Newlaithes Infant School

Inspection of Newlaithes Infant School Langrigg Road, Newlaithes Infant School, Carlisle, Cumbria CA2 6DX

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2022

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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 Good 13 and 14 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to attend school. They feel safe and are keen to learn. They are well mannered, courteous and respectful. They are confident that staff would deal with any cases of bullying effectively if it occurred.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in early years settle into school quickly. Skilled staff soon find out about their interests and enthusiasm. Staff harness these and build on them so that children become confident and independent learners. Adults join in with children’s imaginative play and encourage them to extend the range of words they know and understand.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very much a part of the wider community. They entertain residents in the local care home. Pupils on the school council represented the school in a city-wide Remembrance Service. Pupils go on trips and visits, such as to a puppet theatre and the local museum. This helps them to develop their understanding of different cultures and of how to be responsible citizens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Lessons are rarely disrupted. This is because pupils know that learning is important and enjoy their lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils, including children in early years, achieve well. They know that teachers always expect them to do their best in class. Leaders make sure that pupils who find learning difficult, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receive effective support.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND. They have ordered the curriculum content in a logical way. As a result, most pupils build the knowledge and skills they need to be successful when they move on to junior school.

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better?

Children in the early years also follow an effective curriculum, which is well taught. For example, teachers weave counting activities into daily routines so that children learn to count and compare numbers well. They learn how to hold a pencil properly, and this helps them learn to write quickly and fluently. They are well prepared to move on to learn the curriculum in key stage 1.

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better?

Teachers have good subject knowledge and questioning skills. They are also skilled in providing support to meet the needs of all learners, including those with SEND. They make good use of the range of training opportunities available to improve their teaching of the curriculum and develop their leadership skills. 13 and 14 December 2022

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In some subjects, teachers do not identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge well enough to address them in future teaching. At times, this limits some aspects of pupils’ achievement.

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Children begin learning to read soon after starting at the school. In Nursery Year, they start learning nursery rhymes and songs. As they move into the Reception Year, they learn phonics in carefully structured lessons and begin their journey to becoming readers. Well-trained staff help pupils to practise their reading from books that are carefully selected to match their phonics knowledge. Leaders and teachers check on pupils’ learning in phonics meticulously. Consequently, pupils who may be falling behind in reading receive timely support to catch up. Teachers read to pupils daily and more frequently in the early years. Pupils say that they enjoy reading and that reading is important. A typical comment was, ‘Reading is important so that you can get a good job.’ By the end of Year 2, most pupils are confident and fluent readers.

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Leaders and teachers identify the needs of pupils with SEND accurately and at the earliest possible stage. They ensure that these pupils have the right support to follow the same curriculum as their peers. This means that pupils, including those with SEND, succeed, and most are ready for the next stage in their education.

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Pupils behave very well. They appreciate rewards for showing good manners, including ‘manners lunch’ in the headteacher’s office. They rarely disturb the learning of others. They enjoy taking on responsibilities in school, such as being ‘playtime rangers’, who help the little ones during breaks.

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Pupils take part in trips to cultural centres such as museums and theatres. They learn about different faiths and significant people in history, such as Captain Scott. They also visit an outdoor education centre, where they take part in adventurous physical activities and learn teamwork. These opportunities help them to learn about the wider world and prepare them well for their futures in modern British society.

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Governors know the school well and fulfil all their statutory responsibilities. Governors and leaders consider staff workload and work-life balance when making decisions. Staff feel valued and appreciated by leaders and governors.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors ensure that adults know how to keep pupils safe. Staff and governors have regular and up-to-date training, including in child protection. This helps them to identify when a pupil may be at risk. Leaders follow up any concerns diligently and make sure that pupils and families receive effective support.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum helps pupils learn about how to manage risk. For example, they learn about how to keep safe online. Pupils learn about healthy relationships. They 13 and 14 December 2022

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know that they should speak to a trusted adult if they have ‘yucky feelings’ or concerns.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, teachers do not check carefully enough how well pupils have learned in some subjects. As a result, sometimes, future teaching does not help pupils to improve their knowledge and understanding. Leaders should ensure that teachers accurately identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge so that they know and remember more over time.

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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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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. 13 and 14 December 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10256040 Type of school Infant

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 and 9 November 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  During this inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders and three members of the governing body.  The inspectors held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors reviewed a range of safeguarding documentation, including the single central record of checks on staff’s suitability to work with pupils. They met 13 and 14 December 2022

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with the designated safeguarding leader and checked how leaders record and respond to any safeguarding concerns.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and design and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They also looked at pupils’ work in some other subjects.  The inspectors observed pupils reading to a familiar adult and spoke to pupils informally at breaktimes.  The inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jan Corlett, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Linda Griffiths Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 December 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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