Newfield Park Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further improve pupils’ outcomes by ensuring that:
  • most-able pupils are consistently challenged in mathematics to explain why they choose particular approaches to solving problems
  • middle-attaining boys and those pupils needing to catch up in the Reception classes and in Year 1 are given more opportunities to practise their handwriting skills and to record their calculations in mathematics.
• Improve the attendance of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities by working with parents so that they understand the importance of their children coming to school regularly.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Following the last inspection, the headteacher immediately set about implementing systems to accelerate pupils’ progress. She set an aspirational tone for the school, ensuring that staff knew exactly the groups of pupils that needed help. In order to diminish the differences in achievement between different groups of pupils, a close check was carried out to ensure that all teachers raised their expectations of what pupils can achieve.
• Responsibility for improving pupils’ outcomes is distributed among all leaders. Leadership is shared widely. Leaders at all levels work relentlessly to ensure that pupils have the help they need to be successful learners. Their checks on the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress are effective.
• The headteacher, ably supported by the governing body, sought advice from external consultants and the local authority to ensure that her vision was implemented correctly and that the right support was given to staff to achieve it.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They use this knowledge to make incisive changes to provision. For example, the mathematics leader has introduced many new approaches to teaching pupils how to develop their reasoning skills. While these are proving effective there are still some missed opportunities to challenge the most able.
• New approaches to reading have been introduced and these give pupils more opportunities to practise their reading skills. This has been especially beneficial for the disadvantaged pupils, including those who are the most able, and who are now making good progress in reading.
• Staff are very committed to improving their own skills and knowledge. Leaders support this very well through training and effective appraisal.
• The school improvement plan identifies all the correct priorities. It is underpinned by clear success criteria that are evaluated regularly. Actions are specific so that staff are clear as to what is expected of them.
• Priorities in the school improvement plan are taken forward into teachers’ performance management targets. The team leaders regularly review progress towards them. Training is given to staff to ensure that they are developing their teaching skills to improve the progress of different groups of pupils. Governors are kept informed about the impact of teachers’ actions on improving the progress of groups of pupils and how effectively pupil premium has been spent on diminishing differences.
• School leaders communicate high expectations to pupils and staff. Strong relationships result in a purposeful atmosphere. There is mutual respect between staff, pupils and parents. Staff say that there is climate of trust between leaders and teachers and that they can ask for help to improve their teaching.
• Leadership of provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective. Additional funding for special educational needs is well spent. The coordinator of special educational needs has strong systems to support all pupils and ensures that they receive the help that they need even when help from the local authority is slow. She is aware that some parents of these pupils need more reminders of the importance of regular attendance.
• Leadership of early years is good. The governors have overseen the establishment of a pre-school. Plans have been effectively implemented and there are clear systems for curriculum planning, assessment and smooth transition to early years.
• Alongside the national curriculum subjects, pupils experience a broad range of learning opportunities, including a wealth of cultural experiences, which enrich their lives. For example, they have worked alongside an artist using a wide range of media to create displays around the school. The curriculum is planned carefully and checked regularly for the progression of skills so that pupils can make good progress.
• The curriculum supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils learn about different faiths, having visited many different places of worship and explored how religions celebrate festivals. Pupils participate in a wide range of activities to debate and share views on life in modern Britain. They understand the democratic values that they adhere to when voting for members of the school council. Assemblies focus on the value of respect for others. The school is a harmonious, inclusive community.
• Sport funding is used well and has enabled pupils to take part in inter-school matches and a variety of sporting activities at lunchtime and after school. Pupils are developing a keen awareness about the impact of exercise on their bodies and the need for healthy eating.
• School leaders use the pupil premium funding effectively to make sure that the differences are diminishing between the performance of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally. Pupils have access to good-quality texts and are given the extra help that they need to overcome any barriers to learning that they may experience.

Governance of the school

• Governance has improved since the last inspection and is effective. Governors understand their roles and responsibilities. They communicate a strong ambition to move the school forward. Governors have the appropriate skills and experience to provide effective strategic leadership. They receive regular updates on data pertaining to the progress of different groups of pupils. As a result, they hold leaders to account for improvements in the school. Regular checks are made on the spending of pupil premium funding and the impact that the spending of sport premium has on the subject knowledge of staff and pupils’ healthy lifestyles.
• To sustain and extend current improvements governors have commissioned external reports from consultants to ensure that the school is heading in the right direction and that the school has made the right judgement about all aspects of provision and outcomes.
• The governing body oversees the school’s performance management arrangements effectively.
• Governors are aware of the link between attendance and pupils’ progress, especially pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They review frequent updates to monitor the impact of actions taken on improving their attendance.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders have created a culture in which safeguarding is seen as highly important. Staff recruitment processes are safe and thorough. Governors apply the principles of safer recruitment in all staff interviews. All staff are clear about their responsibilities and they follow procedures to identify and respond to concerns.
• Staff know the pupils well and are attentive to their needs. This enables them to spot any changes in behaviour that might suggest that pupils are vulnerable to risks such as radicalisation or neglect. Pupils are tracked carefully to new schools so that none go missing when they change schools.
• The headteacher and chair of the governing body have ensured that all staff and governors read and act upon the guidance pertaining to keeping children safe in education, including the dangers of radicalisation and extremism.
• Parents say that they know that their children are safe and are pleased with the culture of safety that the school has created. They are appreciative of all the good advice that is posted on the website to help them understand the dangers of unsafe use of the internet.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Since the last inspection, the senior leadership team has worked relentlessly to improve the quality of teaching and learning, taking advice from the local authority and external consultants. Effective and regular monitoring has ensured that weaknesses have been rectified through well-targeted support.
• Writing books that contain all of the pupils’ writing in subjects other than English show that pupils are writing in depth about what they have learned in lessons using grammatical structures correctly and spelling key words accurately. Nevertheless there are instances when work is rushed and is not presented neatly.
• Senior leaders have modelled teaching, have provided coaching for teachers and have helped teachers understand information from assessments. Over time, teaching is good.
• Pupils are now making rapid progress in reading because they are encouraged to take home books from the library. They work with the artist-in-residence to identify themes that authors convey and express their ideas through drawing, painting and sculpture. The most able disadvantaged pupils have developed a love of reading and are able to talk about their favourite authors and about phrases and vocabulary that inspire them.
• Pupils needing to catch up on reading are making good gains in understanding the sounds that letters make and they are beginning to read with intonation, recognising when to pause as a result of punctuation used.
• Teachers are clear about the skills that they want pupils to learn and they plan sequences of lessons that build on pupils’ prior learning. As a result, pupils make good progress.
• Teachers are particularly adept at ensuring that pupils have plenty of opportunities to discuss new learning. Classrooms buzz with pupils discussing their ideas about what they have learned. Teachers use ‘entry’ and ‘exit’ cards at the start and ends of lessons to chart pupils’ progress and gauge their pupils’ understanding.
• Under the watchful eye of teachers and support staff, those pupils who have not fully understood are quickly identified and help and support is given until they do. This ensures that all pupils make good progress.
• Staff ask probing questions that deepen pupils’ thinking. This has led to rapid progress in mathematics. Teachers consistently ask pupils to explain how they have arrived at answers and quickly identify any misconceptions in their strategies for problem-solving.
• While teachers have high expectations of their pupils’ learning, especially in Year 2 and in key stage 2, work seen in exercise books demonstrates that there is still room for improvement for middle-attaining boys and those pupils needing to catch up in the Reception classes and Year 1 to ensure that they form their letters and numbers correctly
• Teachers regularly share strategies for teaching with their colleagues and work together as a cohesive team so that the pupils in their care enjoy learning.
• Teachers ensure that pupils have good opportunities to use the skills that they have learned in English and in mathematics in other subjects. In Year 6, pupils learning about Mexico used bar graphs and line graphs to chart patterns in temperature. In Year 1, pupils wrote about climates in different parts of the world, comparing them to that seen in England.
• Teachers have high expectations of disadvantaged pupils and those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, ensuring that they receive all the help and support that they need to make good progress in relation to their starting points.
• Parents are well informed about their children’s progress and are pleased with the help and support that their children receive. They say that the school is highly inclusive, where every child is rightly recognised as an individual and where concerns, should they arise, are dealt with promptly and fairly.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Teachers, support staff and most of the agencies contributing to the welfare of pupils work effectively. When working with other agencies the school takes the lead in ensuring that all pupils receive the help that they need to make good progress.
• Pupils say that they feel safe in school. They know the dangers of unsafe use of the internet and know who to speak to if they have a concern. Parents are given support to keep their children safe through informative advice on the school website.
• Use of the primary school sports funding has enabled pupils to become competitive team players, participating in inter-school matches. The camaraderie and sportsmanship developed in competing against other schools have ensured that pupils have good social skills and are proud to represent their school.
• In key stage 2, pupils have two opportunities to go on residential visits. Discussions with pupils showed that they value these occasions. Pupils look forward to these visits because they give them confidence to try new things and develop independence.
• Pupils know about different types of bullying and report that there is no bullying in the school. The school’s work to promote respect and tolerance is well established.
• Most pupils attend school regularly. Attendance has improved since the last inspection and is now in line with the national average. The school is currently seeking ways of ensuring that a very small number of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities attend more regularly.
• The use of the outdoor learning environment has a very positive impact on pupils’ personal development and well-being. Pupils are taught how to respect nature, take risks and work within teams to overcome obstacles.
• Pupils know how to be successful learners and try hard to improve their work, but at times it is not as neat as it should be.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are polite and welcoming. They are eager to tell inspectors how much they enjoy school and the wonderful opportunities that they have, such as to work with artists and sports coaches.
• The before- and after-school clubs are well attended. They are well organised and give pupils an opportunity to meet friends. These clubs make a strong contribution to improved punctuality and attendance.
• Relationships between pupils and teachers are warm and respectful. Staff throughout the school apply the behaviour policy consistently. Pupils conduct themselves well because they feel secure and know that staff have their best interests at heart. Adults support pupils to respect one another’s differences and work well together. The school’s values of ‘Nurture, Inspire, Respect, and Succeed’ are evident in all aspects of school life and underpin the ethos of the school.
• In lessons, pupils are well behaved. There is no low-level disruption and because of good relationships between teachers and pupils, they do their very best to please.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Since the last inspection, pupils’ outcomes across the school have improved. The school’s current information from assessments, along with inspection evidence and work in pupils’ books, confirms that all groups of pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics in relation to their starting points in all key stages. Standards are rising. This is due to better teaching in the school.
• By the time that pupils leave school at the end of Year 6, they are well prepared for secondary school because they are eager learners who have secure skills in speaking and listening, reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils write in depth in a range of subjects. For example, in religious education, Year 3 pupils compare and contrast special books and their importance in the lives of followers of different religions. In science, pupils are given plenty of opportunities to write about their learning. In Year 5, pupils described the solar system and how animals are adapted to habitats.
• In mathematics throughout the school, pupils make good gains in their knowledge of number bonds and use of the four operations. In Year 6, pupils know how to use negative numbers in context and calculate intervals across zero. They solve problems that require answers to be rounded accurately but occasionally throughout the school pupils do not have enough opportunities to explain why they chose a particular strategy.
• Children’s learning gets off to a good start in the early years. The majority achieve a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year. Pupils continue to make good progress in key stage 1, although pupils do better in Year 2 than in Year 1, especially the boys.
• The provisional results of national tests for pupils in Year 6 in 2016 show that pupils did well overall. In writing, all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, made good progress in relation to their starting points.
• In mathematics, although an above-average proportion of pupils exceeded the expected standard for their age, too few pupils who had attained highly at the end of Year 2 reached the higher levels. Leaders responded to this quickly and sought support from the local authority. As a result, the teaching of mathematical concepts and pupils’ reasoning skills has strengthened and, in turn, the current learning and progress of different groups of pupils are improving.
• In reading in Year 6, the provisional results in 2016 were more mixed. The proportion of pupils who attained the standard expected for their age was broadly in line with the national figure and the proportion working at greater depth was above the national figure. However, middle-attaining pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, did not do quite so well as other pupils.
• Since the last inspection, the achievement of the most able pupils has improved in reading and writing and to a lesser extent in mathematics. The provisional results of tests and assessments in 2016 show that these pupils did as well as others nationally with similar starting points in reading, writing, science and English grammar, punctuation and spelling but did not match them in mathematics.
• A school focus on improving phonics is paying dividends. Pupils across the school are currently making good progress in linking letters to the sounds that they make. The school has cultivated a real love of books. Pupils are able to talk about how authors use specific words to create effect and capture the reader’s interest.
• The pupil premium is used effectively to support for disadvantaged pupils and, as a result, they, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, achieve well. In writing and mathematics, disadvantaged pupils sometimes do better than other pupils with similar starting points. As a result, differences between disadvantaged pupils and others nationally are diminishing. This reflects the school’s commitment to helping pupils overcome barriers to learning and to make the most of their opportunities.
• High expectations of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, along with effective teaching and support, ensure that they make good progress. Sometimes, for a few pupils, learning is held back because they are absent from school too often.

Early years provision Good

• The early years leader is effective. She is ambitious for all children, seeking to prepare them as well as possible to start in Year 1.
• Teaching is effective. Activities are well planned, ensuring that boys and girls all take part in learning opportunities that are based upon their interests, such as learning about superheroes. Teachers make regular checks on pupils’ learning and use this information to plan activities. However, some boys are not given sufficient opportunities to try to write letters and numbers.
• During their time in the Reception classes children learn a wide range of rhymes and develop good listening skills. The outdoor area is used well to promote early mark-making skills. Children enjoy learning in forest school and are keen to observe the different colours and textures that are seen over the seasons. Children take calculated risks walking in the forest, splashing in puddles and exploring wet leaves, squealing with delight as they hear the sounds that broken twigs make.
• Most of the children join the Reception classes with skills and abilities that are typical for their age. Staff use their knowledge of each child to build on their skills and help them feel secure and confident. As a result, most children make good progress across the areas of learning as they move through the early years. The majority leave the Reception classes ready for learning in Year 1.
• There is a strong emphasis on developing children’s language and personal, social and emotional development. The early years leader has trained staff so that they can effectively teach the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics.
• Staff support children effectively. Adults engage with the children and help them to deepen their learning through asking challenging questions. Children are encouraged to speak in full sentences. This has a positive impact on their speaking and listening skills.
• Children make good gains in linking letters to sounds. Almost all children can identify the initial sounds in the names of the objects that they use in play.
• Children are making good gains in their mathematical knowledge. A strong emphasis is placed on using mathematical vocabulary in all activities, both indoors and outdoors, as well as the use of practical resources, such as measuring the size of cars in the outdoor play area.
• Good use is made of the early years pupil premium. Disadvantaged children, including the most able, and those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress from their starting points.
• Children are eager to learn and have good attitudes to learning. Children behave well due to secure routines and teachers’ management of behaviour. Children know what is expected of them and are keen to please their teachers.
• Parents are pleased with the frequent contact that they have with teachers and appreciate advice on how they can help their children at home. They are seen as true partners in learning and receive detailed information on the progress that their children make. They appreciate the way in which staff capture their children’s uniqueness and build their confidence as learners. Parents say that their children look forward to coming to school and at home chat about what they have been learning.
• Safeguarding is effective. Staff know how to detect any signs of behaviours that might cause concern because they receive good-quality training in all aspects of keeping children safe, including child protection and paediatric first aid. There are no breaches of welfare regulations. Risk assessments are regularly undertaken and the school’s health and safety policy is religiously adhered to.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 103815 Dudley 10020006 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 427 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address John Stone Angela Mander 01384 818640 www.newfieldpark.co.uk data@newfield.dudley.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 11–12 September 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Newfield Park is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.
• The school runs a before and after-school club managed by the governing body.
• Children to attend part-time in the recently established pre-school and full time in the two Reception classes.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors gathered a range of evidence to judge the quality of teaching, learning and assessment over time. They observed learning in lessons and undertook joint lesson observations with the senior leadership team.
• Inspectors looked at a wide range of school documents, including: the school’s information on pupils’ current and recent progress, planning of work in different subjects, leaders’ monitoring of teaching and learning, and records relating to behaviour and attendance and safeguarding of pupils.
• Inspectors heard several pupils read, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, most-able pupils and those pupils needing to catch up.
• Inspectors talked to governors, several parents, pupils and representatives from the local authority.
• Inspectors considered the views of pupils and 20 staff that completed the online questionnaires.
• Inspectors held meetings with pupils to seek their views on the work on the school and their progress.

Inspection team

Bogusia Matusiak-Varley, lead inspector Su Plant Gail Peyton Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector