Durham Newton Hall Infants’ School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone is welcome at Newton Hall Infants' School. Leaders and staff care strongly about pupils and know them as individuals.

There is a culture of kindness. Pupils feel safe and happy in school because they know staff support them with any worries or concerns. Pupils live out this culture of kindness in the way that they help each other.

One pupil, summing up the views of many, said, 'We are kind, we care and we learn'. Older pupils act as role models, supporting younger pupils. For example, they take on roles such as lunchtime monitors.

The school expects pupils to achieve well and make good progress through the curriculum. Pupils work hard in lessons, sho...wing an interest in their learning. Pupils achieve well.

Pupils engage well with their learning and behaviour is good. Lessons proceed without interruption. Pupils say that bullying is very rare.

If there are any problems, they trust the school to help sort them out.

The school places a strong focus on well-being and mental health and pupils know how to keep themselves healthy.

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

The school has established a broad and balanced curriculum.

In most subjects, the school has identified the important knowledge and skills they want the pupils to learn by the time they leave in Year 2. The curriculum builds pupils' knowledge and skills in a logical and progressive way. In the early years, there is a purposeful learning environment with a strong focus on early language.

This promotes children's development and prepares them for Year 1. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), access and keep up with the intended curriculum and remember what they have been taught. However, in some areas, such as spelling, sentence structure and handwriting, some pupils do not develop these skills as they should.

As a result, the school sometimes assigns writing tasks that may be too challenging for them.

The school has made reading and phonics a key priority. Pupils enjoy reading and can talk about books they have read.

Staff receive ongoing training, which ensures that they have strong subject knowledge and teach phonics well. The school's checks on pupils' learning help staff to identify gaps in phonic knowledge. Pupils then receive extra support.

However, for a small number of pupils with the most progress to make, books are not well matched to the sounds they know. This is because the school does not always monitor this support in a timely manner. As a result, these pupils are not learning to read fluently or catching up quick enough.

Mathematical concepts are developed well for most pupils. There is a well sequenced, progressive and comprehensive mathematics curriculum in place that is ambitious for all learners. All pupil groups, including those with English as an additional language, SEND and disadvantaged pupils are well supported in their learning and can access the curriculum.

As a result, pupils achieve well in mathematics.

The school has high expectations of behaviour combined with a nurturing approach. This begins in the early years, where children know the routines and share equipment well.

Across the rest of school, pupils behave well in lessons and at lunchtimes. Pupils enjoy the rewards for good behaviour, such as the school house system.

The school places a high priority on personal development.

This develops well through the school and assemblies. Pupils learn important information about online safety, healthy lifestyles and how to keep themselves safe. They have lots of opportunities to be active.

Pupils understand that everyone is different and unique but that they have the same rights as each other. They are confident that everyone in their school is treated equally and is welcome. Pupils understand the importance of being able to vote and have their voices heard.

Pupils learn about fundamental British values in an age-appropriate way. They are keen to take on roles of responsibility, such as joining the school council or becoming lunchtime monitors. Pupils also understand that some responsibilities, like keeping the school tidy, are shared by everyone.

They say this helps them feel prepared for moving to junior school. Pupils have the opportunity to attend a range of clubs such as 'bookie monster' club, computing club, Spanish club and multi-skills club.

The school has a consistent vision, focused on kindness and care.

The governors know their roles well and maintain clear and consistent oversight of the school. They provide challenge and support. There is a shared ambition to ensure equality of opportunity and outcomes for all.

The school know the families and community well, and parents and carers are supportive. They value the school's welcoming and caring approach. Being a small school, everyone takes on multiple responsibilities.

The school prioritises staff well-being and ensures that workload is manageable. All staff, including those early in their career, feel well supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

• The school does not consistently provide enough support for weaker readers to catch up quickly. As a result, some pupils struggle to read with fluency. The school needs to ensure that the books given to pupils for reading practice are closely matched to the sounds they are already familiar with.

Writing tasks do not consistently match pupils' spelling and grammar knowledge. As a result, some pupils struggle to develop writing fluency. The school should ensure that pupils have opportunities to write using the sounds they are familiar with.

• Monitoring of the curriculum and catch-up programmes does not happen in a timely and focused manner. This means that the school does not have an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum. The school should ensure that systems for monitoring are purposeful.

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