Newport Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Newport Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

At Newport Primary School, pupils enjoy learning a broad range of subjects. Leaders have high expectations for pupils' academic achievements. Pupils are proud to belong to such an inclusive school.

They feel happy and safe. Adults at this school look after pupils well.

Pupils have a well-developed, age-appropriate sense of what is right and wrong.

They understand and follow the school's values. As a result, they behave well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the extra support they need in an inclusive and sensitive way.

Pupil...s have access to a wide range of educational opportunities outside of the classroom. Residential trips are a particular highlight. Pupils speak excitedly about the range of overnight visits that they go on.

The school carefully plans these visits to enhance the curriculum. In addition, these opportunities support the development of pupils' confidence, resilience and self-esteem well. Many pupils attend and benefit from the after-school clubs on offer, including sports, musical theatre and arts and crafts.

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

Pupils love to read. They understand how important reading is for their learning across the curriculum and for their future. Children learn the sounds that they need to read from the beginning of the Reception Year.

They read books that are closely matched to their ability. This helps them to become fluent readers. As pupils move through the school, they continue to benefit from carefully planned reading lessons.

Leaders have made considered choices about what pupils will learn and the books they will read in these lessons. Pupils with SEND are fully included. They access the same ambitious language and stories as their peers.

Pupils across school who are at risk of falling behind in reading receive the support that they need to catch up.

The school has ensured that its new curriculum is well thought through in all subjects. Consideration has been given to the knowledge that pupils need to learn at each stage.

Leaders understand the need to make sure that new knowledge builds on pupils' prior learning. For example, in subjects such as mathematics, the school ensures that pupils have opportunities to practise number facts and times tables repeatedly before they solve complex mathematical problems. In most lessons, teachers present the learning clearly.

They reinforce key vocabulary, so that pupils develop the language they need to succeed. On occasion, the school's systems for checking how well the curriculum is being delivered are not as effective as they could be. As a result, the precision evident in curriculum planning is not consistently seen in its delivery.

In addition, some learning activities do not match what pupils need to learn precisely enough.

Pupils with SEND benefit from the inclusive culture at the school. They are supported well to access the full range of subjects in the school's curriculum.

There is effective engagement with external agencies, such as speech and language therapists, to ensure pupils access the provision they need to achieve well.

Children in Reception show excellent levels of concentration and independence. They are prepared well for their learning in Year 1.

Children in the early years work with older pupils as part of regular 'rota days'. These are days where pupils across school learn together as part of the wider school community. Activities are carefully planned to meet the needs of pupils of all ages.

Pupils take part in learning which incorporates science, design and technology, and art and design. Older pupils support the youngest children on rota days responsibly.

Pupils have a secure understanding of how to keep safe.

This includes when working or playing online and when out in their local community. They learn about important issues such as relationships, managing their feelings and how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. Pupils understand the differences between themselves and others.

As well as learning about different world religions, such as Christianity, Islam and Judaism, pupils learn about the different ways that others think or feel. As a result, they show high levels of acceptance to others in school. Pupils are cared for well by staff.

Staff listen to and act on pupils' worries quickly and with compassion.

Leaders and staff make a cohesive team. Teachers are developing in their roles as subject leaders.

Leaders support staff well. Governors know the school's strengths and areas that require further development. As a group, they challenge and hold leaders to account.

They also recognise the importance of ensuring the positive well-being of leaders and the wider staff team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Activities that pupils carry out in lessons do not consistently match the planned learning in the curriculum in all subject areas.

Pupils do not gain the required curriculum knowledge to prepare them for their next steps. The school must ensure that learning activities carefully match the intended knowledge that has been planned for pupils to learn across all subjects. ? The school's systems for checking on how well the curriculum is delivered are not as effective as they could be.

In some subjects, the consistency with which the curriculum is delivered does not always meet the high expectations set by leaders. The school should ensure that regular and purposeful checks are carried out on the implementation of the curriculum, across all subjects, to ensure that it is consistently delivered well.

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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2014.

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