Netherthong Primary School

Overview

Netherthong Primary School is judged ‘Good’ overall, with ‘Outstanding’ ratings for behaviour, personal development, and early years provision. The report describes a school with a “tangible community feel” where pupils are “polite and well mannered” and staff hold “high expectations for behaviour.” Leaders are “highly ambitious for the achievement of all pupils,” creating an environment where children “enjoy coming to school” and feel cared for.

Strengths

• Pupils display “exemplary” behaviour and “highly positive attitudes to their learning” in “calm and purposeful” classrooms.
• The early years provision is “Outstanding,” with children making “excellent progress” and being “exceptionally well prepared” for Year 1.
• Staff are “highly skilled at identifying the specific needs of pupils with SEND,” ensuring they “achieve well” alongside peers.
• Personal development is “exceptional,” with pupils developing as “responsible citizens” who understand “equality, diversity and discrimination.”
• Parents hold the school in “high regard,” particularly praising its “nurturing and caring ethos.”

Areas to improve

• In a “small number of foundation subjects,” checks on pupils’ retention of key knowledge are “not as precise as in others,” meaning knowledge is “not as secure as leaders would wish.” The school should “sharpen their curricular thinking” so pupils “know more and remember more” in these areas.

Safeguarding

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