Newker Primary School

Inspection of Newker Primary School Waldridge Road, Chester le Street, County Durham DH2 3AA

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 7 and 8 May 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ achievements and conduct. Pupils live up to these expectations. Children in early years are keen to share what they are learning. They form good habits for learning together. Pupils, of all ages, have positive attitudes to learning and follow routines well. As a result, the school has a calm and orderly atmosphere.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lessons are purposeful. Pupils are respectful and polite. They behave well in classrooms. They appreciate the variety of breaks and lunch time activities available for them to enjoy. Pupils feel safe. They know there is support around them when they need it. Pupils are ambitious because staff foster this well. They go on to do well in the subjects they study and appreciate the help they get to achieve.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have opportunities that develop their leadership skills and broaden their cultural capital. Some are school councillors and ‘waste warriors’. Play leaders encourage their peers to be active at breaktimes and lunchtimes and peer mentors support younger pupils in their life in school. Pupils value their visits outside of school, such as to the theatre and various places of worship. They also enjoy a wide range of sporting activities, both in and beyond school.

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

The school has developed a curriculum with clear ambition for all and which meets the requirements of the national curriculum. Reading and mathematics benefit from the careful thought given to what pupils need to learn and when. This starts in the early years where the curriculum is designed to prepare children well for learning beyond Reception. Pupils achieve well across subjects and enjoy reading.

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

Teaching pupils to read is central to the curriculum. Staff have the expertise they need to teach phonics well. Children in the early years enjoy learning to read and their love of reading is evident. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know. Teachers check that pupils are on track with their reading. If pupils fall behind, they receive support to help them catch up. Pupils understand why reading is important and older pupils are exposed to a variety of books to spark their interest. Those at the early stage of learning to read quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified well and receive the support they need to access the curriculum. They enjoy learning the full range of subjects alongside their peers. Teachers have a secure understanding of what they need to deliver the curriculum. They make good use of questioning and other assessment methods. However, the school is still developing a few subject areas and assessing pupils understanding. In these subjects, the knowledge that pupils need to learn is not routinely delivered in the intended sequence. This means that some pupils have not secured their learning as well as they could have. 7 and 8 May 2025

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Staff work effectively with pupils and families to help them understand the importance of being in school and to remove barriers to this. Pupils’ attendance has improved, particularly for those who had been persistently absent. Pupils are given strategies and on-going support to help them to engage in school life.

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Children in Nursery and Reception classes listen well. They work happily together and enjoy their interactions with adults. Children are well prepared to move into Year 1. They are keen to share their achievements with others. Across the school, pupils appreciate the encouragement and rewards they receive for attendance and displaying the school values.

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Provision for pupils’ personal development is weaved through all aspects of school life. Staff thoughtfully link trips together with the taught curriculum. Pupils enjoy them and talk appreciatively of what they have gained from these. They reflect well the school’s work in relation to forming healthy relationships and staying safe online. The school has rightly focused on broadening pupils’ horizons in terms of careers in the future. However, the school’s working in supporting pupils’ understanding of equality and diversity is not strong enough.

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Governors are strongly community focused. They are positive advocates for the school. Leaders at all levels, including governors, hold an accurate understanding of its work in several areas. They maintain a strong oversight of the safeguarding and attendance of its pupils. Staff appreciate leaders focus on their well-being and the positive working environment. They receive effective training to help them to deliver the curriculum well.

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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, there is inconsistency in the delivery of the planned curriculum. Consequently, some pupils have not covered all the key knowledge the school wants them to learn. The school should ensure that all subjects are delivered in the desired sequence, and that assessment is used well to identify what needs to be done next.  Some aspects of pupils’ personal development are not implemented as well as they could be. This means that pupils are not fully benefiting from this planned learning. The school should ensure that the learning around equality and diversity is implemented effectively in all year groups. 7 and 8 May 2025

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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). 7 and 8 May 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 February 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 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 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.  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. 7 and 8 May 2025

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 During the inspection, inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, other senior and middle leaders, and the local authority representative.  Inspectors held discussions with governors, including the chair of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and science and physical education. For each of these subjects, inspectors met with subject leaders, carried out visits to lessons, spoke to pupils and looked at some of their work.  Inspectors also visited the early years provision at various points during the inspection.  Inspectors, with leaders, reviewed the extra-curricular activities.  Inspectors met with members of staff and spoke to parents and carers and groups of pupils as part of the inspection.  Inspectors met with leaders in relation to the school’s approach to geography. They reviewed a range of pupils’ work including the school’s approach to English and history.

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 Inspectors looked at records and spoke to staff in relation to behaviour, bullying, attendance and safeguarding.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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.

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Inspection team

Richard Wakefield, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Simon Ward Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 May 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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