Newtown Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff make this a friendly and welcoming school.

Newtown Primary School is the hub of the community. Pupils join the school from many different cultures. Staff ensure that all pupils are welcome and accepted.

Pupils feel safe at Newtown. They enjoy school and attend regularly. Pupils explained how there are very few incidents of bullying.

Pupils say that if it happens, staff sort it out quickly. Pupils trust staff and say that staff are always on hand to offer reassurance if they have any concerns.

Leaders, including governors, are ambitious for every pupil.

Parents are unanimous in their praise for the school. However, the quali...ty of education is not yet good. The curriculum in some subjects is underdeveloped.

As a result, pupils do not learn all the essential knowledge they should in every subject.

Sometimes pupils' behaviour is not good for all members of staff. A small proportion of pupils raised concerns that poor behaviour can sometimes interrupt their learning.

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

The headteacher is highly ambitious. She is working with determination to improve the quality of education pupils receive. However, continual staff changes have had a detrimental impact on the rate of improvement.

This has resulted in most teaching staff being new to their role. Not all subject leaders have had sufficient training.

Some subjects are not planned well enough to help pupils to know more and remember more.

Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum is well sequenced between the early years and Year 1. As such, the early years curriculum does not prepare children for key stage 1 as well as it should. Conversely, in subjects where the curriculum is well planned, such as mathematics, pupils develop their knowledge and skills well.

Leaders accept that the curriculum is not yet where they want it to be.

Leaders' actions since September 2020 have been successful in securing improvements in the teaching of phonics across the early years and key stage 1. Many children start in Reception with weak language skills.

Staff provide these children with precise and effective support. This is having a positive impact on their ability to learn to read well. However, the transition from learning to read in key stage 1 to becoming a fluent reader in key stage 2 is not effective.

The school's approach to assessment does not enable teachers to identify appropriate reading books. Some pupils do not read books that are matched to their reading abilities. This slows pupils' progress and hampers their ability to read fluently.

Personal development is a strength of the school. Staff in the early years quickly establish routines and expectations. The school's four core values of 'creativity, community, communication and confidence' are pivotal to pupils' development.

Staff support pupils to have their own opinions. In these ways, and in many others, pupils develop a good understanding of fundamental British values. Pupils take part in lots of activities to broaden their horizons, such as the 'Exeter Respect Festival'.

They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Governors share the headteacher's ambition to continue to improve the school. Leaders, including governors, place a high priority on staff well-being.

Staff appreciate leaders' focus on their well-being. Teachers early in their career feel well supported.

The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) is ensuring effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The SENCo ensures that pupils' work is carefully planned and adapted to support their learning well. As a result, pupils with SEND thrive.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure staff receive appropriate training. Staff understand the need to report any concerns. Leaders ensure that any concerns are followed up swiftly.

Checks on the suitability of staff to work with pupils are robust.

Pupils know how to stay safe. This includes when using the internet.

Pupils told inspectors that, 'The internet can be a dangerous place, you need to know how to stay safe.' Older pupils understand the meaning of words such as 'consent' and 'harassment'. Pupils feel confident in reporting any concerns they may have and feel that they will be acted upon.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the curriculum is not well organised and does not include all the essential knowledge pupils need to learn. Leaders have not considered well enough how pupils develop knowledge by building on prior learning and securing key ideas. Leaders need to ensure that the content of all subject curriculums is carefully organised, and that learning is well sequenced.

• In key stage 2, the reading curriculum does not build on the early reading curriculum. Once pupils have secured the necessary early reading skills, their progress is hampered. This is because the key stage 2 reading curriculum and approach to assessment guide teachers to provide pupils with reading books that are not well matched to the sounds and letters they know.

Leaders need to ensure that the reading curriculum in key stage 2 builds on pupils' prior knowledge and skills so that pupils become fluent readers. ? Many members of staff are new to their roles. This has had an impact upon teachers' ability to deliver a well-organised curriculum.

Senior leaders need to ensure that teaching staff continue to be supported to improve the quality of education. ? The curriculum in the early years does not enable children to gain the essential knowledge they need. Leaders need to ensure that the early years curriculum is well designed and implemented, so that children in the early years are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

• Staff do not apply the behaviour policy and systems consistently. In some lessons, and at social times, pupils do not behave as well as they should. Leaders must ensure that all staff have equally high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

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