Newburgh Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Newburgh Primary School is a friendly and nurturing school.

Pupils are happy and settled here. They are keen to come to school and learn well. Pupils flourish because adults take great care of them.

Staff know them and their families well. Parents and carers are very supportive of the school.

Pupils are respectful, well-mannered, polite and courteous.

They behave well in lessons and around school. The 'NEWBURGH' values sum up the behaviours and attitudes expected throughout the school. These include being nurturing, engaging, welcoming, considerate and resilient.

During social times, pupils play together well and look after each other.
<...br/>Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most achieve well.

Pupils appreciate receiving recognition for their hard work. This includes being awarded house points and merit awards.

The school provides pupils with a wide range of opportunities.

This includes many leadership opportunities, such as school councillors, Shakespeare ambassadors and anti-bullying ambassadors. Pupils take part in clubs, including a variety of sports clubs, choir and cooking. They visit museums, an outdoor centre and places of interest in the local area and further afield.

This enhances the academic curriculum well.

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

The school's curriculum is broad and ambitious. The school has sequenced the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that they want pupils to know and when.

Expectations for all pupils are high. In many subjects, the curriculum is taught well and pupils make good progress in their learning. However, in a few subjects, the school's agreed teaching strategies are not consistently implemented by all teachers.

This means that, for some pupils, learning is slowed.

The school routinely reviews the curriculum and makes necessary changes to continue to improve it. However, some subject leaders have not had the opportunity to check how well their subject is taught.

Hence, they do not have an accurate picture of where necessary improvements are needed to improve it further.

Teachers present information in an exciting and engaging way. Pupils learn new knowledge and find lessons enjoyable.

There is a focus on pupils learning key ideas and subject vocabulary. For example, in history, when studying World War 2, pupils learn the meaning of propaganda. They learn how propaganda is intended to influence people's thinking.

In mathematics, in the Reception class, pupils can name various shapes. They know that two trapeziums placed together make a hexagon.

There are effective systems to identify pupils with SEND.

Staff work well with a range of professionals to support these pupils and pupils who are disadvantaged. However, for some of these pupils, strategies to support them do not allow them to gain the most from the curriculum. Leaders are aware of this and are working hard to make improvements so that all disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND achieve as well as they should.

The school prioritises the teaching of reading. Leaders have recently relaunched the way that phonics is taught. This has had a positive impact on improving pupils' progress in reading.

Staff follow the phonics programme consistently. Pupils read from books that match their current phonics knowledge, which helps them to develop into confident readers. Regular checks mean that teachers quickly identify any pupils who are struggling.

Extra support is swiftly put in place to ensure these pupils catch up quickly. Pupils learn to read confidently and fluently. High-quality texts are central to the school's curriculum.

Inviting book areas are stocked with a diverse range of texts. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about their favourite books and authors.

Pupils know and follow the school's expectations for behaviour well.

Children in the early years quickly settle into routines that help them learn. The school uses effective strategies to ensure that pupils attend school regularly and on time. The school works well with parents and with local agencies to reduce levels of absence.

Leaders have designed a well-structured personal, social, relationships and health education programme. Pupils know what healthy relationships are. They understand how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

Pupils have a strong understanding of key concepts of fundamental British values, such as democracy and individual liberty. They have learned a rap to remember all the fundamental British values. Pupils develop a mature appreciation of equality, difference and respect.

Their views and ideas are constantly asked for. Pupils explained how they thought of the names for the school houses, such as sapphire bears and emerald dragons.

Governors understand their statutory duties thoroughly and diligently fulfil their responsibilities.

They use their detailed knowledge of the school to hold leaders to account effectively. Staff value the opportunities for training and the consideration of their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The implementation of the school's agreed teaching strategies is not consistently applied in all subjects. This does not help some pupils practise the knowledge they need to remember and slows their learning. The school should continue to develop staff's understanding of the agreed teaching methods to maximise pupils' learning across all subjects.

• In some cases, strategies for disadvantaged pupils, including those with SEND, do not allow some of these pupils to gain the most from the curriculum. This means that the school may not be using the most effective type of support to support these pupils. The school should evaluate the current provision for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND to ensure that all teachers are well equipped to adapt learning sufficiently well to meet all pupils' needs.

• Some subject leaders do not have an accurate picture of how well the curriculum is implemented. This means that pupils experience variability in the way learning is delivered across the school. The school must support all subject leaders to accurately evaluate the implementation of their subject so that they can identify ways in which this can be improved.

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