Newton Bluecoat Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Newton Bluecoat Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers typically said that their children thrive in this caring school.

Pupils also said that they are happy. They told the inspector that they enjoy being part of this learning community. Pupils explained that the warm and nurturing environment that staff create helps them to feel safe.

Pupils are kind to each other. They are keen to help those people in their local community and beyond who need extra support. For example, pupils donate food from the harvest festival to local food banks.

Staff help pupils, and children in the early ye...ars, to develop into respectful and responsible citizens who are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils develop an appreciation of people's differences.

Leaders expect pupils to behave well.

Lessons are calm, and rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. Pupils play happily with their friends in the playground. They are polite and courteous towards adults.

Leaders make sure that pupils know that all forms of bullying are unacceptable. They act quickly to put a stop to bullying and name-calling if they ever happen.

Leaders are ambitious for what all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can and should achieve.

Pupils achieve well. Children in the early years are well prepared for the demands of Year 1.

Well-planned visits to places of interest bring pupils' learning to life.

For example, pupils participate in visits to the Lake District and the Museum of Liverpool to support their learning in history, geography and science. The variety of activities on offer in after-school clubs allows pupils to develop their wider interests and talents.

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

Leaders and governors have developed a broad and ambitious curriculum that places a strong emphasis on pupils' wider personal development, as well as their academic progress.

They ensure that pupils develop into compassionate citizens who are well prepared for their futures.

Across many areas of the curriculum, leaders have identified the essential knowledge that they want pupils to learn by the end of each year group and key stage. In these subjects, curriculums are well organised so that teachers know precisely what to teach and by when.

This effective curriculum design supports teachers to assess with accuracy where pupils are in their learning. Staff skilfully check what pupils remember before introducing new learning. Teachers quickly address any gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding.

They address misconceptions effectively. As a result, pupils build securely on what they already know, remember and can do in these subjects.

Conversely, in a small number of curriculum areas, leaders are still in the process of refining the content of the curriculum.

As a result, on occasion, some staff do not know exactly what to teach. Added to this, some aspects of the curriculum are not delivered in the most logical order. This hinders how well some pupils achieve.

In addition, some teachers have only recently been appointed as subject leaders. These subject leaders are being appropriately supported to develop their leadership skills. However, they have not had sufficient opportunities to advance their own knowledge of the subjects that they lead.

This limits the level of support they can offer teachers to improve the delivery of the curriculum.

From the early years onwards, pupils approach their learning with enthusiasm and curiosity. Children try their very best and are proud of what they achieve.

The early years curriculum appropriately reflects the way young children learn. It is effective in laying strong foundations for children to flourish as they move through the school. Children delight in the well-planned activities which help them to learn well.

Teachers present information clearly in lessons. They make sure that pupils revisit key knowledge, so that they can recall this quickly. For example, in mathematics, pupils recall number bonds and multiplication facts readily.

Leaders support most pupils to become confident, lifelong readers. Children start their journey in learning to read as soon as they join the Nursery class, where they enjoy joining in with stories and rhymes. They begin listening carefully to sounds.

This ensures that they are well prepared to listen to the sounds that make up words as soon as they start in the Reception Year.

All staff are well trained to teach the phonics programme effectively. The books that staff choose for pupils to read precisely match the sounds that they learn in class.

This helps pupils to work out unfamiliar words and to quickly become independent readers. Teachers swiftly provide extra support if pupils need to catch up with their reading knowledge.

Leaders and teachers inspire pupils to enjoy reading.

Pupil reading ambassadors are involved in organising World Book Day activities, and they regularly share book recommendations. Visitors, such as storytellers, work well with pupils and their families. They inspire them to see the value in reading stories together.

Older pupils spoke enthusiastically about their favourite books and authors.

Leaders identify pupils with SEND quickly and accurately. Staff work closely with families and specialist professionals to provide effective personalised support for pupils with SEND.

Teachers successfully adapt the delivery of the curriculum, so that pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND participate fully in all aspects of school life, including by taking on roles of responsibility. For example, they become prefects and members of the school council.

Governors know the school well. They are supportive of leaders, and are not afraid to ask challenging questions about the quality of the education that the school provides to pupils. Staff appreciate the care that leaders take to support their well-being and to ensure that their workload is manageable.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff know leaders' safeguarding systems and procedures well. They have regular training to keep up to date with the latest developments in safeguarding arrangements.

Staff act quickly on anything that may indicate a cause for concern.

Staff know pupils and their families well. This helps them to notice any changes in pupils that may alert them to potential signs of concern.

Leaders act on concerns quickly and diligently. They work effectively with external agencies to secure appropriate and timely support for pupils and their families, when needed.

Leaders and governors understand the risks and dangers that pupils may face in the local area.

They make sure that the curriculum helps pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe. For instance, pupils know how to keep themselves safe when online. Pupils know whom to approach if they have any worries.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In one or two subjects, leaders have not finalised the curriculum. This means that, on occasion, some teachers are not clear about precisely what should be taught and in what order. This prevents some pupils from learning all that they could.

Leaders should ensure that these curriculums are finalised so that teachers know exactly what to teach. ? Some teachers are new to their subject leader roles. Some do not have all the subject knowledge that they need to be able to lead their curriculum areas effectively.

This limits the level of support that they can offer to teachers to improve the delivery of the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that all subject leaders have the training that they need to lead their areas of responsibility successfully.

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 November 2012.