NCEA Warkworth Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: NCEA Warkworth Church of England Primary School Guilden Road, Warkworth, Morpeth, Northumberland NE65 0TJ

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Outcome

NCEA Warkworth Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this nurturing school. Visitors receive a warm welcome. Pupils care about helping others. They value the importance of kindness and acceptance. Pupils and adults follow the school’s three simple rules, ‘Love yourself, love each other, love the world’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of experiences at school. Leaders have developed an enriching forest school provision for pupils to learn skills such as teamwork and problem-solving. Pupils benefit from extra-curricular opportunities, including archery and gardening club.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say they feel safe in school. Leaders take every opportunity to make sure pupils know how to keep themselves safe in their local area. Pupils learn about road and water safety, as well as how to stay safe online.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is good. They are respectful towards their peers and adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents are supportive of the school. The comment of one parent reflects that of many others: ‘The staff are incredible, wonderfully warm and human. They care as much about my child and their education as I do, and I cannot imagine sending my child anywhere else.’

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

The school has been through a significant period of change since the previous inspection. Most leaders are new to their roles. The recently appointed headteacher is focused on improving the quality of the curriculum. Leaders have made sure that what pupils learn builds on what they know from previous years. Pupils learn the full breadth of the national 24 and 25 May 2023

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curriculum. Leaders are focused on developing a curriculum in all subjects that enables pupils to achieve well.

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In mathematics and science, leaders have carefully planned what they want pupils to know and remember. Pupils are confident mathematicians and scientists. They enjoy learning and are keen to challenge themselves to learn more. Teachers ask questions skilfully to check pupils’ understanding and deepen their knowledge. In some curriculum subjects, the important content that leaders want pupils to know is less well planned. Leaders know there is more to do to make sure the most important learning in all subjects is clear for teachers. They have made this a priority.

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Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They have developed effective systems to identify pupils’ needs at the earliest stage. Leaders work with external agencies and professionals, such as behaviour support experts, to understand how to support pupils with SEND effectively. Leaders provide teachers with information about how to adapt their classroom activities. This means that pupils with SEND follow the same ambitious curriculum as their peers and experience success.

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Pupils learn to read well. Leaders have ensured that teachers are experts at teaching pupils to read. Pupils read books that match the sounds they are learning. Pupils who need extra support get the help they need to become confident and fluent readers. There is a love of reading throughout the school. Pupils say teachers are excellent storytellers. Parents are sometimes invited to be ‘mystery guest readers’, much to the pupils’ delight.

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Children in early years get off to a strong start. Leaders have thought carefully about what they want children to learn and experience. The environment and activities are stimulating and exciting. Children in the Reception Year experiment with how to free their favourite toy figures from inside blocks of ice.

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Leaders have prioritised pupils’ well-being and personal development. The curriculum helps pupils to understand how to keep themselves healthy, both physically and emotionally. Pupils enjoy taking part in a wide range of activities, including football and yoga.

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Pupils are keen to support national and local charities. Their actions to raise awareness improve the experiences of others. Pupils articulate their determination to support a local charity for people who are homeless. This is typical of their kindness and compassion for others.

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Pupils enjoy learning about other cultures and faiths through the school’s curriculum and assemblies. They understand the importance of equality.

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Staff value the support they receive to manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 24 and 25 May 2023

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There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders ensure that all staff receive training on safeguarding and that they know how to report a concern about a pupil. Leaders keep detailed records of the actions taken following a safeguarding concern. These actions are appropriate and timely.

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The curriculum teaches pupils how to stay safe. Pupils are confident they have trusted adults in school they can talk to if they have a concern.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some curriculum subjects, leaders have not identified the most important knowledge to be taught and in what order. This means that teachers are not consistently clear about how to plan lessons that enable pupils to build sequentially on prior learning. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they could in all subjects. Leaders should set out the exact knowledge they want pupils to know in a logical and progressive order.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Warkworth Church of England Primary School, to be good in November 2018.

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 24 and 25 May 2023

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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. 24 and 25 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10269092 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 Northumberland Church of England Academy Trust. The school joined this multi-academy trust in September 2020.  The headteacher has been in post since April 2023.  The school provides a breakfast and after-school club.  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 members of the trust board, the local governing body and the chief executive officer.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and other senior leaders, including those responsible for safeguarding, personal development and SEND. 24 and 25 May 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and science. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, conducted joint lesson visits with leaders, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising records and through discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day, including during lesson visits and at lunchtime. The inspector spoke to groups of pupils about their views on behaviour and the wider experiences they receive at school.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were gathered through both discussion and consideration of their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Angela Whistler, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 May 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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