Horwood and Newton Tracey Community Primary School

Inspection of Horwood and Newton Tracey Community Primary School Lovacott, Barnstaple, Devon EX31 3PU

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The head of school is Janine Cook. This school is part of Team Multi-Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Ian Thomas, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Philippa Sue Wells.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Horwood and Newton Tracey Community Primary School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Horwood and Newton Tracey Community Primary School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as an academy. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 29 and 30 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and want to learn. They are polite, courteous and treat each other with respect. This starts in the early years where children learn to share and take turns. The school works effectively to ensure that pupils attend regularly so that they do not miss out on important learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Since the school has joined the trust, leaders at all levels are determined to ensure that pupils benefit from an ambitious curriculum. This work has made a positive difference to the quality of education that the pupils receive as well as promoting a consistent approach to the high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and conduct. Pupils live up to these and typically learn the curriculum well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is at the heart of the community. Pupils are given opportunities to come together to share celebrations alongside parents and carers. Pupils want to make a difference. For example, they serve food to elderly residents in the local village hall. Pupils are supported to be active and responsible citizens through their pupil leadership roles. For example, pupils are currently raising money through their ‘tuck shop’ for a sensory memorial garden for their school.

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

The school has rightly focused on the design and implementation of the curriculum. Across subjects, it has identified the knowledge pupils need to learn, starting in the early years. The school has carefully considered how pupils in mixed-age classes build their knowledge in a logical order. This ensures that staff are clear what to teach and when.

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

Where subjects are further developed, pupils can recall their knowledge with ease. For example, pupils are clear about how the techniques of drawing develop over time in art and design while recalling artists they have studied to deepen their understanding. In lessons, teachers model new learning clearly and use questioning to help pupils to make links with prior learning. Pupils are given time to recall their previous learning to help secure this into their long-term memory. These teaching strategies help pupils to learn the curriculum well.

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

In some subjects, changes in the curriculum design mean there has not been enough time for these to fully embed. Staff are not clear about some pupils’ gaps in knowledge from the previous curriculum. As a result, future learning does not always build on what pupils know and remember and so they find this more challenging. The checks made on how well pupils are learning the curriculum are underdeveloped. Some pupils make repeated errors in their work that go unaddressed. This leads to pupils embedding misconceptions and so it is harder for them to build their knowledge securely.

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

The school prioritises helping pupils to become confident and fluent readers. Pupils are given time to practise with books that match the sounds they know. The school identifies and supports pupils who may need more help to learn to read. The school promotes a love of reading. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their favourite books and authors. They 29 and 30 April 2025

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value the praise they gain for reading often and look forward to the opportunity of taking the ‘reading basket’ home.

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The school has a process to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It is strengthening the use of learning plans to help these pupils benefit from more precise support. This is making a difference; however, this work is in its early stages. Some learning plans lack precision and do not focus on some of these pupils’ most significant area of need, particularly in relation to cognition and learning. As a result, these pupils take part in learning that is too challenging for them and so this stalls their progress through the curriculum.

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The school has strengthened the expertise of staff to promote consistency in the application of the school’s behaviour policy. Pupils show positive attitudes to their learning. There are clear routines to follow. This starts in the early years where children know how to listen well.

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The school’s promotion of pupils’ wider development is a strength. There are a range of experiences and opportunities that enhance the curriculum. For example, pupils value trips to deepen their learning, such as a visit to Bristol to learn about slavery as part of their history unit.

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Staff are proud to work at the school and value the support they gain to teach the curriculum. Together with the trust, the school is determined for pupils to be successful at this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Due to historical weaknesses in the curriculum design and implementation, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. As a result, they find remembering their learning more challenging and harder to build their knowledge based on what they already know. The trust should strengthen the subject knowledge of staff so that gaps in knowledge are addressed to help pupils to learn the curriculum securely.  The checks the school makes on how well pupils are learning the curriculum are underdeveloped. As a result, some pupils make repeated errors in their work that go unaddressed. The trust should support staff in being clear about the knowledge pupils must secure and by when, to enable pupils to build their knowledge securely based on what they know and remember.  Some pupils with SEND do not benefit from adaptations to the curriculum that meet their needs well enough. This means some of these pupils do not build their knowledge

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

securely. The trust must ensure that learning plans are precise in supporting pupils’ 29 and 30 April 2025

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most significant areas of need to ensure they receive the appropriate support to progress well through the curriculum.

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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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Headteacher Janine Cook (Head of school)

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Team Multi-Academy Trust.  The head of school took up their post in September 2024.  This school is a smaller than average-sized primary school. Pupils are taught in four mixed-age classes.  The school provides a before-school club.  The school does not currently make use of 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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 29 and 30 April 2025

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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 spoke with school leaders, parents, those responsible for governance including the chair of the trust and trust leaders including the CEO.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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 lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, and spoke to some parents. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Esther Best, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Ryder Ofsted 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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