Newlands Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Newlands Junior School Braemar Road, Forest Town, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG19 0LN

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 January 2022

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Outcome

Newlands Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. Many arrive early each day so that they can benefit from a healthy breakfast with friends. Pupils’ relationships with each other and adults are positive. Pupils trust staff to look after them and keep them safe. One pupil reflected the views of others by saying, ‘I feel proud every day I come to school.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and during social times. They know what bullying is and how it can affect people. When bullying happens, pupils know that staff will act quickly to sort it out. Pupils look after each other. Members of the ‘kindness crew’ help pupils who are upset and reward those who are considerate. Everyone in the school community is valued.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff want pupils to be the ‘best versions of themselves’. Pupils know that they should never give up. They have learned how famous people have overcome obstacles to be successful. Pupils say that this inspires them to do the same.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a wide range of extra-curricular activities open to all pupils. Pupils understand how to keep themselves fit and healthy. They were excited about taking part in the ‘Captain Tom 100 Challenge’. They enjoyed raising money to support mental health awareness on Hello Yellow Day.

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

Leaders are ambitious and want to prepare each pupil for a ‘future of possibilities’. Every pupil gets the same chance to learn new things and experience something different. Pupils know that getting things wrong or asking for help will support their learning. They enjoy rewards for demonstrating the school’s values, such as resilience. Pupils are keen to learn and work hard.

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

Leaders have redesigned the curriculum. However, the curriculum is planned better in some subjects than others. Not all curriculum plans make it clear precisely what pupils need to know and when. Teachers sometimes ask pupils to complete tasks that do not 11 and 12 January 2022

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match what they want pupils to learn. Pupils do not learn as well in these subjects as they do in others.

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In mathematics, the curriculum is well thought out so that pupils learn new content in a logical order. Pupils appreciate chances to recap what they know . Teachers use strong subject knowledge to respond to pupils’ queries. They check work frequently so that pupils can correct mistakes before they move on. Pupils present their work neatly. Extra help for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) ensures that they do not fall behind. Pupils enjoy learning mathematics.

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Leaders promote pupils’ love of reading. Pupils read a wide range of books from different genres and cultures. Story time each day helps pupils to develop their vocabulary. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about books they read and authors they like. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic means that m ore Year 3 pupils than usual are struggling to read. These pupils are not consistently taught the phonics skills that they need to read words correctly. Books they read do not match the sounds they are learning. Leaders are supporting these pupils to become confident and fluent readers.

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Teachers and teaching assistants are skilled at providing pupils with SEND with the help they need. In physical education, teachers modify activities and equipment so that these pupils can be successful.

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Pupils find out about different faiths and cultures, for example through visits to places of worship and food tasting sessions. They understand important British values such as individual liberty. Pupils enjoy getting involved in the community, for example through craft activities with the elderly at a local care home. They relish taking on responsibilities, including as members of the school council. Pupils are thoughtful and respectful towards others. Everyone is welcome at this school because ‘difference does not matter’.

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Staff are overwhelmingly positive about working at the school. They value the team spirit that leaders promote and feel appreciated.

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Governors are committed to the school and want pupils to have the opportunities they deserve. They are well informed and work closely with leaders to improve the school further. Leaders benefit from training provided by the local authority to support their work to develop the curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know that there is a trusted adult they can talk to if they are worried about anything. Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe, including online.

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Safeguarding

Staff are vigilant. They understand their responsibilities for keeping pupils safe. Staff know how to spot the signs that a pupil could be at risk of harm. They report any concerns promptly to leaders, however small. 11 and 12 January 2022

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Leaders are well trained. They understand the particular local risks pupils may face. They work closely with external agencies when necessary. Occasionally, leaders do not record the actions they have taken following an incident. This means there are sometimes gaps in pupils’ safeguarding records.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A small number of pupils do not have a secure knowledge of phonics. Their reading books do not match precisely the sounds they know. As a result, they sometimes guess unfamiliar words, rather than having sufficient phonics knowledge to read them. These pupils are not becoming fluent readers as quickly as they should. Leaders should provide pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read with appropriate support so that they develop as confident, accurate readers.  Some foundation subjects are not planned or implemented as effectively as others. Planning in these subjects does not identify precisely the key subject knowledge that pupils must learn. Sometimes, the tasks that teachers ask pupils to complete do not meet the intended learning. When this is the case, pupils do not secure their knowledge of the most important information. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in these subjects is logically sequenced and sets our precisely what pupils

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

need to know. They should make sure that teachers implement these curriculum plans effectively so that pupils can recall what they have learned.

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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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2011.

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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. 11 and 12 January 2022

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

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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 and 12 January 2022

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Inspection number 10211615 Type of school Junior

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 December 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The number of pupils on the school’s roll has increased significantly since the school’s previous inspection in 2016.  Two new assistant headteachers took up their roles in April 2019.  The chair of governors was appointed in September 2020.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspector met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and spoke with a representative of the local authority on the telephone.  The inspector carried out deep dives in three subjects: reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector met with curriculum leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers of the 11 and 12 January 2022

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lessons visited, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also reviewed pupils’ workbooks in a wider range of subjects. The inspector listened to some Year 3 pupils read with an adult.  The inspector met with members of the school council and spoke with other pupils informally.  The inspector evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding by reviewing the school’s record of pre-employment checks, holding discussions with leaders, staff and pupils and reviewing documentation relating to safeguarding.  The inspector took note of the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, and considered the results of the Ofsted staff and pupil surveys.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and school development plan and information about pupils’ behaviour.  During the inspection, a number of staff members were absent due to issues related to

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Inspection team

Rachel Tordoff, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 January 2022

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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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