Nathaniel Newton Infant School

Overview

Nathaniel Newton Infant School continues to be a good school, described as a “welcoming, inclusive school at the heart of its community.” Pupils feel safe and happy, benefiting from “trusting relationships with caring staff” and a curriculum that is “broad and ambitious.” The inspection confirms that leaders and staff are united in their commitment to the children’s well-being and education.

Strengths

• Pupils are “friendly” and “respectful,” understanding the school’s values to “be kind, be fair, be safe.”
• Staff “skilfully adapt the learning” so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can learn alongside their peers.
• A new phonics scheme is delivered consistently, with books “well matched to the sounds they know,” fostering a love of reading.
• The school has “successfully improved pupils’ attendance” through thorough tracking and effective strategies with families.
• Support for SEND pupils is a strength, with “thoughtfully considered interventions” ensuring they reach their potential.

Areas to improve

• Assessment systems in some foundation subjects are “underdeveloped,” meaning gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not always identified.
• Expectations for handwriting are not consistently applied; some pupils struggle to form letters and numbers accurately, which “hinders some pupils in becoming fluent writers.”

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”