We are Locrating.com, a schools information website. This page is one of our school directory pages. This is not the website of Newtown Community Primary School.
What is Locrating?
Locrating is the UK's most popular and trusted school guide; it allows you to view inspection reports, admissions data, exam results, catchment areas, league tables, school reviews,
neighbourhood information, carry out school comparisons and much more. Below is some useful summary information regarding Newtown Community Primary School.
To see all our data you need to click the blue button at the bottom of this page to view Newtown Community Primary School
on our interactive map.
Newtown Community Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils are proud to attend this multi-cultural school, they value and celebrate difference. The school threads the values of kindness and respect through all aspects of school life.
Positive relationships are at the heart of the school. These start in the early years, where staff care for children and help them to develop independence.
Pupils know who to speak to if they have worries.
They are confident adults will help them sort out any problems. As a result, pupils are happy and feel safe.
Pu...pils live up to the school's high expectations of them.
They display very positive attitudes to learning. At social times, pupils play hockey, tennis and basketball led by specialist coaches. Pupils have impeccable manners and collaborate well with one another.
They work hard. Over time, pupils make strong progress and typically achieve well.
Many pupils take part in extra-curricular clubs and activities like archery, photography and football.
Pupils enjoy the trips and visits that are planned for them. For example, Year 6 pupils were keen to tell the inspector about a trip to London, made memorable by the visit to the Tower of London which helped them bring their learning in history to life.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school's curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
In most subjects, the school has set out the important knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which they should learn it. For example, in mathematics, children in the Reception Year learn to recognise numbers and match these to different quantities. In Year 4, pupils build on this and convert between mixed number and improper fractions.
In Year 5, pupils apply this knowledge and explain their mathematical thinking. Pupils develop their drawing skills by sketching self-portraits each year. By Year 6, they perfect their use of line, tone and shape to create sophisticated drawings.
However, in a minority of wider curriculum subjects, the school has not identified key knowledge with the same clarity and so the progression of learning is not as clear. This makes it difficult for some pupils to make links with what they have learned before and prevents them from building a depth of knowledge over time.
Reading is a priority.
Many pupils who join the school speak English as an additional language (EAL). Children learn to read from the very start of the Reception Year. In phonics lessons, staff introduce new sounds clearly.
This approach supports pupils to identify sounds, blending them to decode and read new words. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know. This helps to develop their fluency and confidence.
By the end of Year 1, all pupils, including those with EAL, achieve highly in the phonics screening check. The school quickly responded to a dip in key stage 2 reading outcomes. A refined approach to teach reading now equips pupils with the key skills and knowledge they need to comprehend increasingly complex texts.
Across key stages, pupils benefit from a diverse range of texts, many of which reflect different cultures.
From early years, the school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND swiftly. Staff make adaptations to learning so that pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers.
Staff build close working relationships with families to understand and tackle any barriers to attendance and reduce persistent absence. As a result, current attendance is above average.
Pupils benefit from a strong curriculum for personal, social and health education.
They learn about online safety, mental health and fundamental British values, such as tolerance and respect. Pupils show an exceptional understanding of the protected characteristics. These help them understand the importance of challenging discrimination.
The school's work to develop pupils' character is exemplary. Staff support pupils to build their own toolkit for life. Pupils use 'acts of kindness' and 'labels of love' to help other people to feel positive and happy.
Pupils use their 'sunshine specs' to develop a positive mindset and build resilience. Pupils believe in themselves. They are confident and show impeccable behaviour.
Pupils learn how to handle responsibility through leadership roles, like the 'Green team', who look for ways to save electricity and promote recycling around the school.
Governors hold the school to account for its actions and fulfil their statutory duties effectively. Regular visits, ongoing training and a focus on safeguarding and the quality of education ensure that governors stay informed.
The school considers staff workload and well-being. Staff are incredibly proud to be part of this school.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
What does the school need to do to improve?
(Information for the school and appropriate authority)
• In a few subjects, the key knowledge has not been identified at every stage. As a result, new learning does not always build upon pupils' existing knowledge, and some pupils are unable to make links to their prior learning. The school should ensure that all subjects identify the important information that pupils need to remember to build a secure understanding.
Background
Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.
This school was, before September 2024, judged good for its overall effectiveness.
We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in March 2015.
