New Bolsover Primary and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils speak proudly about their school, saying that they are 'one big community'. They say that they feel safe at school because staff 'care and look after us'. Pupils understand how to seek help if they have any worries, confident that staff will listen and respond.

Pupils appreciate the recent improvements to the outdoor spaces. These areas have been exceptionally well developed to provide exciting and imaginative play experiences for pupils of all ages. This includes the field, the multi-level playgrounds, the sensory garden and a wide range of other well-planned zones.

This aspect of the school's provision supports pupils' physical, social and emotional needs ver...y well.

Pupils typically behave well, in lessons and around school. On occasion, a small number of pupils struggle to regulate their behaviour.

When this happens, staff step in quickly and kindly to provide appropriate support. Pupils and staff say that the many recent improvements at the school have had a positive impact on behaviour.

The school is in the process of reintroducing after-school activities and sports events following the pandemic.

There is a plan to increase these opportunities over time.

Standards of pupils' achievement in reading, writing and mathematics are improving.

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

The school has responded quickly and decisively to the recommendations from the last inspection.

Staff and leadership teams have been restructured. These teams have worked collaboratively to review and revise the curriculum in all subjects. This work is now complete.

The ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum clearly identifies the key knowledge and skills that pupils should gain, from the early years to Year 6.

In some subjects, for example science, Spanish and religious education, the revised curriculum is in the very early stages of implementation. However, there are clear signs of positive impact.

Pupils engage well in lessons and can talk confidently about their current learning. The school shows strong capacity to refine and embed the revised curriculum over time.

In a range of lessons across the school, teachers display secure subject knowledge.

They use assessment well. They regularly check pupils' understanding and provide appropriate support. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive well-planned support.

Their needs are quickly identified and addressed. Teachers understand how to adapt their teaching to allow pupils with SEND to access the full curriculum.

The school strongly prioritises reading.

Staff encourage pupils of all ages to enjoy books and develop a love of reading. Children in the early years begin to learn phonics as soon as they start school. Pupils receive systematic phonics teaching and read from books that match the sounds they know.

They develop well as confident readers.

Children in the early years benefit from a strong start to their education. In the Nursery and Reception classes, the indoor and outdoor areas have been carefully planned to support children's development across all areas of learning.

Some aspects of the early years provision are still being developed. The revised early years curriculum and the improved system for tracking children's progress are still in the early stages of being introduced.

Since the last inspection, the school has had a strong focus on improving pupils' attendance.

For example, a member of staff has been appointed to support attendance and build positive relationships with parents and carers. As a result of the effective actions taken, attendance has significantly improved.

The school has worked to improve how it promotes pupils' wider personal development.

The personal, social and health education curriculum has become well established. The introduction of 'pupil passports' and the SCARF (safety, caring, achievement, resilience, fairness) values have been very well received by pupils. When speaking to inspectors, pupils showed a well-informed awareness of important British values such as democracy and mutual respect.

For example, pupils explained that 'it's about treating others how you want to be treated so that you can be a better person and citizen'. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Staff praise the support they receive for their workload.

They appreciate the care and consideration shown by leaders for their well-being. Staff are a strong, supportive team.

Since the last inspection, actions have been taken to strengthen governance.

However, these improvements are in their infancy. The board is small in number, and half of the non-staff governors are very new to the role. Consequently, governors currently have limited understanding of their role due to lack of experience beyond their initial training.

They are not currently able to hold leaders to account as effectively as they should.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• As a result of the recent changes to governance, half of the non-staff governors are newly appointed.

They have limited experience and understanding of their role. They do not currently have the knowledge and expertise to express an ambitious vision for the school and to robustly hold leaders to account for the school's performance. Governors should develop a secure understanding of their role and duties and enact these effectively so that they can hold the school to account for the quality of education provided for pupils.

• The recent improvements to the early years curriculum and environment are still in the early stages of implementation. The school is in the process of revising its approach to assessing children's learning and development. The school should ensure that the early years curriculum is refined and embedded so that it is coherently planned and sequenced and systematically assessed to build on what children know and can do, thus providing a secure foundation for future learning.