Neston Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Neston Primary School Burton Road, Little Neston, Neston, Cheshire CH64 9RE

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 September 2021

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Outcome

Neston Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils play together happily and participate in lessons with confidence and enthusiasm. Their positive behaviour makes a strong contribution to the friendly atmosphere of the school. Pupils who spoke to the inspector said that they feel safe. They said that all the adults work together to help them to be happy, stay healthy and achieve the best they can. Adults quickly sort out any behaviour that falls short of everyone’s high expectations. Pupils are confident that adults will deal with any bullying if it ever occurs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop their knowledge and skills across an interesting and ambitious curriculum. They are well equipped to continue learning in the next stage of their education. Parents, carers and pupils value the opportunities for pupils’ wider development and enrichment activities. Pupils love playing and learning in the outdoor areas. For example, they play imaginatively on the ‘Lost Bus’, in the tree houses and on the stage. They learn about nature in the ‘wild garden’ and wooded areas. The vast majority of parents who made their views known are positive about the school’s work.

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

Leaders have an ambitious curriculum in place. The early years curriculum lays strong foundations for future learning. Pupils cover all subjects of the national curriculum in depth in Years 1 to 6. Leaders organise the curriculum carefully. They make sure that pupils build on their knowledge as they advance through school. Teaching takes account of the local context and maximises opportunities for enrichment. Visits to Chester, for example, help to deepen pupils’ learning about Roman settlements.

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

Teaching in the school ensures that pupils acquire the knowledge that leaders want them to learn. Pupils’ positive behaviour contributes well to their learning. Staff successfully develop pupils’ language knowledge and vocabulary from the moment that they start in the Reception Year. Teachers assess pupils’ learning carefully and identify any gaps in their knowledge. Teachers and teaching assistants successfully help pupils to catch up in class or in small groups, if they fall behind. Leaders and teachers are skilled at identifying 15–16 September 2021

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pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers and teaching assistants are well trained to support pupils with SEND effectively.

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Pupils develop their knowledge and skills successfully across the whole curriculum. Teachers develop pupils’ early reading skills well. They ensure that pupils build on their phonics knowledge systematically from the start. Leaders are further strengthening the teaching of phonics through the introduction of a new approach. By the end of the Reception Year, children write simple sentences and read simple books. In key stage 1, pupils read books that are well matched to the phonics that they have learned. Those pupils who have fallen behind in reading receive helpful support to catch up. Pupils enjoy reading a wide range of books with accuracy and fluency as they advance through school.

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Occasionally, pupils do not recall some knowledge as securely as they could. For example, in mathematics, pupils have learned mathematical knowledge appropriate for their age. However, their fluency in recalling and using that knowledge is not as strong as it should be. Leaders are modifying the curriculum to address this issue. Teachers are aware of gaps in pupils’ knowledge. They make sure pupils’ understanding is secure before they move on to new topics.

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The school’s broad curriculum promotes pupils’ wider development highly effectively. The school’s work to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is of high quality. Teachers across the school do activities to strengthen pupils’ social skills and self-confidence successfully. Pupils are taught about relationships in an age-appropriate way. Staff work together to ensure that pupils are well looked after. Internet safety is a high priority. Staff teach pupils about it throughout the year.

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Pupils have a wealth of opportunities to take part in activities beyond the classroom. They make positive contributions to the school and the local community. For example, they raise money for charities and support older residents by, for example, writing letters to them. Pupils enjoy many enrichment opportunities, such as outdoor education, street dancing and trips out. Leaders make sure that all pupils can access all activities.

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Leaders and governors prioritise the well-being of staff, as well as that of pupils. They regularly review staff’s workload and strive to ensure their good health. Staff say leaders’ expectations are realistic and workload is manageable. Leaders make sure that teachers have the knowledge and skills to implement the curriculum. They make sure that all staff have the training and time to make required changes.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a high priority and all staff take responsibility. Staff recognise signs of abuse, neglect or exploitation and know how to report any concerns. Leaders act immediately to secure help when pupils and families need it. They work in partnership with other agencies to make sure pupils’ needs are met. There are thorough procedures to manage issues such as allegations against staff and to enable parents and pupils to raise safeguarding concerns. The curriculum strongly promotes the safety and well-being 15–16 September 2021

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of pupils. Teachers adopt an age-appropriate approach to teaching about risk, relationships and online safety.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, for example in mathematics, some pupils are not able to recall what they have learned as well as they could. This means that they do not make the progress through the curriculum of which they are capable. Leaders should continue to embed their recently introduced strategies to ensure that pupils recall what they have learned more securely.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 4 and 5 May 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 15–16 September 2021

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School details

Local authority Cheshire West and Chester

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School details

Inspection number 10199740 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 and 5 May 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been no significant changes since the last inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, literacy leader and history leader. She spoke to the school’s local authority improvement partner and adviser. She met with governors, including the chair of the governing body.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector heard pupils read.  The inspector looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects. She spoke with pupils about their learning across the curriculum.

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 The inspector looked closely at safeguarding. This included a scrutiny of policies, records, behaviour and safeguarding logs and the school’s checks on staff. She spoke with pupils and took account of their views. She met with leaders responsible for safeguarding and talked with all staff, including midday assistants and office staff. She looked at training records. Throughout the inspection, the inspector checked adults’ knowledge and understanding of their duties to keep pupils safe.  The inspector looked at pupils’ behaviour and their wider development. She observed behaviour in lessons, outside and in shared areas and talked to pupils about their experiences in school. The inspector considered the views of 58 parents who responded to Ofsted’s survey, Parent View, and of nine parents who spoke to the inspector during the inspection.  The inspector considered the workload and well-being of school staff. She spoke with

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all staff and took account of the Ofsted survey completed by 23 staff.

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Inspection team

Jean Olsson-Law, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 15–16 September 2021

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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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