New Swannington Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

New Swannington Primary School is a nurturing, friendly and welcoming place. The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve well as they 'learn, play and grow together'.

The school is calm and orderly.

Pupils understand and follow the school rules of being 'kind, safe and respectful'. They behave well in lessons. At breaktimes and lunchtimes, pupils play and socialise together happily.

Pupils look after each other. One pupil, whose comments were typical of many, said, 'Nobody is ever left out here; there is always someone to play with.' Pupils say that they feel safe in school.

They trust staff to help them if they have any worries.

Pasto...ral support for pupils is a strength of the school. When pupils need help to manage their emotions or regulate their behaviour, caring staff provide excellent support.

Pupils value the rewards they earn for doing their best. They develop leadership skills, for example, by being school councillors, subject ambassadors and librarians. Many pupils attend clubs in school.

They enjoy activities in which they develop their interests, including in sports and music. Pupils benefit from visits to a range of places, both locally and nationally, which broaden their experiences and enhance their learning. Particular favourites include visits to Whitby and Eyam.

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

The school's broad and ambitious curriculum is securely focused on ensuring that all pupils achieve well in this caring and inclusive school community. The curriculum identifies the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn, and the order in which they need to learn it. In lessons, staff use their strong subject knowledge to explain and model concepts clearly.

However, in some subjects, staff do not have high enough expectations of the work that pupils complete. They do not always support pupils to improve their work or address mistakes. Pupils achieve less well in these subjects.

The leadership of some subjects is in its early stages. There are currently some changes being made to the arrangements for this in the school. Leaders do not have a fully clear oversight of what is working well and what needs to further develop in all subjects.

Promoting a love of reading is at the heart of the school's curriculum for pupils of all ages. In the Reception class, children sound out letters with pride and enthusiasm. Regular practice, using books matching the sounds the children know, helps them to secure fluency and accuracy over time.

Pupils who need help to catch up get the right support. The school's library provides a quiet space for pupils to read and to select books to read at home.

The school carefully identifies the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

It provides personalised support for pupils with SEND to access the same learning as their peers. Staff break learning into manageable chunks and adapt learning activities well when needed.

In the early years, children get off to a flying start.

The school recognises the importance of laying strong foundations for children's learning as soon as they start school. There is a sharp focus on developing children's language and early mathematics. Children develop their independence.

They are resilient and persevere with challenging activities. Children delight in their achievements when making 'minibeast hotels' and 'shell crumbles'.

Staff place great importance on pupils being ready to learn and participate in lessons.

The school ensures that pupils' achievements are recognised each week in the celebration assembly. Respectful relationships are the norm at this school. Pupils have lovely manners.

The school is a calm environment where pupils can learn without distraction. The school goes above and beyond to ensure that pupils attend school regularly and are safe. The school's personalised support for individual pupils and families has resulted in pupils' attendance improving.

Pupils' personal development is a priority. They have a secure understanding of what it means to be healthy, both physically and mentally. There are a number of extra-curricular clubs that capture pupils' interests.

The school ensures that some pupils have access to 'the hive', where they can discuss any worries that they may have. These pupils value their time speaking to skilled and caring staff. Pupils speak with maturity and respect when discussing difference and diversity.

They have visited different places of worship. However, pupils do not have a firm understanding of fundamental British values, or a range of faiths and cultures.

Staff are proud to work at the school.

There is a real 'family feel' here. Staff say that leaders consider their workload and well-being. Governors are fully informed of the work of the school.

They hold leaders to account, but also support them to bring about improvements.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, staff do not always have consistently high enough expectations of the work that pupils complete.

Sometimes, they accept work that is of a poor quality without supporting pupils to improve their work or address mistakes. As a result, pupils do not always achieve as well as they might in these subjects. The school should ensure that there are consistently high expectations of pupils' work so that they achieve as well as they could in all subjects.

The leadership of some subjects is not fully developed. Leaders do not have a full oversight of the implementation and impact of all subjects. The school should continue to develop subject leadership, to ensure that leaders successfully monitor, develop and evaluate the effectiveness of their subject areas.

• Pupils' understanding of a range of faiths and cultures is underdeveloped. Pupils do not recall important knowledge about religions or beliefs in modern Britain. The school should ensure that this aspect of the curriculum is implemented well so that pupils' knowledge of the religions and beliefs that exist in Britain today is strengthened.