Newcomen Primary School

Inspection of Newcomen Primary School Trent Road, Redcar, North Yorkshire TS10 1NL

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding 19 and 20 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Newcomen Primary School aims for pupils to ‘believe, achieve and succeed’. The school is very successful in realising its ambitious vision. Pupils work extremely hard to rise to the high expectations that staff have of them. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve exceptionally well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a harmonious and productive setting for pupils to learn and develop. Teachers are supportive and relentless in ensuring pupils achieve their full potential. They create a safe and nurturing environment for pupils. From the early years, pupils learn that making mistakes ‘helps their brains to grow’. This helps to develop pupils’ resilience. Pupils are happy. In lessons, they are keen to contribute. Pupils’ conduct is impressive, and they are deeply respectful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are empowered. The school is very successful at developing pupils’ vocabulary and communication, including in the early years. As a result, pupils can express themselves confidently. Pupils are proud of the important contributions they make to their school and local community. They take on responsibilities in school, such as ‘sports leaders’ and as members of the school council with enthusiasm.

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What is it like to attend this school?

As many parents and carers told inspectors, pupils thrive at this school.

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

The school’s ambitious curriculum is structured carefully so that pupils develop secure knowledge in clearly defined and manageable steps. This ensures that pupils have solid foundations for future learning. Pupils achieve exceptionally well in national tests. They leave the school well prepared for secondary school.

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

The curriculum is delivered very effectively. Teachers regularly revisit previous learning, and they provide pupils with opportunities to practise and apply what they have been taught. This helps pupils to embed their understanding. The school’s rigorous checks on what pupils know and can do ensures that teachers quickly identify and address gaps in learning. In the early years, learning activities are carefully tailored to ensure that they meet children’s needs.

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

The school is passionate that pupils become fluent and confident readers. This work starts in Nursery, where children benefit from a language-rich environment. For example, daily ‘rhyme time’ gives children the opportunity to enjoy reciting a range of nursery rhymes before they talk about them with adults. The school’s sharp focus on teaching phonics is consistent and effective. Its wider approaches to developing pupils’ comprehension, fluency and expression is impressive. Precise support is put in place for pupils who need it. The books pupils read give them the opportunity to explore different cultures and ways of life. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the books they are reading and the different genres they enjoy. 19 and 20 November 2024

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The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND well. This ensures that pupils with SEND receive precisely planned support, that their needs are well met, and that they achieve well.

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Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable. All pupils, including in the early years, follow school routines very well. In the early years, children socialise well together, and they sustain high levels of concentration. Pupils support each other in lessons, and they know that they can use the ‘buddy benches’ at playtime if they want to make new friends. Pupils have very positive attitudes to school and leaders track attendance closely, supporting families effectively if they need it. As a result, rates of attendance are high.

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The school has planned a rich set of experiences to support pupils’ personal development and sense of belonging. The school community came together to develop the ‘courtesy code of conduct’. Pupils have contributed to the development of outdoor play resources. Works of art on display around school represent its strong, moral values. Pupils are respectful of different ways of life, and they develop their understanding of the wider world through trips and visits. For example, pupils visit different places of worship to learn about different faiths. The school provides pupils with a range of enterprise opportunities so that they understand what it means to be an active citizen, by supporting different charities. Pupils are taught to keep themselves physically and mentally well. This includes in the early years, when children are taught about dental hygiene and encouraged to talk about their emotions in ‘circle time’.

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Leaders are committed to the development of staff. This has helped the school to sustain high standards over time. The school prioritises the well-being of staff. Staff are very proud to work here. Morale is high. Governors are highly skilled and proactive in their roles. For example, they have received training in phonics so they can understand more about how to support and challenge the school in this area. Governors have a thorough understanding of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 19 and 20 November 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). 19 and 20 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 May 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school runs its own breakfast club.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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. During the inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders responsible for the quality of 19 and 20 November 2024

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education, behaviour and attendance, pupils’ personal development, SEND and the early years and foundation stage.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. Inspectors reviewed documentation relating to governance, including minutes from governor meetings.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science, music and history. 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.  An inspector also met with subject leaders in art and design.  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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils formally during the inspection and spoke with them at social times and in lessons.  Inspectors met with groups of staff formally during the inspection and spoke with them throughout the inspection. Inspectors also considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.  The lead inspector took account of responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey, including the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Dan McKeating, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sue Richardson Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 November 2024

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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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