Nathaniel Newton Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Nathaniel Newton Infant School Victoria Road, Hartshill, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV10 0LS

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Outcome

Nathaniel Newton Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming, inclusive school at the heart of its community. Pupils love coming here because they feel safe and happy. They have trusting relationships with caring staff and know that they can talk to an adult if anything is worrying them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school expects pupils to work hard and behave well. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), meet these expectations. Pupils understand the ‘school manners’ of be kind, be fair, be safe. They are respectful, behaving well in lessons and around the school. Pupils take turns to be well-being buddies who check that everyone is happy and has someone to play with on the playground.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are friendly. They like working together, either as partners completing mathematical activities, as a class working to collect class stars, or as the whole school when they sing enthusiastically in singing assembly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a variety of activities to enrich the curriculum. Visits help to broaden pupils’ experience and build their confidence. For example, pupils visit a castle where history learning comes to life, or they find out about animals at a farm. Pupils can attend clubs, including basketball, multi-sports, and sewing to develop their interests.

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

The school has designed a broad and ambitious curriculum which identifies the important knowledge pupils need to learn. Staff select interesting activities that help all pupils understand what is being taught. Teachers skilfully adapt the learning so that pupils with SEND can learn alongside their peers. From the early years, children are engaged and excited by their learning. Staff in Reception focus on developing the children’s language and vocabulary from the start.

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

The school ensures that all staff receive purposeful training. Teachers have good subject knowledge and they present subject matter clearly. Staff identify pupils’ misconceptions in 11 and 12 June 2024

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the lessons. This means they can provide clear, immediate feedback. As a result, pupils develop the knowledge they need to successfully progress through the curriculum.

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The school has effective systems for checking what pupils remember and understand in the core subjects. This means teachers and leaders know how well pupils are learning. However, in some foundation subjects the school is still developing its approach to assessment. As a result, gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not always identified and addressed in all subjects.

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The school has recently successfully introduced a new phonics scheme. Staff are well trained and deliver the programme consistently. They identify pupils who need additional support quickly and provide extra opportunities for them to catch up. The books pupils read are well matched to the sounds they know. Pupils love reading at Nathaniel Newton. The ‘Library cafe’ is popular with pupils and families. The library champions enjoy issuing books and helping to run this weekly event.

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Pupils talk enthusiastically about their learning and are proud of their work. However, staff do not consistently address errors with handwriting in all books. Some pupils are not learning how to form letters and numbers accurately and mistakes become embedded. As a result, they cannot express their thoughts and share answers efficiently when writing. This hinders some pupils in becoming fluent writers.

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All pupils benefit from the nurture and care provided by staff. Pupils are encouraged to talk about their feelings. As a result, they understand that keeping healthy includes looking after their minds as well as their bodies. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. For example, they know that to be a good friend you have to be kind. Pupils are accepting of others and they celebrate difference. They are curious to learn about the wider world and try new things. They have regular opportunities to try new activities in the half-termly ‘Fun Friday’ afternoons. The pupils choose from a list of activities such as pond dipping and cooking to expand their experiences.

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The support that pupils with SEND receive is a strength of the school. Well trained staff provide a wide range of thoughtfully considered interventions. Leaders check that these are making a difference and working well. This ensures that these pupils reach their potential and are fully included in school life. Some pupils benefit from expert support to manage their emotions and develop skills for learning in ‘The Den’. Pupils who need help to develop their speech and language are able to work with a full-time specialist in the school.

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The school has worked hard to successfully improve pupils’ attendance. Leaders analyse and track absence thoroughly. They work with families and use a range of effective strategies which has reduced the number of pupils who are persistently absent.

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The staff are a united team with the best interests of the children at the heart of all they do. They are proud to work at this well led school where leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being. Governors are committed to the school. The support and 11 and 12 June 2024

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challenge that they provide help leaders to continue improving the quality of education for all pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment systems in some foundation subjects are underdeveloped. Teachers and leaders do not have a clear understanding of the gaps in pupils’ knowledge or how well they are achieving in these subjects. The school should ensure that assessment systems are refined, in a way that does not contribute to workload, so that teachers can check what pupils know and address any gaps.  The school does not have consistently applied expectations for handwriting including letter and number formation in pupils’ work. Some pupils struggle to form letters and numbers correctly and as a result are unable to write fluently, hindering the development of their wider writing skills. The school should establish clear expectations and processes for teaching and applying handwriting, including with numbers, so that pupils can write fluently.

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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 November 2014.

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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. 11 and 12 June 2024

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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). 11 and 12 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 February 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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 inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 11 and 12 June 2024

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 The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, curriculum leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. She met representatives of the governing body and spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans, records of governance, and records relating to attendance and pupils’ behaviour.  The inspector took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the staff survey. The inspector met with groups of pupils both formally and during less structured parts of the day.

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Inspection team

Corinne Biddell, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 June 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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