Newington Green Primary School

Inspection of Newington Green Primary School Matthias Road, Newington Green, London N16 8NP

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 16 and 17 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud to be a part of what they describe as a ‘second family’. This is a happy, safe and inclusive community where everyone is valued. Pupils get on well with each other. Right from the start of the two-year-old provision, children settle in and build strong, trusting relationships with staff. Pupils behave brilliantly, and their attendance is high. They particularly enjoy breaktimes, where well-trained staff and pupils help everyone to join in with new games. Bullying is rare. Pupils know who to speak with if they have any concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff make sure that each pupil has whatever it takes to achieve highly. Pupils rise to the high expectations set for them. They show impeccable attitudes to learning and work hard. Pupils’ efforts, together with the excellent quality of education they receive, ensure that they do really well in all subjects. They are exceptionally well prepared for the next steps in their education, including the move to secondary school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

As well as excelling academically, pupils benefit from all the other opportunities the school has to offer. The school’s ‘social skills curriculum’ is a notable example of this. As pupils move through the school, they develop their confidence and self-esteem. They respond exceptionally well to a wide range of experiences that help them to become increasingly independent in everyday life. For example, pupils in Year 2 learn how to wash and dry up after lunch. Pupils in Year 6 get the chance to plan and cook a healthy meal on a tight budget. Leaders’ work to develop the school food offer has made a positive difference to pupils’ knowledge of healthy eating. It contributes well to their learning.

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better?

Everyone who works at Newington Green ensures that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from a great education that prepares them exceptionally well for their future lives. Pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 is significantly above average.

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better?

The ambitious curriculum is broad, rich and exciting. Pupils have well-planned opportunities to recap what they have been taught previously. This helps them to build deep knowledge in each subject as they move through the school. For example, in physical education (PE), pupils’ knowledge of throwing, catching, ball skills and tactics builds step by step. When it comes to applying these skills to games such as netball, pupils are more than capable of achieving success.

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better?

Leaders, including governors, have the full support of the staff team. The school invests significantly in staff development, including the school’s programme for helping staff gain the qualifications and expertise to advance their careers. Staff receive a variety of professional development opportunities. These have a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Staff demonstrate exceptional subject knowledge. They deliver the curriculum with consistency and rigour. Nothing is left to chance. Staff 16 and 17 July 2024

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know precisely what pupils need to learn and when. They identify pupils’ learning needs well, including those with SEND, and make sure that any gaps in pupils’ learning are identified and addressed quickly. Staff feel very well supported by leaders and by the excellent team ethos in the school.

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Staff use their expertise to promote children’s language and communication skills in the early years. This prepares children well for their future English lessons, including the school’s phonics programme. Reading is a high priority. Pupils enjoy earning book tokens for reading frequently. They particularly like the opportunity to use the reading book vending machine. Pupils, including those who need extra help to keep up with their peers, build fluency in phonics. The school ensures that pupils develop a love of reading and become confident readers and writers.

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Pupils benefit enormously from the specialist facilities and teaching. For example, in computing, pupils become increasingly independent in their use of different coding programs. Pupils in Year 6 explained how they used technology for real-life situations, including collecting data to capture the goals scored at the recent European football championship.

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The personal development curriculum helps to build pupils’ awareness of a range of themes. For example, children in early years enjoy learning about people who help them, such as doctors and firefighters. Pupils in Year 1 build on this when they look at medicines that help them to stay well. In an age-appropriate way, pupils in Years 3 to 6 move on to learn about the social and physical effects of drugs and alcohol. Pupils understand the importance of respect and kindness. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 discussed why homophobia is unacceptable. They showed empathy when reflecting on how such actions make people feel.

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The school’s focus on speaking and listening has been highly effective in helping pupils to articulate their thoughts and to converse with others. They build an understanding of different facts and opinions. For example, pupils in Year 5 used their knowledge of parliament and laws remarkably well to debate questions about this country’s benefits system.

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Pupils get the chance to take part in a variety of visits and clubs that broaden their horizons. From the much-loved breakfast club each day to the Year 6 residential, there is always something going on at Newington Green. Staff make sure that the school’s motto is fulfilled. This involves every pupil taking part in a list of 36 special activities, such as canoeing, opera and ballet. Pupils take their jobs seriously. The digital leaders, for example, are quick to come to the rescue when teachers have technology issues in lessons. Play leaders help at lunchtime by encouraging younger children to eat nicely and by organising games with the staff.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 16 and 17 July 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). 16 and 17 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Mairead McDonnell (Head of School) Abi Misselbrook-Lovejoy (Executive Headteacher) Website www.newingtongreen.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 February 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 This school is part of a federation with Rotherfield Primary School which is also located in Islington.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The school has provision for two-year-old children.

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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 any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, head of school and deputy headteacher. The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body 16 and 17 July 2024

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and the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and PE. 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. Inspectors also looked at other curriculum subjects, including computing, Spanish, history and geography.  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.  Inspectors joined pupils at breaktimes and in the dining room. They observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the day. The lead inspector visited the school’s breakfast club. Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the school day.

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 Inspectors held meetings with groups of pupils and staff. They took into account the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Gary Rawlings, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Aliki Constantopoulou His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lisa Smith His Majesty’s Inspector 16 and 17 July 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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