Newton Leys Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Newton Leys Primary School San Andres Drive, Newton Leys, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK3 5GG

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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Outcome

Newton Leys Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Newton Leys. They enjoy attending this friendly and nurturing school. There are caring and respectful relationships between pupils and staff. Pupils feel confident to speak with adults if they have any concerns or worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for the achievement of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils respond positively to these expectations and achieve well. In lessons, pupils are engaged, settle quickly to tasks and work collaboratively. Right from the early years, pupils are inquisitive learners. Teachers present learning in ways that inspire pupils’ curiosity and love of learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and work hard. Routines that promote positive behaviour begin in the early years and are well established throughout the school. Displays in the classrooms and around the school celebrate pupils’ learning across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to take on leadership roles through responsibilities such as being school councillors, well-being ambassadors and sports captains. These provide pupils with opportunities to contribute to decision-making processes. The school successfully supports pupils to become well-rounded individuals and respectful citizens. The school provides pupils with a range of clubs, sports and arts opportunities that help them to develop their talents and interests.

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

The school provides an engaging and well-sequenced curriculum that is broad and balanced. It regularly reviews the curriculum to ensure it meets pupils’ needs. Children get off to a strong start when they join the early years, and this continues throughout the 10 and 11 December 2024

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school. They flourish due to the strong support, clear boundaries and caring environment that the school provides. Children focus their attention for long periods of time to complete tasks successfully. The school has carefully identified the key knowledge pupils should learn over time in most curriculum subjects. In a few subjects in the wider curriculum, this knowledge is less well defined. This makes it difficult for teachers to emphasise this important knowledge when they design learning activities and check what pupils have learned.

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Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They explain new learning clearly and confidently. Teachers use subject-specific language that develops pupils’ vocabulary. Teachers skilfully check pupils’ understanding to clarify misconceptions or deepen their thinking. For example, ‘flashbacks’ help pupils to remember past learning and connect it to new content. Staff select learning activities carefully to support pupils in building their knowledge.

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The school acts swiftly to identify pupils’ needs accurately, including those with SEND. Pupils with SEND access the same learning in lessons as their classmates because of the carefully adapted teaching. This support helps pupils to grow in self-confidence and resilience when learning becomes more challenging. Pupils progress through the curriculum well.

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Throughout the early years, the school prepares pupils well for later learning. Children benefit from meaningful opportunities to investigate numbers and to develop early reading and writing skills. Reading is a high priority in the school. Children in the early years are supported well in developing their understanding of sounds in preparation for learning words. The school has a consistent and effective approach to the teaching of phonics. Any pupils who fall behind in their reading receive support quickly to help them catch up. Pupils have access to carefully selected texts to help them develop a love of reading and become fluent readers. The curriculum supports pupils successfully in sequencing their writing and developing their use of vocabulary.

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Pupils behave well and are keen to learn. They are respectful to each other and to adults. Pupils’ movement around the school is considerate and orderly. Classrooms are calm places where pupils concentrate and learn. At playtimes, pupils play well with each other and enjoy the range of activities on offer, including playing chess, reading and physical activities.

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The personal development programme supports pupils effectively beyond their academic learning. Pupils learn about diversity, equality and tolerance. They learn about reducing risk in different situations, such as when around water, when online and with regard to road safety. Pupils develop an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. They raise money for charities and make donations to a local food bank, which encourages them to think about the needs of others. There are opportunities for pupils to participate in trips and residential visits. They benefit from visits from people within the community. This helps strengthen their understanding of the world beyond the classroom. 10 and 11 December 2024

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Governors are well informed about the school’s work. They hold the school to account effectively for the quality of education that pupils experience. Staff value the opportunities for professional training that enhance and develop their expertise, for example in the teaching of reading.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the important knowledge that the school wants pupils to learn is not identified clearly enough. This makes it more difficult for pupils to build a secure body of subject knowledge over time. The school should ensure that staff are clear about the important content that pupils should know so that they can emphasise this during lessons activities and checks on pupils’ learning.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2019. 10 and 11 December 2024

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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.

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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). 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 June 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, there has been a change in headteacher. The headteacher joined the school in April 2021.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school clubs.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the assistant headteachers, staff and pupils.  The inspector met with a representative from the local authority. 10 and 11 December 2024

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 The inspector met with a range of pupils to discuss their views about the school and talked to pupils during playtimes and in lessons.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey for parents, including the free- text comments, were considered. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.  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.

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Inspection team

Darren Aisthorpe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 December 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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