Newlands Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Newlands Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel valued and safe in this school.

Adults ensure school is a welcoming place. As one pupil said, 'I feel safe in this school because the teachers are always there for you.' Adults support pupils with emotional needs well, enabling them to become increasingly confident.

Niko, the school dog, greets pupils who are anxious at the start of the day. This helps them to settle quickly into the day ahead.

Leaders have high ambition for all pupils.

They provide a well-sequenced curriculum that ensures teachers are clear about what pupils need to learn. Pupils enj...oy their learning and appreciate how adults support them to gain the knowledge they need across a broad range of subjects. The comment from a pupil, 'I enjoy coming to school every day because I have great friends and teachers push you on to do your best,' reflects pupils' positive attitudes towards school.

Pupils generally behave well across the school. They are courteous towards adults and caring towards other pupils. If bullying happens, pupils are confident that a trusted adult will resolve this quickly.

Some pupils struggle to control their behaviour in lessons. Leaders have put support in place for these pupils that help them to calm down quickly and return to their lessons.

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

Leaders provide a clearly mapped-out curriculum that is ambitious.

This helps teachers to know exactly what pupils need to learn and remember. Teachers pose helpful questions that encourage pupils to think deeply about what they are learning. Children in the early years have rich opportunities to learn and enjoy exploring what they learn when at play.

However, pupils have gaps in their knowledge in subjects such as geography. This is because the curriculum previously in place had too much content and lacked the focus needed to help pupils to remember what they had learned. As a result, some pupils do not have the knowledge needed to achieve well in some lessons.

Teachers use assessment well in mathematics and reading. They make sure that pupils who are not secure in what they are learning are supported well. However, the assessment of what pupils know in subjects beyond English and mathematics is in its early stages.

Teachers do not consistently check what pupils know. Consequently, teachers do not know precisely what pupils need to learn next in order to make the best progress through the newly structured wider curriculum.

Pupils achieve well in reading.

Children in the early years are taught phonics daily. This helps them to learn the sounds needed to read simple words. As pupils move through the school, they build the reading skills that help them to become confident and competent readers.

Staff support pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), well in lessons. This helps pupils quickly gain the knowledge and skills needed to read. Pupils who struggle to read are supported well to catch up.

Staff swiftly identify the needs of pupils with SEND. They support pupils sensitively to help them learn alongside their peers. Some of these pupils learn in small groups.

This helps them to remain focused on the activity and gives them time to process their thinking.

Pupils generally behave well in class. On the rare occasion that pupils misbehave, teachers gently remind them of the school's expectations and make sure that they do not disrupt the learning of others.

Some pupils struggle to manage their emotions at playtimes. This is because the environment can be overwhelming for them. It can lead to them becoming unsettled when returning to class.

Leaders have begun to use helpful strategies to support these pupils. For example, staff act as mentors to help pupils build relationships and to strengthen their ability to regulate their behaviour.

Leaders provide pupils with a range of experiences that go beyond the curriculum.

For example, the Fire Service has spoken to pupils about fire safety and pupils visited Kent police's headquarters. Pupils attend a range of clubs and events in the school. Leaders make sure these are accessible to all pupils.

Pupils are taught about the school's values, and they use these to guide their approach to life in school. For example, the pupils explored the value of 'creativity' in design technology lessons as they thought about the design features of a Christmas decoration.

Staff are resoundingly positive about the support they receive from leaders.

Teachers value the help they receive to improve how they deliver the curriculum. They appreciate initiatives introduced by leaders to help them to manage their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that all staff receive helpful and timely training in safeguarding. This helps staff quickly identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. Leaders act swiftly on concerns and use a range of supportive actions to keep pupils safe.

Leaders work well with outside agencies to support pupils and families.

Pupils know how to stay safe online. Teachers make sure pupils learn about the risks of being online.

They teach pupils about online bullying. Pupils are confident that if they have a worry, they would speak to a trusted adult.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils have weak subject knowledge in some subjects beyond English and mathematics.

This means that they can struggle to make sense of what they are learning. Leaders need to ensure teachers carefully check what pupils know so that pupils who have fallen behind catch up quickly across the curriculum. ? Some pupils with SEND cannot manage their emotions during playtimes.

As a result, they struggle to settle when they return to class. Leaders need to consistently provide the adaptations needed to help all pupils to thrive during playtimes.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2017.

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