Newark Hill Academy

Inspection of Newark Hill Academy Eastfield Road, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire PE1 4RE

p.1

Inspection dates: 19 and 20 September 2023

p.1

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The principal of this school is Sonia Kendal. This school is part of Greenwood Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Wayne Norrie, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mike Hamlin. 19 and 20 September 2023

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils use the word ‘welcoming’ to describe their school. They appreciate the individual care and attention adults give to them. Pupils all have a trusted adult to talk to. They know that if they put a message inside the class ‘worry monster’ someone will help them. This makes them feel safe, valued and ready to learn.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils want to do well. They respond positively to lessons that are engaging and where the teachers have high expectations of them. They appreciate having separate art and science rooms and specialist sports coaches. Pupils like to visit the ‘enchanted forest’ library with its large range of books. The book swap scheme is popular.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel fortunate to have their own laptops. They find these support their learning in class and improve their understanding of technology. Pupils relish opportunities to be part of the eco-committee, be a STEM ambassador, a librarian or join the ‘kindness crew’. There are a wide range of clubs and residential visits for pupils to enjoy.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Even the youngest pupils know how adults expect them to move around the school. Most pupils do this ‘marvellous moving’ well. Pupils like the rewards that they can earn for their learning and conduct.

p.2

better?

Leaders are unwavering in their determination to provide a good quality of education. The curriculum is ambitious and designed to build pupils’ knowledge in clearly defined steps. Teachers regularly revisit what pupils need to remember. As a result, most pupils retain key knowledge. For example, older pupils can accurately order historical events and recall science knowledge about the human body. In Year 1, pupils remember and draw on their learning from early years about the local area.

p.2

better?

Leaders work closely with teachers to identify any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This has resulted in pupils having few misconceptions. Leaders provide regular training to improve staff’s curriculum knowledge and expertise. However, a few staff are still getting used to the curriculum content in some subjects. This affects teachers’ ability to deliver the curriculum with confidence and precision.

p.2

better?

Teachers adapt learning activities to meet the specific needs of their class, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND have appropriate resources in class to help them access the learning successfully.

p.2

better?

Reading has been rightly prioritised. Pupils learn to read the moment they start school and follow a well-sequenced reading curriculum. Pupils of all ages read books that are selected for their rich vocabulary. Older pupils read with increasing fluency. Pupils read often. Staff check frequently how well pupils are reading and organise 19 and 20 September 2023

p.2

3

additional support if needed. In phonics lessons, books accurately match the sounds pupils need to rehearse. However, for a few pupils who find reading tricky, their individual reading books or interventions are not precisely matched to their reading ability. This limits how quickly they catch up in reading.

p.3

3

By the end of early years, most pupils know their letter sounds, are forming sentences and understand early mathematical concepts. Leaders know there is still some work to do on improving handwriting. Children are provided with a range of meaningful learning opportunities to develop their creativity and curiosity. They are taught how to listen, take turns and be kind. They are suitably prepared for Year 1.

p.3

3

The school is a pleasant place to learn. Adults apply the behaviour policy consistently and fairly. Pupils who need additional support to manage their behaviours settle quickly. Most pupils behave well. However, a handful of pupils sometimes do not respect the rules. While adults are quick to deal with this if known about, a few pupils are still repeating these unwelcome behaviours if they think an adult is not around. The school is addressing this.

p.3

3

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe and about healthy lifestyles and relationships. Pupils understand that discrimination is not acceptable and how this links to their school motto of ‘all different, all welcome’. They respect all different faiths and beliefs. Elections to leadership roles support pupils’ understanding of democracy. The school is working on encouraging more pupils to take up after- school clubs and residential trips.

p.3

3

Staff enjoy working at the school. Leaders, including trustees, are mindful of staff well-being and workload. The trust provides effective oversight of school standards and holds leaders effectively to account. Trustees fulfil their statutory safeguarding and equalities duties.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few staff are still getting to grips with curriculum content and expectations. This means that some pupils are not yet securing the detailed knowledge in all subjects that leaders intend. Leaders need to ensure that they continue to provide effective and bespoke subject knowledge training to these staff. Leaders then need to check that this support is ensuring that work set for these pupils meets the ambitious aims of the curriculum.  A few pupils are reading books that are not precisely matched to their reading ability. This means that these pupils are not catching up quickly enough if they are finding reading tricky. Leaders need to ensure that staff have further specific 19 and 20 September 2023

p.3

4

training to become more effective at supporting weaker readers. Teachers and support staff also need to check regularly that this support is ensuring that these pupils catch up as quickly as possible and have books linked accurately to the sounds they know.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

Further information

In the report, ‘ disadvantaged pupils ’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 19 and 20 September 2023

p.4

School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 February 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act, 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school has been part of the Greenwood Academies Trust since April 2014.  There is an on-site breakfast club managed and run by the school.  The school currently does not use any alternative providers.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 19 and 20 September 2023

p.5

6

 The inspectors held meetings with the principal, deputy principal, assistant principals, the special educational needs co-ordinator, subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, science and physical education. For the deep dives, inspectors spoke to subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with pupils, looked at pupils’ workbooks and spoke with teachers and support staff. The lead inspector also heard pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also looked at a range of pupils’ work from across the curriculum.  The lead inspector held meetings with the trust’s chief executive officer, the chief education officer and the education director. The lead inspector also met staff from the trust’s safeguarding and human resources directorates.  The lead inspector spoke to the vice chair of the board of trustees.

p.6

6

 The inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation including the school’s own self-evaluation and academy improvement plan.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record, took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered the responses gathered through Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Parent View, which included 42 free-text comments. One of the inspectors also spoke to parents at the school gate. There were no responses to the staff or pupil surveys. However, inspectors spoke to several pupils from different year groups during the inspection, as well as a range of staff.

p.6

Inspection team

Sara Boyce, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Ania Vaughan Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 September 2023

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7