Newdigate Primary and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly and inclusive school. Pupils and staff have a strong sense of pride and belonging. Relationships are positive, warm and respectful.

The school is calm, spaces are attractive and books are everywhere in corridor reading nooks and classrooms. Pupils' behaviour in classes is positive, with most pupils settling into their learning.

The school is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils access a broad curriculum. They achieve well as they move through school. The curriculum and the school's core values help pupils prepare for their next education stage.

Leaders' work to ...develop social times in school is really paying off. Pupils say that playtimes and lunchtimes are greatly improved. The new zones outside engage everyone in meaningful play.

Pupils are kind and work well as a team. They understand what being honest means. They have a strong sense of fairness and equality.

Pupils at Newdigate are welcoming and articulate. They are keen to share their ideas. Clubs, visits and visitors help pupils widen their interests and learn new skills.

Pupils enjoy performing. The Year 6 'Pirates' production was very well supported by parents during the inspection.

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

This is a school where ambition is high for all pupils.

There is a drive for everyone to succeed. The curriculum builds coherently from early years through to the end of key stage 2. The curriculum is ordered so that learning builds on what pupils have learned before.

The school's curriculum supports pupils to become fluent and confident readers. The youngest children, from the age of two years old, listen to stories and build a repertoire of new rhymes and songs. This boosts their language development.

Staff are skilled in teaching phonics. Well-trained staff make sure the books pupils read are matched to the sounds they are learning. Assessments are used well by leaders and staff to swiftly identify who needs extra help.

Parents say the early reading workshops help them support their children at home. The school promotes a love of reading. Pupils speak confidently about the range of books read to them.

Pupils recommend contemporary and classic fiction to each other. They have a wide knowledge of authors and poets. The school focuses on developing high levels of spoken language and oracy.

As a result, pupils are eloquent. They express their ideas and thinking well.

In mathematics, pupils show pride in being good mathematicians.

They make links to prior knowledge, and well-trained staff quickly pick up any misconceptions. Practical resources help pupils to explain their mathematical understanding in many different ways. In mathematics, as in all subjects, pupils with SEND access the full curriculum offer.

Learning is adapted to ensure that pupils with SEND access the right help and support to be successful.

Many changes have been made to the foundation subject curriculum in the past year. Leaders know what they want to be taught in the new curricular programmes.

However, there is some variation in how well the critical knowledge and skills are taught. Leaders recognise that more training is needed to ensure all staff have the subject knowledge to deliver the new programmes.

Children in the early years achieve well from their individual starting points.

Routines are quickly established to help children feel safe and secure. Children have many opportunities to learn how to share and take turns. Staff are skilful in creating meaningful learning opportunities for children.

These spark curiosity. Children show tenacity and perseverance in their learning. For example, when den making outside, they play together, working out how to improve their dens.

In lessons, pupils show positive attitudes to learning. Some have personalised approaches and brain breaks that are smoothly built into their daily routines. On occasion, when behaviour falls short of the school's expectations, staff are trained to help pupils reflect.

Pupils learn to repair friendships and build their self-esteem and confidence. The school monitors pupils' attendance to ensure that patterns of attendance are understood. The work on attendance is having a positive impact.

However, some vulnerable pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should.

Pupils know how to keep themselves physically and mentally well. They learn how to stay safe in school, online and in their local community.

Effective partnerships with the local police community support officer and charities help pupils learn about knife crime and dog safety in the community.

Leaders and governors have a clear vision for the school that is promoted effectively. Staff feel well supported.

Many parents appreciate the range of opportunities the school provides for all pupils, which help them to broaden their experiences and understanding of different beliefs, cultures and lifestyles.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Too many disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND do not attend school as regularly as they should.

This means they are missing out on the good quality of education provided in school. The school should ensure that the strategies to improve attendance change the culture of attendance for these pupils. Aspects of the foundation curriculum are in the early stages of implementation.

In some subjects, there is variation in staff subject knowledge. As a result, the essential knowledge pupils should learn and remember is not always clear to pupils. The school should ensure that it continues to build staff subject knowledge so that the vision for these subjects is fully realised.