Beverley Minster Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. They are happy, like their teachers and enjoy playing with their friends. Leaders ensure that pupils understand the core values, particularly perseverance, friendship and respect.

Leaders take a determined approach to pupils' personal development. They have increased pupils' access to a number of clubs, such as dance, choir and football. However, pupils' achievement remains variable.

Leaders say that the curriculum is a work in progress. Plans show the skills pupils need in subjects, but they do not show how knowledge is built up over time. As a result, teaching focuses on activities that the pupils do, rather than building up links... to knowing and remembering more.

Pupils told us that behaviour in the school is good because the headteacher has introduced helpful rules for them to follow. Pupils behave well in lessons, listen to their teachers, and move round the school in a calm and orderly manner. At break and lunchtimes, pupils play together with their friends and enjoy each other's company.

Pupils told us that they feel safe and happy at school. They understand the key rules in place to keep them safe. They recognise that sometimes there are fallings out but say these are quickly resolved and trust their teachers to deal swiftly with any form of bullying.

Pupils said that adults will listen to their worries, or they can talk to the 'worry monster', which helps them to share any concerns they have.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders recognise that there is still work to do on the curriculum. Learning is not consistently well planned to take into account what pupils know and can do.

Many subject leaders have worked on setting up the necessary skills in their plans, but they are yet to build in the knowledge that pupils need. For example, in art, pupils enjoy finding out about different artists but cannot compare the styles and techniques used. This is because they have no planned opportunity to apply their knowledge in different contexts.

Subject leaders say their work to match skills and knowledge together is in the early stages of development. Further training is required to boost their contribution to the school's improvement. In mathematics, leaders plans match the aims of the national curriculum.

Pupils have opportunities to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in number. However, they do not have enough chances to apply their mathematical knowledge to problem-solving.

Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) varies in its helpfulness across the school.

The recently appointed leader for SEND, the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), has recognised this and is putting in place stronger systems and interventions tailored to pupils' needs. Pupils with education, health and care plans have their provision carefully adapted. However, leaders have not ensured that other pupils with SEND are consistently supported well.

Sometimes pupils with SEND remain unclear, even if they get the right answer, because their learning steps are not well planned or made clear to them by staff.

Pupils have not achieved well in reading, writing and mathematics over time. Although teachers have benefitted from some training and support for their planning, gaps remain in teachers' subject knowledge.

This sometimes inhibits them from probing and extending pupils' responses to questions in order to deepen learning.

Leaders' focus on reading for pleasure is clear. Intervention programmes such as 'Reading Plus' have supported the majority of pupils to practise fluency and read a variety of different books.

However, a number of fluent readers said that the programme made them read quickly but they did not enjoy reading. One fluent reader said, 'I like to think about what I've read, not just fly through it.'

The teaching of phonics is variable.

The school uses different phonics programmes, and this results in phonics teaching becoming over complicated. Teachers in Reception and Year 1 check on their pupils well. They swiftly identify and put into practice any support that individual pupils need.

Sometimes, reading books are not as well matched to pupils' phonic knowledge as they could be. This is particularly the case for those who need the most help with their reading, including some disadvantaged pupils. Nonetheless, the inspectors saw children and pupils making good attempts to read and write new words.

Pupils get off to a good start in the early years. Teachers plan a wide range of interesting activities to take account of pupils' needs and interests. Staff skilfully build pupils' understanding and confidence.

For example, a group of boys were writing recipes for a magic cauldron, explaining the ingredients they were putting into it and what magic properties they had.

Governors are highly committed to the school and work with leaders. They recognise that the curriculum is still being adapted to meet the needs of all the pupils in the school.

Careful vigilance and an understanding of safeguarding is strong. Governors are particularly proud of the 'family feel' of the school and the close links to the Minster.

The personal, social and health education programme helps pupils to explore rights and responsibilities and understand life in modern Britain.

Pupils learn how to be good citizens. They find out about values such as respect, consent and democracy. For example, we saw pupils learning about respect.

At the end of the day, pupils enjoyed sharing examples of how their friends had shown respect.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Everyone is aware of the central importance of keeping pupils safe.

Leaders have provided staff with appropriate training so they can spot when things are not as they should be. Staff know what to do if they have concerns about pupils' welfare. Leaders respond promptly and appropriately when concerns are raised.

They involve other agencies when necessary. Safeguarding records are well maintained.

Pupils told us they know if they have any concerns that they can talk to an adult and will be listened to and supported.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum is not sufficiently developed or sequenced to enable pupils to learn as well as they could. Pupils' learning can be muddled and they do not remember important subject knowledge as well as they might. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in all subjects is appropriately sequenced and that teachers know what to teach, when and how, so that pupils make more progress over time.

• The school's approach to teaching early reading requires further improvement. Currently, the school uses more than one phonics scheme to help pupils learn to read. Furthermore, the books pupils read are not always matched to pupils' phonic knowledge.

Pupils' fluency in reading is not as strong as it could be. Leaders should ensure pupils learn to read using one phonics scheme and that the books pupils read are closely matched to their development. ? The most vulnerable pupils in the school, including pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, do not receive support that is closely matched to their learning needs.

Consequently, these pupils make less progress than they might otherwise across a range of subjects. Additionally, leaders do not know precisely what interventions and support programmes for these pupils have the biggest effect on pupils' learning. Leaders should ensure that they evaluate carefully the support the most vulnerable pupils receive and ensure staff and teachers plan learning activities that closely match the needs of pupils across all subjects.

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