Newlands Community Primary School

Newlands Community Primary School Belle Vue Road, Earl Shilton, Leicester LE9 7PA

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have not focused sharply enough on the school’s key priorities for improvement. They are not as effective as they could be in holding staff to account.  Leaders are not rigorous enough in ensuring that the pupil premium has the maximum impact on improving disadvantaged pupils’ progress and raising their attainment.  The governing body is not as effective as it should be holding leaders to account, particularly for the allocation and impact of additional funding.  Leaders have not ensured that agreed approaches, including in the early years, are securely established and applied consistently by staff. The quality of teaching including of disadvantaged pupils is inconsistent.  The quality of teaching reading is inconsistent. Too many pupils do not achieve as well as they should from their different starting points.  Sometimes, teachers do not match work well to pupils’ abilities. Some pupils, particularly the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

most able, do not make the progress they are capable of.  Sometimes, teachers do not check and ensure that pupils gain a secure understanding of mathematical concepts. Some pupils are not confident applying their knowledge to reason and solve problems.  Teachers do not have consistently high expectations of the accuracy of pupils’ grammar, punctuation and spelling.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders are effective in bringing about improvements to behaviour, attendance, pupils’ personal development and welfare.  Pupils behave well at all times of the school day. Staff manage behaviour consistently well.  Relationships are positive. There is an ethos of mutual respect.  Staff promote pupils’ personal development well. Pupils are taught to be responsible.  Pupils are kept safe and say they feel safe.  The school provides a broad curriculum. Staff promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils are prepared well to be future citizens.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that they: – set sharply focused key priorities for improvement with measurable targets – hold staff to account for pupils’ attainment and progress, including in the early years – use additional funding, including the pupil premium, to make marked improvements in pupils’ progress – improve the quality of teaching of reading so that it is consistently good.  The governing body should: – hold leaders to account for all aspects of the school’s performance – check that additional funding is having a marked impact on pupils’ progress and attainment.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and pupils’ attainment and progress by ensuring that all teachers: – use assessment information to match work to pupils’ abilities – set work, particularly in mathematics, that is challenging and enables pupils to make the progress of which they are capable

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– apply agreed school approaches and initiatives consistently well – have high expectations of the accuracy of pupils’ grammar, punctuation and spelling – teach pupils the depth of knowledge they need in mathematics to be able to reason and solve problems effectively.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management should be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should also be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management should be improved.  Inspection judgements

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders have introduced a range of strategies which are steadily improving standards. However, they are not evaluating the impact of each initiative on pupils’ progress with sufficient rigour. Neither the leaders nor the governing body have set clear enough targets for improvement, which all staff can aim for.  Leaders have not ensured that agreed approaches are applied consistently by staff. The impact of ‘non-negotiables’ for writing, the school’s policy for feedback, or approaches to the teaching of reading and mathematics, for example, is too variable. The quality of teaching and pupils’ attainment and progress are inconsistent.  Additional funding for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is used effectively. Pupils’ needs are identified carefully, and appropriate support is put into place which takes account of pupils’ views. Pupils with SEND make positive progress from their different starting points. However, other additional funding is not

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

used so well. Plans for the use of the pupil premium and for physical education and sports are not sharp enough. Leaders and governors have not reviewed effectively the impact of the funding on improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ attainment and progress.  Middle leaders carry out a range of actions to check standards. For instance, they regularly look at pupils’ work to see the impact of their work to bring about improvements. They are aware of strengths and weaknesses. They are beginning to bring about improvements in their areas of responsibility.  Leaders check the quality of teaching carefully. They provide support and training to staff to improve the quality of their practice. Leaders meet regularly with teachers to review the progress of pupils in each class. They identify pupils who are falling behind and provide support to help them catch up. Leaders are strengthening systems for

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

managing the performance of staff. An increasingly cohesive approach is helping to improve standards.  Leaders are outward looking and draw upon external support to, for example, improve standards in the early years or approaches to teaching reading. Leaders often base their initiatives on findings from research. Leaders work with a teaching school alliance, as well as a local cluster of schools. External support from the local authority has supported improvements to leadership through regular visits. However, it has not been as effective as it could be in helping leaders to analyse the school’s central priorities and set sharp targets for improvement.  Leaders check carefully that the school provides a broad curriculum. Pupils learn about different faiths and religions, and initiatives such as forest school or the school’s philosophy programme, as well as a range of extra-curricular opportunities, help

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

promote pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development well.  Leaders have introduced a range of systems to support school improvement. They are effective in bringing about positive improvements in the areas in which they focus sharply. They have been particularly effective in bringing about improvements to behaviour, attendance and pupils’ personal development and welfare.  The very large majority of parents and carers who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, or spoke with inspectors are very positive about all aspects of the school’s work. Parents say their children enjoy coming to school. A typical comment was, ‘The school goes above and beyond to help all pupils out. It’s caring and promotes kindness at all times.’

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Governance of the school

 The governing body is not as effective as it should be in holding leaders to account. The minutes of its meetings show that governors often ask probing questions. However, school plans for improvement do not identify measurable targets. Consequently, governors cannot challenge leaders effectively about the progress of different groups of pupils or in relation to the school’s improvement priorities.  The governing body does not hold leaders stringently to account for the impact of additional funding, including the pupil premium. Governors cannot be sure the funding is having the maximum impact on improving disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes.  The governing body has not ensured that the school website contains all the information it should.  The governing body is proud of the positive changes taking place and fully supports the senior leadership team and staff in the school. Governors are determined to

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Governance of the school

improve their own effectiveness in supporting the school’s further improvement.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. There is a secure culture of safeguarding. Relationships are positive and there is an ethos of care which is shared by staff and pupils.  Almost all parents who responded to Parent View or spoke with inspectors said their children are safe and looked after well. Bullying is rare. Pupils and the large majority of parents are confident that staff will resolve any concerns should they arise. Pupils themselves say they are kept safe and feel safe.  All staff receive training so they are up to date with the latest safeguarding guidance. This includes in relation to the government’s ‘Prevent’ duty. Staff know the school processes for reporting when they have a concern about a pupil’s welfare. Leaders file these carefully and take appropriate actions, for example working with external agencies where this is relevant.  Leaders have carried out all relevant checks for adults working in the school. Leaders

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Safeguarding

and the governing body have undertaken required as well as additional training in relation to their safeguarding responsibilities. However, their scrutiny of some aspects of the school’s work is not as thorough as it could be. Some improvements to the rigour of record-keeping were made during the inspection. The school meets all requirements.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teaching is not consistently strong. Staff do not apply equally well agreed school approaches to the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics. Consequently, pupils’ progress and attainment are also inconsistent.  Teachers are not equally skilled using information about pupils’ learning to decide when to move on to more challenging work or when to consolidate pupils’ understanding. Sometimes, teachers do not match work well to pupils’ needs or correct pupils’ misconceptions.  Teachers in all classes are working to develop a ‘mastery’ approach to the teaching of mathematics. This is having a positive impact. However, too often, work is not challenging enough. Sometimes, pupils complete too many examples of work at the same level of difficulty rather than, when appropriate, moving on to more challenging work. Conversely, there are times when staff do not ensure that pupils gain a deep enough understanding of mathematical concepts.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Leaders and other staff have recently introduced a range of approaches to improve standards in reading. These include a structured approach to guided reading, approaches to the teaching of phonics and reading comprehension skills. While these are beginning to have impact, the knowledge and expertise of staff, including in the teaching of phonics, is inconsistent.  Teachers ensure that pupils are able to write confidently at length in different styles and in a range of subjects. However, teachers’ expectations of the accuracy of pupils’ grammar or punctuation and spelling are also inconsistent. They do not ensure that initiatives such as the ‘non-negotiables’, which pupils are now familiar with, are applied equally well.  Teachers are often enthusiastic and engage pupils’ interest. They ensure that classrooms are calm and orderly places to learn. Routines are well established in all classes. Relationships are positive. Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

apply themselves to all that is asked of them.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Staff encourage pupils to have positive attitudes to learning. They help pupils to understand what makes a good learner.  Pupils value the leadership roles the school provides. These include the ‘going for gold’ leaders who help with assemblies, sports and art leaders and school librarians. Such roles help pupils to be responsible. The junior road safety officers, for example, help children in the early years to learn about crossing roads safely. Pupils say through such roles, ‘You can share things you’re good at. Everyone is good at something and having these jobs can show it.’ Staff prepare pupils to be responsible citizens of the future.  Pupils are aware of different types of bullying and know how to keep themselves safe. This includes when they are online or in relation to road safety.  Pupils understand the importance of respecting others. A typical comment was, ‘It is

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Personal development and welfare

important to respect others and to treat each other the right way.’ Pupils have a well- developed sense of right and wrong and fairness. However, older pupils’ understanding of democracy is not as secure as it should be for their age.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Staff use a consistent approach to managing pupils’ behaviour. Pupils know what is expected of them and say behaviour is good.  Pupils are polite and conduct themselves well at all times of the school day. Pupils were observed supporting each other positively at playtime. Pupils are friendly and positive and were happy to talk to the inspectors about their work and learning.  Pupils are taught to take increasing pride in their work, their school and their appearance.  Current figures show that overall attendance has improved compared to the previous year and is similar to that seen nationally. Persistent absence has declined. However, a small proportion of disadvantaged pupils are still persistently absent. Leaders check the attendance of all pupils carefully. They, and the family support worker, work with families of pupils with low attendance. Leaders take effective actions to improve

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 In 2018, pupils’ progress and attainment at the end of key stage 2 were below, and sometimes well below, the national averages, including for disadvantaged pupils. Standards in reading were particularly low. There is a legacy of underachievement, particularly in key stage 2. Currently, standards overall are improving, and many pupils are now making strong progress. However, pupils’ attainment and progress remain inconsistent. There are still too many pupils who do not achieve the standards of which they are capable in reading, writing and mathematics, including at the end of key stages 1 and 2.  Teachers are promoting increasingly positive attitudes to reading. However, pupils’ progress in reading is inconsistent. Pupils do not make consistently strong progress in phonics and in consolidating their early reading skills. Too few pupils in key stages 1 and 2 achieve the standards expected for their age. Staff’s strategies to promote

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

pupils’ inference skills are at an early stage of development.  Pupils are making improving progress in writing. Staff are increasingly effective in helping pupils link the books they read in class to their own writing. Pupils’ writing is often lively and engaging. The quality and sophistication of their work improves over time, including their handwriting. However, their progress is sometimes not as strong as it could be because their writing is let down by weak grammar, punctuation and spelling.  Pupils are making improving progress in mathematics. Progress is often strong in learning calculation methods. However, some pupils, particularly the most able, are not challenged to make the progress of which they are capable. Some pupils do not gain well enough the secure knowledge they need to develop their reasoning and problem- solving skills.  Inspection evidence shows that overall, pupils’ outcomes, including those of

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

disadvantaged pupils, are improving. Pupils are gaining confidence in their own abilities. Provisional school information shows the proportion of pupils meeting the required standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check as well as the proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of the early years have improved compared to the previous year.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 Provisional school information and children’s work show that the proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of the early years has improved and is likely to be similar to the national average. The majority of children, including those with special educational needs, make strong progress from their different starting points.  Leaders have a good understanding of strengths across the early years. However, the early years requires improvement because leaders are not as sharp as they could be in addressing weaknesses so that the curriculum and teaching better match the needs of the children. Some children are capable of more.  Leaders and other staff ensure that activities support children’s learning across the early years curriculum in both the inside and outside classrooms. However, sometimes activities are not as focused as they could be to stimulate children’s curiosity and

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Early years provision Requires improvement

challenge them. Some children, particularly the most able, sometimes do not make the progress of which they are capable. Very few children exceed the expected standards.  Leaders and other staff ensure that routines are established well to support children’s independence. Pupils very sensibly put away their writing work, for example, and were ready for the next activity. Children behave well in the early years. They are polite, collaborate well, and respect each other and adults.  Staff promote children’s personal development and welfare well. Initiatives such as ‘Forest School’ enrich children’s confidence and social skills through outdoor learning experiences. Children talk confidently about what they are doing and learning.  Transition arrangements between home and school promote good relationships which help children to start school purposefully. Parents who responded to Parent View or spoke with the inspectors were positive about the transition arrangements to, and

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Early years provision Requires improvement

from, the early years.  Safeguarding is effective. The early years welfare requirements are met.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address admin@newlands.leics.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28–29 March 2017

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Information about this school

 Newlands Community Primary School is an average-sized primary school.  Since the previous inspection, the school has moved to a new site. A deputy and an assistant headteacher have been appointed. There have been several staff changes including the appointment of a new coordinator of provision for pupils with SEND.  The school receives support from the local authority through regular visits and support.  The school has a breakfast and after-school club.  The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, and of pupils who speak English as an additional language, are well below those seen nationally.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors spoke with parents informally at the start of the school day. Account was taken of the 28 responses to Parent View, and the 24 responses to the staff questionnaire. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire.  The inspectors held meetings with the senior leaders, middle leaders, and other staff. The inspectors also met with members of the governing body and representatives of the local authority.  The inspectors visited 20 lessons, many jointly with senior leaders. During these visits, the inspectors looked at pupils’ work and spoke with them to evaluate the quality of their learning. The inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work with leaders, met informally and formally with groups of pupils and listened to pupils read.  A range of documents were scrutinised. These included those relating to safeguarding, behaviour, attendance, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and pupils’

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Information about this inspection

attainment and progress. The inspectors looked at plans for improvement as well as leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance. The inspectors also considered the range and quality of information provided on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

John Lawson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Karen Lewis 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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 .

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Inspection team

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, 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.gov.uk/ofsted

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