Newport Community School Primary Academy

Inspection of Newport Community School Primary Academy Landkey Road, Newport, Barnstaple, Devon EX32 9BW

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

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The headteacher of this school is Laura Kies. This school is part of the Tarka Learning Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Richard Light, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Graham Cockell.

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since February 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 11 and 12 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), flourish emotionally and academically in this successful school. Children make a wonderful start in the early years, where the school’s high expectations begin. As they move through the school, pupils consistently meet these expectations so that, by the end of key stage 2, they achieve very well, especially in English and mathematics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy, safe and proud to be part of this school. The school’s rules encourage them to be respectful, safe and ready to learn. Strong relationships exist between adults and pupils. Staff care about pupils and help them to succeed. Pupils know that their teachers will deal swiftly with any issues that arise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils look forward to the trips and visits that take place in every year group. A wide range of clubs like basketball, cycling and tag rugby help them to learn vital teamwork skills. Pupils enjoy learning to play musical instruments, singing and taking part in sporting competitions. Guest speakers from the police and a local magistrate help pupils learn about their community and the law.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many parents and carers appreciate the dedication and kindness staff show their children.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that begins in the early years. In most subjects, the school has identified the knowledge and skills that pupils should learn and the order in which these should be acquired. In the early years, children use mathematical vocabulary when learning about one more and one less. Older pupils build on this. They practise multiplication strategies regularly, which impacts positively on their times tables recall.

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

However, in key stage 1 and 2, the school is refining the curriculum in small minority of subjects to identify the most important knowledge that it wants pupils to know and remember. Sometimes, the tasks and activities which pupils complete do not match the intended learning. This means, at times, pupils’ learning does not build as securely as it could.

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

Children get off to a flying start in the Nursery and Reception Years. They quickly settle into established routines in a safe, purposeful environment. They show impressive, sustained concentration when learning independently. For example, children work cooperatively to set up challenging obstacle courses and they take turns without adult support. Children are exceptionally well prepared for their learning in Year 1.

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

In core subjects at key stage 1 and 2, such as mathematics and English, staff check how well pupils learn the curriculum. This helps pupils to achieve consistently well. However, in a minority of wider curriculum subjects, the checks that the school makes do not give staff enough information about what pupils know and can do. This hinders staff in ensuring that pupils remember the important knowledge identified in the curriculum. This 11 and 12 March 2025

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means that some pupils do not have the same depth of knowledge as they do in more established subjects.

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Well-trained staff teach the letters and sounds that children need so that they can begin to learn to read. The phonics books that pupils read match the sounds that they know. The school provides effective and timely support for any pupils who fall behind. Staff encourage a love of reading throughout the school. Pupils enjoy visiting the well-stocked library to select books. A carefully considered ‘reading spine’ exposes pupils to a breadth of genres and authors. Pupils also learn about a range of social and moral issues through books chosen for their diversity.

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The provision for pupils with SEND is a strength. A clear system is in place to accurately identify and meet the additional needs of pupils. In the specialist resourced provision known as the ‘Communication and Interaction Resource Base’ and the school-led ‘Nest’ and the ‘Den’, staff provide highly effective support. They adapt the curriculum carefully, so pupils receive bespoke interventions to meet their complex needs.

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The school promotes positive attendance through communication and relationships with families. It identifies quickly any pupils who are at risk of poor attendance and provides effective support.

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The school has established a well-thought-out programme to support pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn about discrimination and the importance of respecting differences between people. They understand the effect of physical exercise on their bodies and learn how to look after their own mental health. This enables pupils to speak about their feelings and emotions. Older pupils take on a range of responsibilities, including school librarians, house captains and play leaders. Residential trips develop pupils’ independence and confidence. Pupils develop a secure understanding of life in modern Britain. For example, they go to London where they visit well-known landmarks.

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The trust and those responsible for governance know the school well. They challenge and hold school leaders to account for the quality of education that pupils receive. Staff feel valued and appreciate the school’s actions to reduce their workload, such as changes to the marking policy.

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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 where the school is refining the curriculum, the tasks and activities given to pupils do not closely match the intended learning. This means that, at times, pupils do not build their knowledge as securely as they could. The trust and school 11 and 12 March 2025

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need to identify the knowledge they want pupils to learn and then ensure that staff implement the curriculum effectively.  Systems for checking what pupils know and understand are not well established in some of the wider curriculum subjects. Where this is the case, some pupils do not secure the essential knowledge the curriculum outlines. The school and trust must ensure that teachers check pupils’ learning closely in each subject and use this information to inform what comes next.

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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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 February 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Tarka Learning Partnership.  Several leadership changes have occurred since the previous inspection. The current headteacher took up her post in September 2022.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with complex needs. There are 10 places in this provision.  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. 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 11 and 12 March 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, school staff, parents and pupils. The lead inspector had a telephone call with the CEO of the trust, the chair of the trust board and the chair of the school community board. The lead inspector held a telephone call with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and geography. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also met with

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curriculum leaders and looked at pupils’ work in other subjects.  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 observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at lunchtime. In addition, inspectors met with pupils to hear their views.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Gavin Summerfield, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Bray Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 2025

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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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