Newtown Soberton Infant School

Overview

Newtown Soberton Infant School provides a high-quality education where pupils are well-known and deeply cared for by staff. The report highlights an "ambitious and well-thought-out curriculum" that ensures pupils achieve well across a wide range of subjects, with particular excellence in the early years.

Strengths

• Early years provision is rated "Outstanding," with children making a "very positive start" through engaging activities like woodwork that develop communication and language skills.
• Reading is a significant strength; the phonics programme is delivered to a "very high standard," enabling struggling pupils to "catch up rapidly" and enjoy a wide range of books.
• Behaviour is "very high," with pupils working harmoniously and following rules of being "ready, respectful and safe," supported by initiatives like the ‘Kindness Crew’.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) "thrive" due to quick identification of needs and access to adapted resources and additional support.
• Attendance is high, achieved through careful analysis of patterns and effective work with families to remove barriers.

Areas to improve

• Handwriting skills are not as strong as other areas; pupils are "not consistently being taught the necessary handwriting skills to form and join letters accurately and consistently."

Safeguarding

The report states that "the arrangements for safeguarding are effective."