Newtown Primary School (High Peak Federation)

Inspection of Newtown Primary School (High Peak Federation) Buxton Road, New Mills, Derbyshire SK22 3JS

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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 5 and 6 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Newtown Primary School is a warm and welcoming place. Pupils enjoy their learning and are happy to come to school. They feel safe and are kept safe here. Pupils care about one another and treat each other with the utmost kindness and respect. Right from the start of the early years, they learn to take turns and listen carefully to their teachers and their classmates.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of what pupils can do and achieve. Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They say their lessons are interesting. Pupils work hard and achieve well across the curriculum. Pupils and staff follow the core ‘RESPECT’ values.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a calm and orderly place. Pupils behave well. Leaders manage behaviour effectively. Bullying is rare. If it happens, pupils are confident that staff will take action to deal with it. Pupils know that if they have concerns staff are always available to talk to them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One typical parent comment was: ‘I could not be happier with this school. The ethos is wonderful, the staff are nurturing and supportive and clearly happy in their roles. My children are both happy and thriving here.’

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better?

The curriculum has been carefully designed and is ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have ensured that the knowledge they want pupils to learn has been logically sequenced so that pupils revisit and embed key concepts over time. For example, in history in Year 2, pupils study objects from the time of the Vikings, and in Year 4 they learn how historians use artefacts and ancient texts to understand life in ancient Egypt.

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better?

Pupils revisit what they have learned through regular memory tasks. This helps pupils know more and remember more. Teachers check to find out what pupils know. However, in a small number of subjects the work given to pupils is not matched precisely enough to their ability. As a result, pupils are not able to make as much progress as they should.

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better?

Reading is a priority at this school. Pupils read carefully chosen, engaging texts in their English lessons. Pupils read in many other subjects, including geography. As a result, pupils love reading and are highly motivated to read. Staff are trained to teach the systematic phonics programme to those pupils at an early stage of reading. Daily phonics sessions are highly structured. Teachers read daily to pupils. The school encourages pupils to explore different authors and to choose non-fiction books by visiting the local library. 5 and 6 March 2024

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Staff quickly identify pupils with SEND. Plans to support their learning are clear and teachers use them well. Pupils with SEND access the full curriculum. Teachers adapt their teaching to meet these pupils’ needs. Staff receive training to provide well- planned support in lessons. Pupils who struggle to manage their behaviour are given the help they need.

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Children in the early years make a positive start to their education. The school makes sure there is a sharp focus on developing children’s communication and language. Children demonstrate well-developed social skills when playing together, for example in the mud kitchen, or petting the three chickens, Spider-Chicken, Vanessa and Gloria. Teachers use a range of activities to develop early literacy and mathematics knowledge.

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Most pupils attend well. The school has effective systems for ensuring that pupils attend school regularly and on time. The school works closely with families to improve the attendance of some pupils who are absent from school too often. This is beginning to have an impact.

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The curriculum provides many opportunities to experience the world beyond New Mills. Pupils recall museum visits, visiting outdoor activity centres and attending residential visits fondly. A wide range of sports, such as basketball, football and handball, as well as violin lessons and art clubs, develop, stretch and nurture pupils’ interests. Pupils are clear about why the school’s values are important. This helps to develop their character. Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy and safe. They learn about the importance of good mental health and healthy relationships. Pupils learn about other cultures and faiths. However, pupils do not have a good recall or understanding of British values. Pupils fundraise in the local community. They develop their leadership skills as school councillors, reading buddies and anti- bullying ambassadors .

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Governors have a good understanding of what is working well in the school and what needs to improve. They hold leaders to account. Staff say leaders consider their workload and well-being. Staff enjoy working at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the work given to pupils is not challenging enough. As a result, pupils do not develop their knowledge and skills as well as they might. The school should ensure that pupils are given work appropriate to their age as they work through the curriculum. 5 and 6 March 2024

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 Pupils do not have a secure understanding of British values, including tolerance and democracy. As a result, they are not fully prepared for life in modern Britain. The school should make sure that all pupils gain deep knowledge of British values and their distinctive place in society.

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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). 5 and 6 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Ashley Parry (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 April 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the High Peak Federation, along with Thornsett Primary School. Mr Parry is the executive headteacher for both schools.  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

 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. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with leaders, including the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo), and curriculum leaders. 5 and 6 March 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and science. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also looked at a range of plans and pupils’ workbook in other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to pupils reading to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors considered pupils’ behaviour at various times of day, including in lessons, around the school site and at lunchtime.  The lead inspector took account of the responses to the Ofsted online surveys for

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staff and parents. An inspector spoke to parents during the inspection.  The lead inspector met with the chair of governors and governors.  The lead inspector spoke with the school’s local authority school improvement adviser on the telephone.

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Inspection team

Stephen Long, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Angela Sweeting Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 March 2024

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