Newington Green Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud to be a part of what they describe as a 'second family'. This is a happy, safe and inclusive community where everyone is valued. Pupils get on well with each other.

Right from the start of the two-year-old provision, children settle in and build strong, trusting relationships with staff. Pupils behave brilliantly, and their attendance is high. They particularly enjoy breaktimes, where well-trained staff and pupils help everyone to join in with new games.

Bullying is rare. Pupils know who to speak with if they have any concerns.

Staff make sure that each pupil has whatever it takes to achieve highly.

Pupils rise to the high ex...pectations set for them. They show impeccable attitudes to learning and work hard. Pupils' efforts, together with the excellent quality of education they receive, ensure that they do really well in all subjects.

They are exceptionally well prepared for the next steps in their education, including the move to secondary school.

As well as excelling academically, pupils benefit from all the other opportunities the school has to offer. The school's 'social skills curriculum' is a notable example of this.

As pupils move through the school, they develop their confidence and self-esteem. They respond exceptionally well to a wide range of experiences that help them to become increasingly independent in everyday life. For example, pupils in Year 2 learn how to wash and dry up after lunch.

Pupils in Year 6 get the chance to plan and cook a healthy meal on a tight budget. Leaders' work to develop the school food offer has made a positive difference to pupils' knowledge of healthy eating. It contributes well to their learning.

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

Everyone who works at Newington Green ensures that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from a great education that prepares them exceptionally well for their future lives. Pupils' attainment at the end of Year 6 is significantly above average.

The ambitious curriculum is broad, rich and exciting.

Pupils have well-planned opportunities to recap what they have been taught previously. This helps them to build deep knowledge in each subject as they move through the school. For example, in physical education (PE), pupils' knowledge of throwing, catching, ball skills and tactics builds step by step.

When it comes to applying these skills to games such as netball, pupils are more than capable of achieving success.

Leaders, including governors, have the full support of the staff team. The school invests significantly in staff development, including the school's programme for helping staff gain the qualifications and expertise to advance their careers.

Staff receive a variety of professional development opportunities. These have a positive impact on pupils' learning. Staff demonstrate exceptional subject knowledge.

They deliver the curriculum with consistency and rigour. Nothing is left to chance. Staff know precisely what pupils need to learn and when.

They identify pupils' learning needs well, including those with SEND, and make sure that any gaps in pupils' learning are identified and addressed quickly. Staff feel very well supported by leaders and by the excellent team ethos in the school.

Staff use their expertise to promote children's language and communication skills in the early years.

This prepares children well for their future English lessons, including the school's phonics programme. Reading is a high priority. Pupils enjoy earning book tokens for reading frequently.

They particularly like the opportunity to use the reading book vending machine. Pupils, including those who need extra help to keep up with their peers, build fluency in phonics. The school ensures that pupils develop a love of reading and become confident readers and writers.

Pupils benefit enormously from the specialist facilities and teaching. For example, in computing, pupils become increasingly independent in their use of different coding programs. Pupils in Year 6 explained how they used technology for real-life situations, including collecting data to capture the goals scored at the recent European football championship.

The personal development curriculum helps to build pupils' awareness of a range of themes. For example, children in early years enjoy learning about people who help them, such as doctors and firefighters. Pupils in Year 1 build on this when they look at medicines that help them to stay well.

In an age-appropriate way, pupils in Years 3 to 6 move on to learn about the social and physical effects of drugs and alcohol. Pupils understand the importance of respect and kindness. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 discussed why homophobia is unacceptable.

They showed empathy when reflecting on how such actions make people feel.

The school's focus on speaking and listening has been highly effective in helping pupils to articulate their thoughts and to converse with others. They build an understanding of different facts and opinions.

For example, pupils in Year 5 used their knowledge of parliament and laws remarkably well to debate questions about this country's benefits system.

Pupils get the chance to take part in a variety of visits and clubs that broaden their horizons. From the much-loved breakfast club each day to the Year 6 residential, there is always something going on at Newington Green.

Staff make sure that the school's motto is fulfilled. This involves every pupil taking part in a list of 36 special activities, such as canoeing, opera and ballet. Pupils take their jobs seriously.

The digital leaders, for example, are quick to come to the rescue when teachers have technology issues in lessons. Play leaders help at lunchtime by encouraging younger children to eat nicely and by organising games with the staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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