Regent Farm First School

Inspection of a good school: Regent Farm First School Wansbeck Road South, Gosforth, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Tyne and Wear NE3 3PE

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Outcome

Regent Farm First School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a happy, nurturing, secure and supportive place to learn. Pupils enjoy going to school and behave well. They respect each other and the adults in the school. Pupils feel safe at school because staff look after them well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent, summing up the views of many, said, ‘My child feels seen and supported by her teachers, her interests are celebrated and encouraged.’ Pupils and parents say that bullying is not a problem. Leaders make parents feel welcome. Leaders and teachers want pupils to leave school well prepared for the next stage of their education. Pupils are keen to learn because teachers make lessons interesting and enjoyable. Children follow a structured, well-planned curriculum from the start of Nursery. When they leave at the end of Year 4, pupils have acquired secure knowledge in a broad range of subjects. However, pupils do not always make as much progress as they could in some of the foundation subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value their visitors and the trips and visits which take place throughout the year. The atmosphere of the school is welcoming, and enthusiasm for learning is evident in all areas of the school. Pupils enjoy sharing their work and receiving rewards when they do an excellent piece of work or behave very well.

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

The curriculum provides a good start to children’s formal education. Children get a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy in the early years. They also follow a structured programme of personal, social and emotional development. The early years unit has a rich learning environment which encourages curiosity and exploration. Staff plan activities carefully and inspire children to learn at every opportunity.

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

Pupils study all the national curriculum subjects in Years 1 to 4. Teachers plan lessons that allow pupils to build up their knowledge step by step for each subject. For example, in art, 23 and 24 March 2022

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teachers help pupils to develop their painting skills before asking pupils to create a larger painting in the style of different artists. In mathematics, pupils have practical problems to solve before they move on to more abstract concepts. Leaders are developing the curriculum so that all subjects are planned in a similar way. Teachers have gaps in their knowledge of some of the foundation subjects. This means that pupils do not always get the support and challenge they need to learn as much as they could in these subjects.

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The children who attend the specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (specially resourced provision) are fully integrated into the life of the school. They attend lessons, trips and visits with their peers. Pupils are well supported by the staff in the specially resourced provision.

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Pupils work well together. They are keen to learn and do not disrupt lessons. Work in pupils’ books shows that they are remembering and using their learning. Teachers check pupils’ work during lessons to make sure that they have understood the key points that have been taught. Teachers gather and record evidence of how pupils are doing in each subject. Leaders use this information effectively to keep an eye on pupils’ progress.

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Teachers develop pupils’ skills and interest in reading. Teachers read to children every day. Corridors and classrooms have reading areas with books related to the topics pupils study. Children have formal phonics lessons from the summer term in Nursery. Children who find learning to read difficult get help to keep up with the rest of the class. All staff know how to support pupils who fall behind in reading so that these pupils catch up quickly. Most pupils read well for their age by the end of Year 1. The few who still have difficulties in Year 2 get effective support to be fluent enough to start Year 3 with appropriate reading skills.

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Pupils learn far more than just the content of academic subjects. For example, pupils attend after-school clubs to take part in judo, art, football or cricket. Pupils learn how to be healthy. Leaders promote healthy living, including teaching pupils how to grow vegetables in the school garden. Pupils learn how to look after the environment. Pupils in Reception, for example, were excited to share their experiences of being on a ‘clean-up crew’ taking rubbish from their class-based ocean area to save the turtles. Pupils learn about different faiths. They learn about democracy and vote on key aspects of school life.

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Leaders want all pupils to learn well and to enjoy all the activities the school offers. The school’s special educational needs coordinator works closely with the leaders from the specially resourced provision and teachers to make sure all pupils get the support they need. Teachers adapt lesson materials and activities carefully to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders and staff work well together for the benefit of pupils. Leaders are approachable and supportive. They make sure that staff’s workload is manageable. Governors meet regularly with school leaders and review information about the school. Governors are knowledgeable and support the school well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 23 and 24 March 2022

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Staff receive regular training and are clear about their responsibilities to keep pupils safe. All can identify and report pupils who may be at risk. Leaders know how to secure the support of external agencies when needed. They work very well with families to resolve problems. Leaders have completed training in safe recruitment and management of concerns about staff. Staff teach pupils to be aware of risks and to manage these in their everyday life. They also teach them to avoid risky and inappropriate behaviour when using the internet or social media.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers of some foundation subjects are not yet confident enough in their own subject knowledge. This means that pupils are not supported or challenged as well as they could be in these subjects. This is limiting pupils’ progress in these subjects. Leaders should review the training and support that teachers receive, including what is available from specialist subject teachers, so that all staff have the depth of subject knowledge they need.

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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 January 2012.

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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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You can search for published performance information about the school.

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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. 23 and 24 March 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.regentfarmfirstschool.co.uk/ Date of previous inspection 26 January 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was new to the school in June 2019.  The school has a specially resourced provision for four children with visual impairment.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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, who is also the designated safeguarding lead (DSL), the special educational needs coordinator and the subject leaders for English, phonics, mathematics and art. The inspector also spoke with the chair of the governing body and six governors. The inspector spoke with the school’s adviser and a link officer from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, 23 and 24 March 2022

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visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector checked safeguarding arrangements and school records. The inspector discussed safeguarding policies and case studies with the DSL. She talked to teachers and other staff about the safeguarding training they had received and how they put this training into practice.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and corridors, on arriving and leaving and at lunchtimes and breaktimes.  The inspector considered 71 responses to Ofsted Parent View, the online inspection questionnaire, including written responses. She also considered responses from 20 staff to their online inspection questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Catherine Beard, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 March 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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