Newchurch Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Short inspection of Newchurch Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 1 November 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty‟s Chief Inspector of Education, Children‟s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings.

The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in November 2014. This school continues to be good. The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

You have worked very effectively with the head of school to build upon the many strengths that inspectors found. The federation with Nettlestone Primary School was newly formed at the time of the previous inspection. Since then it h...as flourished and now strongly supports the quality of education by sharing staff expertise.

The school provides an attractive environment that celebrates and supports pupils‟ learning through interesting displays and events. Pupils relate well to each other and are polite, confident and proud of their school and its achievements. Consequently, their attendance is better than in most schools nationally.

The parent community enthusiastically supports the school‟s work. Parents appreciate the positive way in which their children‟s needs are met. Parents and pupils alike praise the many opportunities the school provides, such as the wide range of sports and other outdoor activities.

Almost every parent who completed the online survey, Parent View, said they would recommend Newchurch Primary School to others. Typical of many parents was one who wrote: „The “can do” attitude the school promotes is evident in every aspect of school life, from the classroom to the sports field.‟ You have followed up the actions from the school‟s previous inspection with determination, implementing strategies to deepen pupils‟ thinking and learning across the different subjects of the curriculum.

Inspectors asked you to improve the quality of teaching by ensuring that learning activities meet the needs of pupils with different abilities, including the most able pupils. As a result of leaders‟ efforts, key stage 2 standards of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics have improved. In 2018, a higher proportion of pupils attained the standard expected by the end of Year 6 than in other schools nationally.

Rates of progress were well above the national average in reading, and each one of the most able pupils reached the higher standard. The most able pupils did not make as much progress in writing and mathematics, and some of them attained less well than you expected. You rightly recognise there is further work to do to enhance the school‟s provision for this pupil group.

Following the previous inspection, you provided training opportunities to equip teaching assistants with the skills and subject knowledge to support pupils effectively within the classroom. More recently, you have made effective use of the input of local authority advisers to improve teaching and learning in English and mathematics. As a result, pupils think carefully about how to approach mathematical problems and they are becoming more articulate in explaining their reasoning.

Teachers are making clear links between reading and writing so that pupils make good use of their reading skills to help improve their writing. Interesting events and topics provide pupils with the motivation to write for real purposes and audiences. Your middle, or „phase‟, leaders, who take responsibility for a whole or part key stage, support their colleagues with strategies that help pupils achieve success across the different subjects.

Equally important to leaders is the way in which your „mission possible‟ curriculum supports pupils to develop strong personal, social and emotional skills. These skills help them to maintain a positive attitude when faced with challenges. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 play an active role in the school by having responsible positions for which they apply and are formally appointed.

During the day of the inspection, Year 6 skilfully coordinated and led the whole school in a service of remembrance at the village church. They say that the school is preparing them well for their futures. Their development is supported by visits and participation in events beyond the island, such as a recent overnight stay in London.

You benefit from a determined and skilful governing body that shares your ambition for the school to be the best that it can be. Since the last inspection, governors have strengthened their organisation to use their expertise and time effectively to review specific areas of the school‟s work. Through their regular visits, governors have become well informed about the school‟s work.

They ask incisive questions that hold you to account. You have developed a systematic approach to ensure that leaders at all levels of the school check that the quality of provision meets your expectations. This helps you to know the school very well.

Leaders promote the school‟s values well, and these are firmly embedded in all classrooms. These values contribute to pupils‟ good attitudes to their learning. Leaders‟ monitoring checks, though detailed, do not sharply focus on the impact of teaching and learning on the progress of groups and individuals.

Leaders need to sharpen some of their improvement actions, including the