Happy New Year everyone! On Wednesday 5^th January a copy of our latest OFSTED report was sent out to all parents and carers via text. I hope that you have all had a chance to read it. If not, it is also on our website.

The overall outcome is that Newhall Park Primary School continues to be a good school.  We are extremely proud of this achievement and it is the first time in the history of the school that a good judgement has been maintained across consecutive inspections. This comes against the backdrop of a much changed OFSTED framework and all the challenges that the pandemic has brought.

For the rest of this half term my blog will be devoted to going through the different sections of the report and communicating to you in further detail what OFSTED and other external consultants have seen and any next steps that we are planning on our school improvement journey.

The first section of the report that I would like to look at is ‘What is it like to attend this school?’ The first paragraph in this section states that,

‘Pupils in this school are happy. They are proud of their school. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Leaders ensure that all staff know how to keep pupils safe. Pupils are confident that adults will listen to them if they are worried. Teachers value pupils’ opinions. Pupils are encouraged to contribute to the wider life of the school.’

This accurately reflects what we see in school and what quality assurance exercises with External Consultants and the Local Authority have found also. An External Consultant did a Developmental Review at the beginning of September 2021. He found that, ‘Pupils’ views are very positive and they appreciate all the school is “adding to our lives”. They say that they feel “school is giving us a cracking start to life”.’ The consultant went on to say, ‘The very positive relationships that exist between adults and pupils is an exceptionally strong feature of Newhall Park Community Primary School.’

The second paragraph of the OFSTED report really mirrors the aims of our curriculum intent and the high expectations that my staff and I have for the children at Newhall Park.

‘The headteacher has high expectations for all pupils. She makes sure that pupils experience a wide range of learning activities. These activities deepen pupils’ understanding of the local and global community. The headteacher has established rigorous procedures for monitoring attendance. These support parents to understand the importance of pupils being in school, on time, every day.’

The school is praised for its drive on attendance and for the robust procedures that have been put in place. It is worth remembering why the focus on attendance is so important. The research below from the DFE demonstrates this really well.

Higher overall absence leads to lower attainment at KS2 and KS4 

The Department for Education (DfE) published research in 2016 which found that:

• The higher the overall absence rate across Key Stage (KS) 2 and KS4, the lower the likely level of attainment at the end of KS2 and KS4
• Pupils with no absence are 1.3 times more likely to achieve expected or above, and 3.1 times more likely to achieve greater depth, than pupils that missed 10-15% of all sessions
• Pupils with no absence are 2.2 times more likely to achieve 5+ GCSEs A*- C or equivalent including English and mathematics than pupils that missed 15-20% of KS4 lessons

The third and final paragraph in the first section of the OFSTED report focuses on behaviour.

‘Leaders have introduced new behaviour systems. All staff apply these consistently. Pupils learn how to manage their emotions well. Bullying rarely happens and, when it does, staff act quickly. Behaviour in lessons and in corridors is calm and well ordered. Pupils listen well and show enthusiasm for their learning. At breaktimes and lunchtimes, pupils play positively. A very small number of pupils and parents say that some behaviour is not good. Leaders are taking effective action to address this.’

Please refer to the Behaviour Rhombuses on the website if you are not familiar with the behaviour system. Pupils have been taught to recognise all types of bullying. When staff were gathering evidence of what the pupils think one Year 6 pupil said, ‘We are encouraged to speak out against injustice and stand with the weak or marginalised’. The same consultant I quoted earlier reported after his visit in September, ‘Pupils’ conduct around school and at breaktimes is positive. There is a warm and friendly atmosphere at lunchtimes and staff develop positive relationships.’

Newhall Park is lucky, we have really devoted, committed members of staff. I would like to thank each and every member of staff for the contribution each one has made to the positive ethos within Newhall Park. I would also like to thank each of you for your continued support. Please contact the school office if you have any questions, queries or comments.

Hi you all do an amazing job I’m very happy to be part of the school my kids love school very proud parent

I'm very delighted for the school and the community on this achievement. Remarkable. The sustained progress and improvement indeed indicates the huge dedication and commitment to the children from the; school staff, the pupils and the community, especially during the pandemic where staff have and continue to go that extra mile.
Thank you so much for highlighting and sharing on the importance of high school attendance. I've got two copies of the blog to share our boys tonight. The research findings are of great importance.
This achievement makes us all very proud.