New Marske Primary School

Inspection of a good school: New Marske Primary School Birkdale Road, New Marske, Redcar, North Yorkshire TS11 8BN

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Outcome

New Marske Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff ensure that New Marske Primary is a warm and welcoming school. Adults and pupils get along well together. Bullying is rare. When it happens, pupils know that they can speak to any adult in school and it will be dealt with quickly, and effectively. Pupils feel happy and safe in their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers teach pupils that overcoming challenges is a part of life. They provide the encouragement and support pupils need to do so. Pupils understand that some people have greater challenges in their lives. They show kindness to those who have faced, or are facing, challenging times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for what pupils can achieve. They ensure that where pupils need support to achieve well, they receive it. Pupils have a positive attitude to learning. They behave well in lessons and at social times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for the school. They find out from pupils, through the school council, and parents about how the school could improve. Leaders act upon these messages to make the school even better still.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, families and staff are proud to be part of the New Marske Primary School community. They value the way it prepares pupils for the next stage of their education.

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

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum that begins from the very start of pupils’ time in school. In most subjects the detail of what pupils need to learn, and when, is clearly laid out. Teachers know the key knowledge, and skills, that pupils need to master and can plan their teaching to meet these aims. They do so successfully. At the start of each lesson, teachers check that pupils have remembered what they have been taught previously. In mathematics, for example, every lesson begins with pupils answering four questions about work they have learned previously, including problem-solving questions. 12 and 13 July 2022

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Teachers use this information to adapt their teaching where necessary. These approaches help pupils remember work that they have studied previously, and more easily apply it to their new learning.

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In a few subjects, what pupils need to learn is not as clear. Teachers are left to make their own decisions about what to teach within a broad title. For example, in history, teachers know they are to teach about The Great Fire of London, but are left to decide themselves precisely what they want pupils to learn. Pupils remember what they have been taught but new learning cannot build on what pupils have learned before, as teachers are not sure what has been taught in previous years. Subject leaders across the trust are beginning to work together to share best practice within their subjects. This is starting to have a positive impact. Curriculum plans for next year include greater detail on what should be taught, and when. Leaders know there is still further to go.

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The teaching of reading is a high priority. Staff know that reading opens the door to all other learning. In Nursery, adults design activities and games that help prepare pupils to learn phonics in Reception. Leaders ensure new staff successfully complete a personalised training programme before they start teaching phonics.

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Pupils read books that match their phonics knowledge. Where pupils need additional support, they receive it on the same day. This allows them to keep up. Teachers know their pupils well. Those who read less often at home are heard read more often in school. The phonics leader visits phonics sessions regularly, and hears every pupil read every half term to check that pupils are developing the key building blocks of reading.

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Behaviour in school is good. Pupils are taught what good behaviour looks like. They value the positive rewards they receive for ‘getting it right’. Where pupils need reminding about how they should behave, adults use the school’s behaviour policy consistently, and fairly. Low-level misbehaviour is dealt with quickly and effectively by all adults in school.

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Pupils learn about developing appropriate relationships. This begins from the start of Nursery. Pupils’ attitudes to each other are consistently respectful. However, leaders are aware that some girls in school say they would not report harassment unless it became serious. This is something leaders are keen to address. Recently, girls in Year 6 were part of a programme that included lessons on ‘being respected and respecting yourself’.

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Staff work closely together and support each other well. They are reflective and thoughtful about their work. They say that leaders consider their well-being and work–life balance. Governors monitor the well-being of the headteacher effectively. As a result, a new leadership model has been put in place for next year.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have made safeguarding a priority in school. All staff receive comprehensive training and ‘refreshers’ on the key risks that pupils may face, the signs that a pupil may be at risk and the processes that they must follow if they have a concern. Leaders ensure 12 and 13 July 2022

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that all visitors to school are aware of the procedures they must follow if they are concerned about a pupil’s welfare.

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Systems are in place to identify when a pupil may be at risk. Leaders act promptly to secure appropriate support from outside agencies for pupils and their families.

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Leaders ensure that pupils are taught about the risks they may face. This personal safety curriculum is flexible enough to react in response to local and national trends and issues. All pupils know who to speak to if they have concerns or feel at risk.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum plans in some subjects do not clearly identify the key knowledge and skills that pupils must learn within each unit. These decisions are left to individual teachers. This means teachers cannot be sure what pupils should already know, check that knowledge is secure and build upon this prior learning. Leaders should ensure that curriculums clearly identify the knowledge and skills that pupils must learn at each stage of development.

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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 predecessor school to be good in July 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 . 12 and 13 July 2022

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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. 12 and 13 July 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241370 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Galileo Multi Academy Trust.  The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals attending this school is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities in this school is below the national average.

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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 held discussions with: the headteacher; the special educational needs coordinator; the leader in charge of the personal, social and health education curriculum; the designated safeguarding leader; the chief executive officer of the Galileo Multi Academy Trust; and a governor.  The inspector spoke with two trustees of the Galileo Multi Academy Trust. 12 and 13 July 2022

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 The inspector met with the leader in charge of early years provision and observed provision in the Blossom Tree Nursery, Nursery and Reception.  The inspector took account of a wide range of documentary information, including school policies, school self-evaluation, pupil surveys undertaken by the school, bullying and behaviour logs, minutes from governing body meetings and information regarding safeguarding processes.  The inspector carried out deep dives into reading, mathematics and history. In each deep dive, the inspector reviewed curriculum documentation online, discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to pupils reading.  The inspector reviewed curriculum planning documentation for science, computing and art.  The inspector observed pupils at break, lunchtime and when moving around school.

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 The inspector spoke to a range of staff over the course of the inspection and considered responses to the staff survey.  The inspector spoke to parents at the end of the school day and reviewed the responses to Ofsted Parent View survey.  The inspector met formally with groups of pupils, met with the school council and spoke to other pupils informally throughout the inspection.

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Inspection team

Steve Wren, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 12 and 13 July 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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