Northwood Primary School

Inspection of Northwood Primary School Wyatts Lane, Cowes, Isle of Wight PO31 8PU

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Inspection dates: 20 and 21 February 2024

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Sian Mumford. This school is part of Northwood Primary School Academy Trust. The school is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Dean Thistlewood. 20 and 21 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be part of this school. They know their teachers want them to work hard and be the best they can be. The school’s values, including empathy, responsibility and belonging, help everyone to feel a valued part of the school. This camaraderie between pupils means, as one pupil said, ‘Your classmates make you believe you can do it’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has improved aspects of the quality of education since the last inspection. Importantly, the school has embedded an effective and well-delivered phonics programme. All other subjects now have a clear and precisely designed curriculum. This means pupils are learning more key knowledge. This good curriculum starts in the Reception Year, where children have an inquisitive enthusiasm to learn. By Year 6, the pupils are in a strong position, ready to start secondary school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate all the opportunities, which have notably increased, the school gives them. They can attend yoga, crochet and handbell clubs, to name but a few. Pupils talk excitedly about the opportunities to compete against other schools. They perform very well in these sporting competitions.

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better?

The school is ambitious and aims to provide all pupils with a high-quality education. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and other disadvantaged pupils. The school’s curriculum includes the important knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils need to learn at each stage. Teachers deliver this curriculum well. Pupils are achieving more across the curriculum since the previous inspection.

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better?

Across the school, pupils enjoy reading and choosing books from the well-stocked library. Staff want to develop every child’s love for reading. They ensure that pupils have books they can read and gain confidence from. Pupils develop their comprehension through carefully chosen texts that the teachers provide. The new phonics scheme is improving pupils’ early reading. All staff use the training they have received effectively to teach phonics well. The school monitors carefully how well pupils learn phonics. This enables the school to provide pupils with additional support, if they need it, in order to catch up.

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better?

In all other subjects, the school has implemented a curriculum that enables pupils to build their knowledge over time. In mathematics, pupils practise and repeat arithmetic and problem-solving skills regularly. This means pupils develop and embed mathematical concepts well. In other subjects, staff deliver lessons that extend pupils’ prior learning effectively. Teachers check pupils’ understanding in lessons and provide timely support. In some subjects, however, the school does not always know how well pupils have remembered key knowledge. This means staff 20 and 21 February 2024

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training and curriculum adaptations are not always as closely linked to improving pupils’ achievement as they could be.

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Pupils’ behaviour in classrooms is calm and orderly, and their engagement in lessons is generally strong. Pupils are kind and enthusiastic. They work well together in class. However, occasionally, pupils become disengaged from their learning. Lessons are rarely disrupted by the behaviour of others. When pupils require further support, either academically or for their behaviour, staff work collaboratively with parents and external agencies effectively. This helps to ensure that all pupils get the precise help and support they need, including those with SEND.

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Pupils can choose from a wide variety of activities to develop their personal interests. Staff think creatively to provide different and more bespoke clubs. The curriculum is also enhanced with a range of different trips and visitors. Pupils’ understanding and appreciation of the natural world develop through effective outdoor learning in the beautiful grounds. Pupils have responsibilities through pupil leadership roles such as school councillors, librarians and ‘classroom ambassadors’. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. This strengthens their understanding of people’s differences and similarities.

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Governors have been a consistent strength of the school community since the last inspection. They have supported the staff to make the required improvements. Governors have ensured that key duties in relation to the school’s finances and safeguarding arrangements are effective. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the education their children receive, with one saying, ‘I was told it is like a family and they really want what is best for the children. I completely agree. I just wish he could stay forever.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school’s checks on what pupils have learned are not as effective as in others. As a result, not all pupils achieve as well as they could overall. The school should check how well pupils have learned the key knowledge across the curriculum and use this information to adapt future staff training and curriculum adaptations. 20 and 21 February 2024

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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' 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). 20 and 21 February 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 November 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the school has a new headteacher, who started in post in September 2023.  The school is part of a single academy trust. This is the Northwood Primary School Academy Trust.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school offers breakfast and after-school provision for pupils at the school. This is managed by school leaders and run by non-teaching members of staff.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 20 and 21 February 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders within the school. The lead inspector also met with members of the governing board, including the chair, and an external education representative.  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 reviewed a range of the school’s documentation, including self- evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings and behaviour incident

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logs.  The inspectors considered the views of parents shared through Ofsted Parent View, and inspectors also spoke with parents on both days of the inspection.  The views of staff were gathered through interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection, as well as the staff survey.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views throughout the inspection, including through the classroom visits and group discussions, as well as at playtimes and lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Chris Parker, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Becky Greenhalgh Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 February 2024

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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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