New Park Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. This highly successful school lives and breathes its mission to ensure that all pupils are 'safe, loved and learning'. There is a relentless focus on meeting the needs of the whole child through a 'team around the child' and 'children first' approach.

This means that all pupils flourish and grow as individuals who are highly valued and extremely well supported. The inspirational and charismatic headteacher is passionate about good not being good enough. This uncompromising drive for excellence and continually high expectations is shared by all staff and governors.

As a result, all aspects of the school's work have successfully im...proved since the previous inspection. Middle leaders are also fully committed to maintaining and improving high standards of teaching and achievement. However, they are at the early stages of developing their role.

Staff are challenged and supported to improve all aspects of their work. Their efforts are greatly appreciated and staff morale is high. High quality links with outside agencies and other schools help the school to meet the needs of all pupils fully.

Excellent relationships exist with parents and the community. Parents' views are regularly sought and highly valued. Governors are passionate and highly successful in ensuring that the school puts 'children first' and is the very heartbeat of the local community.

Pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning are outstanding. Pupils are proud of their school and love learning. Most pupils make every effort to attend regularly and attendance is rising.

Pupils have exceptionally positive relationships with staff. These helps pupils feel special and develop a 'can do' mentality. Pupils are encouraged to aim high and think nothing is out of their reach.

Pupils enjoy a wide range of activities and clubs to promote their interest in sport, music and the arts and to help them with their homework. Pupils feel safe and secure because of the high quality support and guidance they receive, especially from the excellent pastoral team. Teaching is never less than good and is frequently outstanding.

Teaching is inspiring, creative and challenging to all groups of pupils, stretching their abilities and making them think hard. Pupils throughout school, including the most able, achieve outstandingly well. This is reflected in the standards they reach by the end of Year 6, which are above, and sometimes significantly above, the national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.

Children in the early years make excellent progress from their different starting points and are very well prepared for Year 1.

Information about this school

The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school. There have been significant increases in pupil numbers and changes in staff since the last inspection.

Building work has been undertaken to build a new school in the grounds to accommodate the expanding number of pupils on roll. Most pupils are of White British heritage. A high proportion of pupils is from other ethnic backgrounds and cultural traditions, including an increasingly large number who are learning to speak English as an additional language.

The proportion of disabled pupils or those with special educational needs is above average. The proportion of pupils eligible for support through pupil premium funding is high. This additional government funding is provided for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority.

The school has two part-time Nursery classes and two full-time Reception classes. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' achievement in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6. The school has a number of awards, including Bronze Sainsbury's School Games Mark, Healthy School Award, Basic Skills Quality Mark, Change for Life, Artsmark Silver and Merseyside Schools Partnership Primary School of the Year 2014.

Since October 2014, the school has been offering support to Norman Panell School in Liverpool. The school works in close partnership with the local high school, The Academy of St Francis of Assisi. The headteacher is used by the local authority to support other headteachers across Liverpool.

The school operates a small behaviour support unit for short-term placements for Key Stage 2 pupils in other schools. Currently there are seven pupils receiving support. This unit is funded by the local authority.