Northgate Primary School

Northgate Primary School

Address: Green Lane, Northgate, Crawley, West Sussex, RH10 8DX Unique reference number (URN): 133973

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

The school has worked very successfully to identify barriers to attendance. Leaders exercise secure strategic oversight of attendance and act with clarity and purpose to address a range of barriers. They use precise analysis of whole ‑ school and group ‑ level patterns to implement targeted actions, including early intervention for pupils at risk of persistent absence. These actions have led to demonstrable improvement. Overall attendance is now close to national figures, and persistent absence, which was previously significantly above national figures, has reduced substantially. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged are now attending more frequently.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have developed a new approach to behaviour that means all staff uphold high expectations, underpinned by compassionate and nurturing relationships. Pupils behave well and show positive attitudes to learning. They are polite, respectful and welcoming, following well-established routines across the school. Pupils are not worried about poor behaviour, bullying or discrimination. Pupils know that concerns will be taken seriously and dealt with promptly. Pastoral support helps pupils to manage their emotions and make improvements to their behaviour. The school uses inclusive approaches to attendance and behaviour and makes appropriate adjustments for pupils with SEND when needed. As a result, pupils feel safe, valued and included.

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Early years Expected standard

Children in Nursery and Reception Years make a safe, happy and confident start to school life. Leadership of the early years is purposeful and ensures that staff create caring, nurturing environments where children feel secure, valued and ready to learn. Leaders maintain a clear vision for an ambitious, language ‑ rich curriculum that promotes exploration, independence and early success. Teaching is warm, responsive and rooted in strong relationships. Adults model high ‑ quality vocabulary, support children’s interactions and promote curiosity through appropriate activities. Children demonstrate positive learning behaviours and engage confidently with provision. Their wellbeing and welfare are prioritised through consistent routines, attentive care and a culture where every child is known well.

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Early years Expected standard

Inclusive practice is very effective. Staff identify needs accurately and adapt provision so that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities access learning successfully. Children show happy social development and a clear sense of belonging. Most children achieve well and make secure progress from their starting points. However, in line with the rest of the school, leaders recognise that the precise teaching of foundational skills in reading, writing and mathematics must be sharpened. Strengthening this aspect will ensure that children acquire essential knowledge to be more strongly prepared for Year 1.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are thriving at this school. Leaders ensure that staff adapt learning so all pupils can access the curriculum. Staff use a range of strategies to help pupils to overcome barriers. Pupils who are disadvantaged and those who speak English as an additional language get their chance to shine. In 'The Orchard', for pupils who are deaf, pupils access learning with impressive confidence and success. Skilled staff use Sign Supported English and British Sign Language to help pupils with their reading, writing, mathematics and wider skills. Pupils flourish in the nurture class, where pastoral support helps them to manage their feelings and make progress with their bespoke learning approaches.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have established robust systems for identifying, assessing and meeting needs, reducing barriers and supporting disadvantaged pupils. They evaluate the impact of pupil premium funding carefully. Leaders ensure that staff implement support effectively through training and monitoring. The school also benefits from effective partnerships with speech and language therapists, educational psychologists, specialist advisers and autism support services. As a result, pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged enjoy tailored support that enables them to participate fully in the curriculum and wider school life.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are dedicated, compassionate and ambitious for all. They have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities. Leaders analyse information carefully and act in the best interests of pupils, identifying improvement actions that align with whole ‑ school priorities. Their work has secured tangible gains in behaviour, attendance and aspects of teaching. As a result, this is a happy and thriving school with pupils' best interests at the heart of every decision. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged are flourishing. However, leaders recognise that sharpening the precise teaching of foundational skills in reading, writing and mathematics remains essential to raising achievement further. Their successful work to boost attendance must also continue, to ensure that pupils attend even better.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governance is effective and purposeful. Governors meet their statutory duties with diligence and demonstrate a secure understanding of the school’s context, community and inclusive ethos. Their visits provide informed support and challenge, and they maintain a strong focus on improving attendance and achievement. Staff wellbeing and workload are positive. Early career teachers benefit from protected development time and mentoring. Staff across the school benefit from professional learning to strengthen practice. Engagement with parents, professionals and the wider community is very positive. Leaders work constructively with external agencies and stakeholders, ensuring that partnerships contribute meaningfully to pupils’ experiences and outcomes. Parents speak highly of the school's caring ethos, support for pupils and the accessibility and ambition of leaders and staff.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that a suitable programme of personal development reflects the school’s context and pupils’ needs. The programme enables pupils to develop their understanding of wellbeing, relationships, risks and how to make positive choices. Pupils increasingly recognise their own needs and know how to seek support. The extensive pastoral provision supports pupils and their families effectively.

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Needs attention

Leaders place a strong emphasis on inclusion, participation and belonging. Pupils benefit from a wide range of artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities. Leaders identify barriers to participation and take action to address them. Leaders have established a broad and inclusive offer. They strive to identify underrepresented groups and take effective action to improve participation. As a result, pupils benefit from a well-rounded programme that supports their wellbeing, confidence, leadership and preparation for life beyond school. For example, the school identified that disadvantaged girls were underrepresented in clubs and introduced art and dance activities at times that do not conflict with other commitments, such as religious observations. Deaf and disadvantaged pupils access targeted workshops with Glyndebourne Opera to enrich their cultural experience. These actions enable a wider range

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Needs attention

of pupils to participate successfully in enrichment activities.

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Needs attention

Pupils have meaningful opportunities to develop leadership and contribute to school life. Wellbeing leaders produce newsletters, pupil interpreters support children who speak other languages and reading ambassadors read with younger pupils. Other pupils enjoy purposeful responsibilities such as digital, eco and school council ambassadors. These opportunities develop pupils’ confidence, responsibility and sense of belonging. The school actively promotes respect, empathy and understanding through its Northgate values. Leaders have engaged with a local anti-racism project to promote equality and challenge risks of prejudicial language or behaviour. As a result, this is a happy and harmonious community that embraces difference and prepares pupils well for the modern world.

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Achievement Needs attention

Achievement needs attention because teaching does not secure strong enough foundational knowledge for all pupils. Gaps that emerge in key stage 1 are not consistently identified or addressed, and pupils are not routinely given the practice they need to strengthen early reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, achievement by the end of Year 6 remains significantly below national figures, despite improvements.

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Achievement Needs attention

Some pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those without published data, overcome barriers and make pleasing progress from challenging starting points. However, across the curriculum, achievement varies. Where teaching is more effective, pupils benefit from secure subject knowledge, ambition and high expectations. Where teaching is less well developed, tasks are not well matched to what pupils know, or need to know, leading to insufficient progress and further gaps in pupils' knowledge as they move through the school. This means that pupils are not always well prepared for their next steps in education.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders provide strategic leadership of the curriculum and teaching but recognise that improvement is needed to sharpen the focus on identifying and addressing gaps in pupils’ learning. They know the school’s strengths and areas to develop. While systems for monitoring are established, leaders do not yet ensure that teaching consistently builds strong foundations in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, pupils’ progress is uneven, and some do not develop secure understanding of essential knowledge and skills.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The school's curriculum is broad and ambitious, but sequencing and assessment are not always precise enough to secure progression for all pupils. There is variability in the quality of teaching across subjects. In some areas, such as Spanish, pupils benefit from clear explanations and purposeful practice. However, in subjects such as mathematics, teaching does not always identify misconceptions or adapt tasks effectively to close gaps.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders promote an inclusive curriculum and teaching approach that ensures pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities access learning well. Staff use appropriate strategies to remove barriers, which benefits disadvantaged pupils and those who speak English as an additional language. However, leaders recognise that improving the consistency of teaching and curriculum implementation is essential to preparing pupils more effectively for their next stages in education.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils arrive joyfully at this caring and nurturing school. Behaviour is positive, from the classroom to the playing field. Pupils are happy, safe and have no worries about bullying. Relationships are warm and supportive. Staff help pupils to manage their emotions, which ensures enthusiasm for learning and a rich sense of belonging for all. There is a kind, respectful and aspirational culture at the school. Pupils, parents, staff and governors are equally proud to follow the compassionate and dedicated example set by school leaders.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils make effective progress as they move through the school, but achievement needs further attention. By the time they finish Year 6, pupils lack secure understanding of reading, writing and mathematics to prepare them well for their next steps. Leaders are prioritising the quality of teaching and learning to help pupils to acquire strong foundations, but the impact is not seen in national assessments, where the school has remained below expectations over time. Teaching and learning needs attention across the school to ensure that pupils achieve better by the end of Year 6.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Leaders have ensured sustained improvements to attendance. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, attend school regularly as a result of effective work by the school to reduce persistent absence over time.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils thrive with a range of leadership roles, such as digital leader, eco ambassador, autism champion and pupil interpreter. Leaders celebrate the wonderful array of languages spoken across its diverse community. This makes sure that everyone feels welcome in this inclusive school. The school ensures that there is no discriminatory behaviour, involving pupils in an anti-racism project that enriches diversity, equality and preparation for modern Britain. As one pupil commented, ‘There are so many different and unique people here, there’s a friend for everyone.’

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Team inspectors:

Deborah Perkins, Ofsted Inspector Luisa Gould, Ofsted Inspector David Stevenson, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that teachers identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge to help them to develop strong foundations in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders should continue their efforts to drive further improvements in attendance for all pupils.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Kirsty Shurety.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty's Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteachers, special educational needs coordinator, phase leaders, teachers, support staff, governors and a representative from the local authority during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The school includes specialist provision for deaf pupils who have education, health and care plans. There are currently 16 pupils attending this provision, and they also access learning and wellbeing opportunities across the school.

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About this inspection

The school currently makes use of one registered alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone a significant change since the last inspection, with a new deputy headteacher appointed at the start of the autumn 2026 term.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Amanda Harrison The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 9 September 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 54% 63% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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