, are also governors at the school.  The school was last inspected in April 2016, when it was judged to be good.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes. Most observations were conducted jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors listened to pupils in Years 2 and 6 reading, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Meetings were held with the senior leaders, teachers and teaching assistants. There was a meeting with those responsible for school governance. There were also discussions with representatives of the proprietor, the South England Conference of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church.  There were eight responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and eight responses to the free-text service. Discussions were held with a small number of parents and pupils at the start of the school day. There was an interview with a group of pupils, as well as informal discussions at break and lunchtimes.  The inspectors scrutinised a number of school policies, procedures and records in order to

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Information about this inspection

check the school’s compliance with the independent school standards. They scrutinised an extensive range of school documentation, including policies and documentation relating to progress, behaviour and the attendance of pupils in the school.

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Inspection team

Liz Bowes, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Deborah Gordon 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

Parent View 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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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