Frederick Nattrass Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Frederick Nattrass Primary Academy Darlington Lane, Norton, Stockton-on-Tees TS20 1BZ

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Outcome

Frederick Nattrass Primary Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy, inclusive school. Pupils get big smiles from kind, friendly staff all day long. Pupils know staff listen to them and value their opinions. Jobs such as ‘pupil leaders’ and ‘health and safety crew’ boost pupils’ confidence. Pupils are proud of their achievements. The ‘eco-warriors’ group is successfully reducing plastic waste.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults use rules in a consistent manner. Pupils know it is important to treat others with respect. Visitors are warmly welcomed. Pupils say behaviour is much better. Attitudes in lessons are positive. Pupils are well looked after. The curriculum develops strong personal, moral and social skills among pupils. Good manners abound. Vulnerable pupils’ needs are met sensitively and with expertise. Staff manage any occasions of bullying skilfully.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want pupils to succeed. Early reading is prioritised. Pupils make particularly strong progress in English and mathematics. Other subjects are developing at pace. Pupils achieve well. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do as well as others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are lots of exciting things to do every day. Pupils learn guitar, sing in choirs and compete in sporting events. They meet authors and artists and enjoy many after-school clubs. Visits to museums, theatre and cities pepper topics.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and their partners across the trust make sure pupils achieve well. English and mathematics are strengths of the curriculum. Each subject is planned and sequenced effectively. Pupils make better progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2 than others nationally. They are well prepared for Year 7.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Reading is prioritised. Phonics starts straight away. Nursery pupils already know many letter sounds. Reception children can write lots of simple words correctly. Any pupil who falls behind in their phonics or reading gets help. This means most pupils catch up quickly. 11–12 February 2020

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Staff are well trained. They share their enthusiasm for reading with pupils, reading stories every day. It is catching. Pupils like books and are proud to read to adults. There are many incentives and exciting reasons to read. Visiting authors inspire pupils. The library is well-stocked. There are online reading tasks and book clubs to excite pupils’ interests. Leaders have not yet agreed which poems and stories they would like pupils to know inside out.

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Leaders want pupils to be well prepared for life in today’s Britain. They know that subjects beyond English and mathematics are just as important. Parents agree. One parent praised the ‘wide range of subjects’ on offer and the ‘positive emphasis on the arts.’

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Together, leaders are improving the curriculum further. The ‘subjects-on-a-page’ (SOAPs) and ‘reviews-on-a-page’ (ROAPs) are supporting teachers well. Increasingly, teachers are using these to plan and sequence learning effectively. In subjects such as history, they start with what pupils already know and can do. Teachers then build on this. They use ‘pop-up quizzes’ to check that pupils can remember important words and content. This work in history and some other subjects, however, is not yet fully embedded. Some planning and assessment tools are imprecise. Sometimes, the knowledge and vocabulary pupils need to retain are not defined clearly enough.

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Parents told me that the headteacher has ‘transformed’ the school. They say the atmosphere is positive and feel pupils’ behaviour has improved. One parent commented on the ‘patience and dedication’ of staff for pupils with SEND. Parents feel welcome. The headteacher makes herself available if parents need to talk. Teachers are on the yard daily and parents find them approachable. Staff and parents agree that the home-school relationship is much better.

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Pupils are delightfully curious and friendly. Staff treat pupils politely and with respect. They thank pupils for their efforts and good manners. Teachers take time to explain why it is important to listen to others’ viewpoints. Pupils develop a good understanding of how their actions might affect others. The ‘talk it out’ box helps if they have something important to share or discuss. Pupils know why it is important to look after each other and our planet. They are proud of their positive contributions. Pupils help keep classrooms and corridors tidy. They show visitors around with pride. Pupils’ talents and interests are fostered well. Their emotional and mental health needs are well met.

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A few pupils need extra help with their behaviour. They are well supported and treated fairly. Exclusion is used as a last resort. Leaders’ expectations are high yet realistic. They make good use of outside agencies and expert advice. The proportion of pupils being excluded is falling. Leaders are correctly focused on reducing incidents of exclusion further still.

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Children in the early years do well. Many start Nursery with speech and language that is lower than typical. Progress is swift. Teachers are kind and caring. They treat children with respect. Children are happy and well behaved. They listen attentively when teachers are reading stories or explaining tasks. Classes are full of tempting things to do and learn. Most children leave Reception ready for the Year 1 curriculum. 11–12 February 2020

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders’ checks on the suitability of adults to work with pupils are thorough. Staff get regular good-quality training. They understand their responsibilities to keep pupils safe and know how to report concerns. Adults understand issues related to county lines, extremism and female genital mutilation.

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Safeguarding

Senior leaders are persistent in pursuing support from other agencies. They work well with the police, social services and health partners to ensure that vulnerable families and pupils needs are met.

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Safeguarding

Records and logs are well maintained. Adults spot patterns and deal with issues promptly. Leaders know that some pupils’ attendance is still too low.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders are well on their way to ensuring that all subjects are well planned and sequenced. However, in some subjects, such as history, the most important content and vocabulary is still being mapped out. Leaders should continue to refine curriculum planning and assessment tools so that pupils’ knowledge builds cumulatively as they move through the school.  Pupils achieve well in reading by the end of key stage 2. The reading curriculum has many strengths. Leaders want pupils to know and remember poems and stories that build on pupils’ cultural capital. To achieve this, leaders should agree which poems and stories are to be learned by heart in each year group.  Leaders have improved pupils’ attendance and reduced the use of exclusion. Exclusion is used as a last resort. For example, year-on-year, fewer pupils with SEND are disadvantaged by absence and exclusion. There is still work to do. Leaders should

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

continue to monitor the use of exclusions and ensure that all pupils benefit from good attendance.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately. 11–12 February 2020

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This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Frederick Nattrass Primary to be good on 17–18 May 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 11–12 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10110855 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.fredericknattrassacademy.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17–18 May 2016

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Information about this school

 The school became an academy in September 2013. It is part of the Northern Education Trust.  The principal, as well as several other senior and middle leaders and teachers, is new to post since the previous inspection.  Nursery children are educated in a separate building on the school site. The Reception class moved into the main building last year.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well above national averages. The proportion of pupils with SEND is above national averages.

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Information about this inspection

 I did deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. This involved visiting lessons, looking at pupils’ work and talking with teachers and pupils about their learning and work. I heard pupils from different year groups reading. I also discussed each subject with curriculum and senior leaders.  I looked closely at matters of safeguarding and child protection. I scrutinised documentation, including policies and records. I met with pupils and listened to their views. I talked with leaders responsible for safeguarding and looked at the training and 11–12 February 2020

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updates provided for staff. Throughout the inspection, I checked adults’ knowledge and understanding of their duties and responsibilities to keep pupils safe and free from harm.  I met with a range of leaders and staff, including the principal, vice-principal and assistant principals, newly qualified teachers and those responsible for the curriculum. I met non-teaching staff, teaching assistants, the SENCo and the early years leader.  I met with governors and trustees. The chair of the governing body and the chair of the trustees contributed their views by telephone.  I considered the views of parents who responded to Ofsted’s Parent View survey. I also spoke with some parents at the start and end of the school day.  No pupils or staff responded to Ofsted’s survey. I spoke with a wide range of staff formally and informally across the inspection. I observed pupils’ behaviour indoors, in lessons and outside. I talked with pupils formally in meetings and informally during

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Inspection team

Fiona Manuel, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 11–12 February 2020

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regulates and inspects to 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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