De Beauvoir Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Mutual respect is at the heart of the school's work.

Pupils are highly considerate of each other, adults and their environment. In classrooms and during less structured times, pupils help, listen and work together with compassion and understanding. This is because leaders and staff model this in the way they treat the pupils.

Pupils' behaviour is a particular strength. They behave extremely well in class and around the school. Pupils have exemplary attitudes and are highly motivated to do their best.

Leaders have clear and appropriate systems to deal with any incidents of bullying, should they occur. Pupils said that leaders help them to sort out any problems... fairly.

Pupils are happy and safe.

Parents and carers who responded to the online survey agreed. School staff form positive, trusting relationships with pupils and their families.

Leaders have high expectations for every pupil.

Leaders trust pupils with additional responsibilities, including as playground first aiders. Pupils carry out their duties maturely and responsibly. Leaders monitor closely how well pupils learn.

They use this information to plan the next steps in pupils' learning. This helps pupils to achieve well.

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

Senior leaders have strong subject knowledge.

They think carefully about what they want the pupils to learn in different subjects. They deliberately choose content that interests and motivates pupils, and builds pupils' knowledge and skills. Leaders sequence the most important knowledge and skills from the early years onwards.

Leaders provide teachers with the training they need to teach the curriculum. Some teachers teach subjects outside their area of expertise. They rely on senior leaders' subject knowledge or experts in other schools.

Some teachers are growing their knowledge and skills to become experts and lead subjects. They work closely with senior leaders to check that teachers are teaching the right things.

Typically, teaching includes opportunities for pupils to recall prior learning.

Leaders and teachers check that pupils remember important knowledge. This helps pupils to recall what they have learned before, and build what they are learning currently on what they have been taught previously. For example, pupils in Year 5 recapped their prior knowledge of multiplication and used this to calculate the area of shapes.

Occasionally, teachers do not emphasise the prior knowledge enough. Where this occurs, pupils struggle to remember and build on this knowledge.

Children at the early stages of reading receive appropriate teaching.

Teachers and teaching assistants help children to improve their language and communication when they join the school. Children start learning phonics in the early years.Children who need it receive support to keep up.

Teachers provide books for pupils to read at home and in school that match to the sounds pupils know. As a result, pupils quickly get better at, and more confident about, reading.

Teachers make adaptions so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities successfully learn alongside their peers.

Teachers and teaching assistants have been trained to identify any pupils who may need additional support. Leaders work closely with parents and external professionals to make sure that pupils get the right support.

Pupils are highly attentive during lessons.

They are very keen to learn and participate. They are very pleased about, and motivated by, receiving rewards and recognition for their extremely sensible behaviour. Pupils reflected on their behaviour with considerable maturity.

They spoke honestly about the strategies they use to maintain their positive behaviour. Pupils value the support and guidance they receive from leaders in this regard.

Leaders and staff organise visits linked to what pupils are learning.

Some of these are temporarily paused due to the current COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers encourage pupils to follow healthy lifestyles. For example, pupils are taught to grow, harvest, and cook vegetables from the school's edible garden.

Pupils can talk to trained adults about their mental well-being. Pupils take on additional responsibilities, including as school parliament representatives and playground buddies. Pupils are encouraged to think about morals and values such as equality, respect and fairness.

They explore these through the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education programme.

Leaders engage with parents positively. They seek parents' views on what happens in school.

For example, leaders recently asked parents for ideas on what they should cover during Black History Month. Governors and leaders work effectively together to improve the school. They prioritise staff well-being and make sure that staff can manage their workload.

Staff appreciate the support that leaders give. Leaders work closely with leaders in the partner schools. This approach is helping to drive improvements in the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders prioritise the welfare and safety of pupils. Leaders train staff to spot the signs that pupils may need help and support.

As a result, school staff are alert to specific issues that may be prevalent in the local area. They use the school's systems to report any concerns. Leaders take swift action and seek advice from external safeguarding partners if necessary.

Leaders use PSHE education and other opportunities to teach pupils about keeping themselves safe. Pupils are helped to understand different forms of bullying and harassment, including online. They learn where to get help should they need it.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, teaching does not help pupils to recall prior learning. Where this is the case, pupils find it more difficult to remember and connect past learning with what they are learning currently. Leaders must make sure that teaching helps pupils to embed prior knowledge in all subjects.

• When teachers teach subjects outside their area of expertise, they are reliant on senior leaders, including leaders in partner schools, to develop their subject knowledge. Leaders must continue with their plans to develop subject leadership in the school. This will enable subject leaders to monitor the implementation of the curriculum and support teachers with subject knowledge.