A popular Barrow school has been praised for its broad and ambitious curriculum and the respectful behaviour of pupils in its latest Ofsted report.
Inspectors visited Newbarns Primary and Nursery School last month and found all areas to be good including quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development of pupils, leadership and management and early years provision.
They highlighted the inclusive learning environment with high expectations for pupils and staff wanting the best for the children regardless of their starting point.
“Together with the trust, the school has designed a rich curriculum for all pupils from the nursery class to Year 6.
“It has recently revised aspects of the curriculum to further strengthen pupils’ learning with great effect,” the report said.
Inspectors added that the learning environment is rarely disrupted with pupils behaving well, underpinned by high expectations and consistent routines.
However, inspectors added that in a small number of subjects, the key knowledge that pupils should know was not identified clearly.
They added: “This hinders pupils from developing their knowledge securely. The school should ensure that it identifies what knowledge it wants pupils to learn, and
when, in these subjects, so that pupils gain the depth of knowledge they need for the next stage of their education..”
They added that in some subjects, the school did not effectively check how well pupils could remember and apply their learning.
The report said: “This makes it difficult for the school to ensure that gaps in their knowledge are known by staff and addressed. The school should ensure that staff
and leaders accurately check the depth and breadth of pupils’ learning so that any gaps can be swiftly addressed.”
However, inspectors praised the school for its high expectations of pupils and that it wanted the best for them, regardless of their starting point.
The report added: “The school prioritises reading. It fosters a love of books among pupils of all ages. Pupils experience a diverse range of genres and enjoy selecting books from the well-resourced library.
“In recent years, the school has introduced a new phonics programme. The school has ensured that staff have the knowledge and expertise to deliver this programme consistently well.”
Acting headteacher Victoria Fitzgibbons said: “Our focus on high-quality education, professional development and pupil wellbeing continues to drive us forward.
“I’m immensely proud of our pupils, staff and the wider school community who deserve recognition for the work they put in.”
She said two areas for further refinement – curriculum sequencing and assessment systems – were already being actively addressed by the leadership team.
Professional development at the school, which is part of South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust, was also commended with teachers demonstrating strong subject knowledge supported by effective Trust-wide collaboration and a willingness to continually refine their practice.
South Cumbria Multi-Academy Trust’s director of education Caroline Vernon said staff had been recognised for responding positively to the vast changes in education in the 14 years since the school’s previous inspection, before it became an academy.
She said: “We are delighted with the outcome and recognition that the changes are appropriate to ensure Newbarns Primary and Nursery remains a very strong school.”
Keith Wardle, chair of governors, added: “On behalf of all the governors, I would like to say a huge congratulations to staff and pupils on this excellent report which reflects how our pupils prosper, progress well through each of the stages of education and really enjoy their time in school.”
Trust chief executive officer Andrew Wren said: “This report is a joy to read and highlights so many of the things that make Newbarns so special Congratulations to all the staff, the pupils, governors and families on a successful outcome.”
