New Whittington Community Primary School

Inspection of New Whittington Community Primary School London Street, New Whittington, Chesterfield, Derbyshire S43 2AQ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 10–11 March 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this improving and inclusive school. They and their families receive exceptional pastoral support. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are cared for very well. They behave well in classrooms and during social times. Pupils understand the new ‘learners’ code’. They enjoy achieving reward points and extra wristbands for behaving well. They receive star learner awards and certificates for working hard and being polite. Bullying is extremely rare. Pupils told us that staff would deal with any bullying incidents quickly. Most pupils attend well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of all pupils. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have made a good start in planning the curriculum. However, it is not clear what pupils should learn and when in some subjects. Pupils, particularly those who are older, do not achieve as highly as they should, particularly in English and mathematics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers like receiving positive messages and frequent photos of class activities. They have overwhelmingly positive views of the school. Typical comments include: ‘My children are thriving here’; ‘The school is a safe and positive environment’; and ‘All the staff are amazing!’

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better?

The teaching of phonics and early reading is a strength. Staff are well trained. They use a consistent approach and appropriate resources. Any pupil who is falling behind is quickly spotted. They receive good support to help them catch up. Staff encourage a love of reading by frequently sharing stories, songs and poems. In Year 1, pupils confidently explored the difference between the sounds ‘igh’ and ‘ie’. During Year 2 book group, pupils enjoyed reading about a magician. They discussed the meaning of the sentence, ‘Paper flowers blossomed from his sleeve.’ The majority of pupils have reading books at the correct level of challenge. Some, including the more confident readers, have books that are too easy.

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better?

Some subjects, like history and geography, are well established. They are well planned and sequenced. In these subjects, teachers meet the needs of all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Pupils are able to recall key pieces of knowledge from these subjects. Pupils in Year 3 told us, ‘The Stone Age topic was the best ever!’ Subjects such as science, design and technology and art need more time to become embedded. It is not yet clear what leaders want pupils to know and remember in these subjects.

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better?

Pupils’ achievement, particularly in key stage 2, is not as high as it could be. Recently, pupils have not done well in national tests at the end of Year 6. Too many pupils have not been prepared well enough for the next stage of their education. 10–11 March 2020

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Pupils are being prepared well for life in modern Britain. They have a good understanding of British values. These include the concepts of democracy, tolerance and the rule of law. Pupils are aware of diversity. When discussing different family units, one pupil said, ‘It doesn’t really matter, as long as everyone is happy and safe.’ The curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to learn about faiths and cultures that are different to their own.

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Classrooms are busy yet calm. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and positive. Pupils have a good attitude to school. They behave well, try hard and want to learn. Many pupils told us that they enjoy school and the challenge of learning new things.

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Children in the early years get off to a good start. The curriculum is ambitious. It provides children with a broad range of stimulating and challenging activities. Classrooms are well resourced. The outdoor area promotes children’s physical development. Relationships between adults and children are warm and positive. Children behave well. They are resilient and stay focused on the appropriate activities provided for them. There are well-established routines. Parents welcome the communication they receive from staff. The vast majority of children are prepared well for Year 1.

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The acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher are an effective team. Staff are unanimously positive in their views of the school. They told us that the senior leaders are sensitive to their workload. Staff welcome the training and professional development opportunities that the trust provides.

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Leaders know pupils and their families extremely well. There is good support provided to families should it be required. Nurture groups are effective in promoting pupils’ self-esteem, confidence and social skills. Pupils who attend the hearing impairment unit take part fully in the life of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding leaders have received appropriate training. They are knowledgeable and keep detailed records. There are good links with outside agencies, such as social care for those pupils and families who require extra help. This help is requested promptly. Staff have received appropriate training. They know about county lines drug trafficking, female genital mutilation and child sexual exploitation, for example. Staff know the procedures to follow should they be concerned about the conduct of an adult towards a child.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know to make the appropriate recruitment checks on adults before they are allowed to volunteer or work at the school. 10–11 March 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Over recent years, pupils have not achieved well enough in national tests. Too many pupils have not been prepared well enough for the next stage of their education. Leaders should make sure more pupils reach the expected standards by ensuring the full implementation and embedding of the English and mathematics curriculums.  Leaders have made a good start in setting out what pupils will learn in most subjects. However, there are some subjects where this is not the case. Leaders must ensure that curriculum planning in all subjects is complete and identifies what pupils must learn and when.  Leaders have not ensured that all pupils’ reading books are challenging enough. Some pupils in key stage 1 have reading books that are too easy for them. Leaders should ensure that all pupils receive reading books that are at the correct level of challenge.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 10–11 March 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121187 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 New Whittington Community Primary School converted to become an academy on 1 April 2017. The school joined the Learners’ Trust multi-academy trust. When its predecessor school, Whittington Community Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to require improvement overall.  The acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher took up their roles in September 2019.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with the acting headteacher, acting deputy headteacher and the leaders responsible for the provision for pupils with SEND and for children in the early years. We met subject leaders for, English, mathematics and a variety of other subjects. We held meetings with staff, including support staff, representatives from the trust and three school champions. We met with pupils from all year groups and spoke with parents from key stage 1. We considered numerous responses to Ofsted’s staff, pupil and parent surveys. 10–11 March 2020

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 We looked closely at the quality of education in phonics and early reading, English, mathematics and science. We talked with the subject leaders, visited lessons, talked with pupils and teachers from those lessons we visited and looked at work in pupils’ books.  We looked at further subjects on the second day of the inspection. These were history, geography, art, design and technology, music, religious education and computing.  When inspecting safeguarding, we met with the pupil welfare manager and several members of staff. We considered the school’s safeguarding policy, training certificates and records of safeguarding concerns.  We examined a wide range of documentation, including the school’s development plan and self-evaluation, curriculum plans and information relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour.

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Inspection team

Peter Stonier, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

George Huthart Ofsted Inspector 10–11 March 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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