New Road Primary & Nursery School

Inspection of New Road Primary & Nursery School New Road, Whittlesey, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE7 1SZ

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Inspection dates: 30 November and 1 December 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 30 November and 1 December 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at New Road are happy and polite. They are kind to one another. A parent told inspectors, ‘My child has always loved going to school.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are ambitious for every pupil and what they can achieve. Pupils told inspectors that staff encourage them to work hard. Pupils understand that it is important to aim high and never give up. They are often enthusiastic in class. Pupils in Year 6 said that they feel ready to move to secondary school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school rules are ‘ready, safe, respectful’. Pupils said that school is a safe environment. Pupils have a clear sense of right and wrong. They are confident that there is someone in school who they can go to if they have a concern.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are clear expectations of how pupils should behave. Pupils are well behaved around school and at lunchtimes. There is little low-level disruption in class that stops learning. Bullying is not accepted at the school. Pupils said that they would go to staff if bullying happened because they know it would then stop.

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better?

Leaders have developed a well-planned curriculum. Their curriculum thinking focuses on teaching new knowledge that builds on what pupils already know and can do. This ensures that pupils’ understanding builds over time so they achieve well. The curriculum meets the needs of all pupils. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers routinely assess pupils’ knowledge and understanding. This helps teachers to know which pupils need extra help or support.

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better?

Sometimes, activities chosen by teachers do not match the curriculum planning leaders intend for all subjects. This can cause pupils to have misunderstandings. This mismatch happens because some elements of teachers’ subject knowledge needed to teach the curriculum are not secure. Parts of the curriculum do not contain opportunities to challenge pupils to apply what they have learned. Some pupils could achieve more. Leaders have identified this as a next step in the development of the curriculum.

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better?

Pupils love reading. This enjoyment of reading begins in the Nursery Year. The youngest children laugh and squeal with excitement when staff read to them. Staff help children to understand new ideas or words. Leaders prioritise reading. There are daily phonics sessions for younger pupils. The older children regularly practise their comprehension skills. Reading books are well suited to pupils’ needs. Consequently, pupils become confident, fluent readers. 30 November and 1 December 2021

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Pupils behave well and have good attitudes to learning. There are good relationships between staff and pupils. Learning is rarely interrupted as there is little low-level disruption in classes.

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The school promotes spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils learn about the different faiths and cultures in society. Leaders have set up workshops to help pupils have a better understanding of equality. Pupils said that these events challenge their assumptions about race or appearance. Pupils told inspectors that they feel listened to. For example, a group of pupils are working with teachers to build more Black history into the curriculum.

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Pupils said that they know how to keep physically and mentally healthy. There are many opportunities to take part in external events. These include the chance to dance in the town’s annual festival. The school provides a wide range of after-school sporting clubs. These include football, netball, tag rugby and dodgeball.

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Pupils with SEND are well supported. A detailed analysis of pupils’ needs regularly takes place so that pupils’ needs are accurately identified, and the right support is planned and put in place. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with external agencies and specialists. Teachers adapt the learning well for pupils with SEND so they are able to access the same curriculum as all pupils.

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Governance is strong. Governors and trustees are aware of the challenges that leaders face. They are proud of how the school has continued to develop despite the challenges of COVID-19. Governors and trustees said that staff development remains a key priority for the trust. Staff praised how well leaders care for their well- being and support their professional development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that there is a strong safeguarding culture in school. Leaders carry out the required checks to ensure that all adults working at the school are suitable. Leaders train staff routinely and keep them up to date with the latest national guidance.

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Safeguarding

Staff know how to spot signs of harm. This includes indicators of sexual harassment, abuse or violence. Staff confidently use the ‘log of concerns’ to report their worries. Leaders are quick to follow up staff concerns about pupils. Leaders work closely with external agencies to support vulnerable pupils and ensure that they receive the support they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe online, and know what to do if they feel unsafe. 30 November and 1 December 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not ensured that pupils always have the opportunity to make links between what they have learned in different parts of a subject. This means that pupils are not always able to apply what they have learned. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum is more precisely matched to the needs of those pupils who are ready to apply what they know in more complex ways.  Sometimes classroom activities do not match the planning for the curriculum because some aspects of teachers’ subject knowledge are not secure. This can lead to pupils developing misconceptions. Leaders should ensure that teachers continue to receive subject-specific training for the whole curriculum.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 30 November and 1 December 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200513 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 September 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the school has undergone significant building work.  Leaders access and use registered alternative provision.  New Road has a Nursery class which includes provision for two-year-olds.  There is a breakfast club for pupils who attend the school.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, subject leaders, the SENCo, other members of staff, members of the local governing body and the chair of trustees. They also met with the chief executive officer of Aspire Learning Trust (Whittlesey). 30 November and 1 December 2021

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science, geography and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also visited personal, social, health and economic education lessons, and met with the subject leader.  Inspectors looked at the safeguarding arrangements in the school. They spoke to leaders and staff about how they keep pupils safe. Inspectors scrutinised the single central record. They also checked the school’s log of safeguarding incidents.  An inspector heard pupils read.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at lunchtime and as they moved around the school.  Inspectors had informal conversations with parents at the start of the school day.  Inspectors considered 28 responses, and free-text responses, to Ofsted’s

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questionnaire for parents. They also took into consideration six responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

James Adkins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sebastian Gasse Ofsted Inspector 30 November and 1 December 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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