Newtown Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Newtown Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Queen’s Road, Gosport, Hampshire PO12 1JD

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Outcome

Newtown Church of England Voluntary Controlled 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?

This is a welcoming and inclusive school, where the values of love, courage and friendship are carefully woven through the curriculum. These values are lived out by staff and pupils alike. This helps to create a nurturing environment, where pupils develop a deep sense of belonging. There is a strong culture of tolerance. Diversity is meaningfully celebrated throughout the school. This is recognised by pupils who state that everyone is welcome here and will be given any help they need.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for behaviour and pupils generally rise to meet these. As a result, there is a calm and purposeful atmosphere where pupils feel safe. The school has listened to pupils’ ideas to extend the activities on offer during social times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk enthusiastically about what they have learned. They are keen to discuss how staff help them to remember the most important information and how they get better in different subjects. Generally, pupils’ achievement is in line with their peers nationally. However, the school knows that pupils did not achieve as well as they should have in reading last year and have taken swift action to address this.

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

The school has a well-sequenced curriculum, which identifies the important information pupils need to know. Staff have strong subject knowledge and during lessons they ensure that pupils understand the most important facts. Teachers expertly use the school’s agreed approaches when introducing content. This helps pupils to remember what they have learned. Pupils are able to explain why this is important and make links to their prior 29 and 30 April 2025

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learning. The school has ensured that staff are alert to any pupils who need more help. Staff have a strong understanding of the needs of pupils and how best to support them. This means that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn well alongside their peers.

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Reading is given the highest priority. The school is resolute in its determination to provide a high-quality education for pupils. Staff know that pupils must be able to read to access the curriculum and future learning. There is a consistent approach to the teaching of early reading. This begins in the early years, where strong routines for future learning are developed. Pupils who are at risk of falling behind are swiftly provided with additional support to help them keep up. The school fosters a love of reading. Pupils eagerly discuss what they have read and share book recommendations. This year the school has refined the reading curriculum further, so pupils now have more time to build their fluency in reading. However, sometimes the tasks that pupils complete in reading lessons do not give them enough opportunity to apply their reading skills.

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Warm relationships are developed from the early years. Children learn the routines of school life and are well supported to meet the school’s expectations for behaviour. There is a sharp focus on understanding pupils’ individual needs throughout the school and adapting the provision to meet these. This includes offering a lunchtime club for pupils who find lunchtimes challenging to navigate as well as providing pastoral support for those who need it. Pupils talk passionately about adults in school, who they can talk to if they have any worries. They are confident that any issues will be quickly resolved. As a result of the school’s work, there is a positive and productive environment, which helps pupils to learn.

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The school provides high-quality pastoral support to pupils and their families. Staff have a strong awareness of the barriers that prevent some pupils from attending school regularly. They work effectively with parents and carers to help overcome any challenges so their children’s attendance improves.

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Leaders are highly ambitious and aspirational for pupils. They ensure that the school broadens pupils’ horizons through the curriculum as well as through a range of trips and visitors to school. Older pupils are well supported in preparation for transition to secondary school. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of relationships. They talk about asking permission to enter someone’s personal space and know why this matters. The school works closely with the local community to extend the extra-curricular offer for pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 29 and 30 April 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to practise and apply their reading skills. This means that some pupils do not always learn as deeply as they could. The school should ensure that they further embed the refined approach to the teaching of reading, so that pupils develop a secure understanding of texts and key vocabulary.

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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/outstanding 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 December 2019.

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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. 29 and 30 April 2025

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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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 to 20 November and 17 to 18 December 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act

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Information about this school

 The structure of the school’s senior leadership team has changed since the last inspection.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school is part of the Diocese of Portsmouth. The last inspection of the school’s religious character was in in May 2019.

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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 leaders and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the school. 29 and 30 April 2025

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 The inspector met with the headteacher and extended leadership team, including leaders responsible for SEND, pastoral development and safeguarding.  The inspector met with four governors, including the chair of the governing body.  The inspector visited a range of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and reviewed a sample of books.  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 considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff and spoke to a range of staff and pupils about their views of the school. The inspector also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View and the free- text responses.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including the school development

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Inspection team

Sara Staggs, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 29 and 30 April 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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