Beavers Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Beavers Community Primary School is a welcoming and nurturing environment for pupils. Pupils can share any concerns they have using the 'worry monster' and daily check in zones.

Pupils understand what it means to be physically and mentally healthy. For example, pupils encourage each other to use strategies, such as journaling and breathing exercises for their mental well-being. As a result, pupils feel safe and are kept safe in school.

Pupils get along well with each other. Bullying is rare, and pupils know how to raise concerns if they need to. Pupils rise to the expectations staff have of them.

They demonstrate these by becoming ambassadors for the school. ...Pupils enjoy receiving rewards for their efforts.

Pupils benefit from the wider offer at the school.

They develop their leadership skills and interests through different roles at the school, such as pupil governors, eco-warriors and as members of the school band. Pupils enjoy coming to school and meeting with the dog mentor, Chrissie.

The curriculum matches the breadth and depth of that expected nationally.

Children make a strong start in a caring early years environment with high ambitions for all. Pupils achieve well in line with their peers nationally by the time they leave school.

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

The curriculum and provision for children in early years is excellent.

The curriculum is designed to give children opportunities to practise their early number. For example, children set up a sweet shop, exchanging tokens for purchases. Routines are very well established from the time when children start school.

Communication is rightly prioritised. Adults engage with children positively, extending their language whenever possible. For example, children are eager to join in with familiar nursery rhymes, taking turns to select different farm animals on the beat.

This also supports children's social awareness, self-control and concentration, which prepares them well for their next stages of learning.

Beginning in early years, leaders have set out exactly what pupils are expected to learn. This is sequenced so that pupils return to key ideas and have opportunities to develop their understanding.

For example, in physical education, children in Reception build their skills in core and gross motor skills so that they can bounce and catch with increasing success. Pupils in Year 2, learn to attack and defend through an invasion game. This means that older pupils can bring their skills and knowledge together to play a range of team sports with increasing success.

While the curriculum provides opportunities to develop key knowledge, some pupils, including those new to the school and who speak English as an additional language, are not developing their understanding as well as they could. This is because assessment is not used consistently to check that concepts are understood and consolidated before moving on to more complex content.Staff are suitably trained to implement the school's phonics curriculum.

Books are matched to the sounds that pupils know. Parents and carers are invited to reading sessions, for example in the early years 'living room'. On occasion, teaching does not allow sufficient time for pupils to practise new sounds before applying them independently.

This means that some errors are not picked up and addressed as quickly as they could be. Some pupils, including those new to the school and who speak English as an additional language, do not achieve as well in the phonics screening check. The school has reviewed their approach to ensure that staff continue to model language, and for new sounds to be adequately rehearsed, so that pupils benefit from the language-rich environment.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including in early years, are very well cared for at the school. Staff identify pupils' needs accurately and provide appropriate support. Staff are trained to adapt the curriculum for pupils.

This means that pupils are well supported to make progress from their different starting points.

The curriculum for pupils' wider personal development is carefully considered. Pupils learn about shared values in their school community and discuss how to put these into practice.

For example, pupils consider how to be good team players on the football pitch. Lessons are rarely disrupted. During informal times, including breaktimes, expectations are sometimes made less clear to pupils.

Nonetheless, there are courteous interactions between pupils and adults. Pupils attend well and on time.

Staff, including those at the early stages of their careers, are well supported by leaders to develop professionally.

Those responsible for governance fulfil their statutory duties. However, at times, the implementation of aspects of the school's work is not systematically reviewed to ensure that they are having the intended impact.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, assessment is not used effectively to check what pupils know and remember. In these instances, some pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, do not consistently secure some of the key concepts they need for future learning. The school, including those responsible for governance, should check that the intended curriculum is implemented consistently, and that assessment is used well to identify and address misconceptions.

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