Newington Green Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Newington Green Primary School Matthias Road, Newington Green, London N16 8NP

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Outcome

Newington Green Primary School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a graded (section 5) inspection now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in this community school. Leaders have very high expectations for what all pupils can learn and achieve. The curriculum is highly ambitious. Pupils learn Spanish, computing, music and physical education with specialist teachers who are subject experts. The curriculum exceeds the ambition of the national curriculum, particularly in subjects taught by subject specialists. All staff ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the support they need to be successful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are exceptionally polite and kind to each other. Staff emphasise the importance of good manners in all aspects of school life. The behaviour of pupils in class is exemplary. Pupils of all ages take leadership roles in the school. They love to help each other. For example, playground leaders help other pupils to play games and make friends at breaktimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils take part in a wide range of cultural and educational visits during their time in the school. They go to ballet, opera and theatre performances, as well as visits to museums and galleries. They enjoy outings to outdoor adventure centres and take part in activities such as canoeing and archery. Pupils in Year 6 take part in a week-long university-based careers event. They take part in science, mathematics and engineering activities. Pupils are well prepared for the transition to secondary school.

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

Leaders have identified the key knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn. They have thought about the order that pupils learn subject content. Where appropriate, they have coordinated sequences of learning across subjects to reinforce and deepen pupils’ understanding of key concepts. For example, pupils in Year 1 learn how to describe different colours in Spanish. They learn about Spanish as a language spoken in many 7 and 8 February 2023

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countries globally. At the same time, they explore the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo in art lessons.

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Teachers present new learning clearly. They routinely check that pupils understand new ideas. They give ample time for pupils to practise what they have learned. For example, in mathematics, pupils in all years have regular opportunities to discuss how they find the answers to problems. Pupils develop strong reasoning skills. When they apply their learning to harder questions, they have the resilience and skills to persevere.

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Staff make sure pupils with SEND are identified quickly. Leaders have ensured that staff across the school know the most effective ways to support pupils’ learning so that they access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Pupils of all ages love to read here. Leaders place great importance on reading across the school. They have ensured that staff teaching the new phonics programme do so consistently well. Teachers model sounds accurately. They skilfully help pupils to keep up with the reading programme. Staff quickly identify pupils who fall behind. Highly skilled adults help these pupils to catch up. Leaders have carefully matched books that pupils read to the sounds they know.

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Children in the early years, including children in the provision for two-year-olds, learn to play with increasing independence. Staff help children to play together and develop their social skills. They establish routines and encourage positive behaviour right from when children first start at the school, including at age two years. Pupils gain maturity and confidence by taking on responsibilities around the school. Positions on the school council are highly contested. Potential candidates write and present manifestos to their classmates. Pupils take part in democratic elections to select those who will represent them.

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Leaders have put emphasis on teaching pupils how to stay healthy. They encourage pupils to eat healthily and look after their physical health. Leaders use school meals as an opportunity to educate pupils about different cultures and cuisines of the world. They promote pupils’ mental well-being strongly. Some pupils pursue their wider interests by taking on responsibility as digital, science or sports ambassadors. Other pupils take on roles on the eco-council. These pupils lead initiatives to make the school more environmentally sustainable.

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Staff, parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. Staff said that leaders listen to them and take their well-being into account when making decisions. Leaders and the governing body ensure that workload, including assessment, is manageable for staff.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have built strong relationships with families in the school’s community. They have an acute knowledge of the safeguarding issues that their pupils may face. Leaders ensure 7 and 8 February 2023

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that there are robust procedures in place to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. Staff have regular training to ensure that they recognise signs that a pupils may be vulnerable to abuse. Leaders act swiftly to ensure that pupils are safe. They work effectively with other agencies to get pupils and their families the help they need.

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Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including online. They receive age- appropriate information about healthy, caring and respectful relationships.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2011.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents 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. 7 and 8 February 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Abi Misselbrook-Lovejoy (executive headteacher), Mairead McDonnell (head of school) Website www.newingtongreen.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 29 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the school has entered into a federation partnership with Rotherfield Primary School.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has Nursery provision for two-year-olds.

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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.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the executive headteacher, the head of school and other senior school leaders. The inspector also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and spoke to the school’s improvement partner.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and Spanish. As part of each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, visited lessons and spoke to 7 and 8 February 2023

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teachers. The inspector spoke to a range of pupils about their learning and viewed a sample of pupils’ work.  The inspector reviewed a range of school documents, including school policies, records of behaviour, school improvement documents and a sample of provision documents for pupils with SEND.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector checked the procedures for recruiting new members of staff, spoke to the designated safeguarding leads and spoke to staff about how they report concerns.  The inspector spoke to parents and considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. The inspector also took into account the views of staff and pupils through the Ofsted staff and pupil online surveys.

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Inspection team

Annabel Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 February 2023

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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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