Beckfoot Allerton Primary School and Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Following a period of turbulence, staff, parents and pupils all agree that new leaders have made significant and rapid improvements to the school.

Leaders are now realising their vision, which builds on the values of 'hard work, trust and responsibility'.

Pupils are happy at school. They feel safe because staff care for them.

Playtimes are well supervised and pupils enjoy games organised by adults. Bullying is rare. Pupils know that adults will listen to them and help them to resolve problems.

The personal development of pupils is at the heart of the school. Pupils understand important values such as democracy and respect. They know how to stay safe ...and be healthy.

Older pupils enjoy opportunities such as 'life coaching' and receiving helpful careers information. 'Family dining' at lunchtime helps pupils build important skills such as sharing and cooperation.

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils.

Their actions to improve English and mathematics are beginning to be effective. However, pupils do not learn as well as they should in all subjects. Leaders have put new curriculum plans in place and know there is still work to do to improve the quality of education pupils receive.

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

Trustees oversaw immediate improvements following the last inspection. However, challenges related to COVID-19, and some turbulence in staffing, meant that these initial improvements were not sustained over time. In the last 12 months, new leaders have made radical and significant changes to improve the school.

New leadership from the trust is helping school leaders to accelerate this progress at pace. Staff are on board. They value the high-quality training that they receive.

As a result of this training, staff are more skilled and pupils are receiving a better quality of education than they previously were. Leaders know that they need more time to embed these changes to further improve some aspects of the curriculum.

Leaders have, rightly, prioritised English and mathematics.

The curriculum in these subjects sets out precise steps in learning. This helps teachers to build pupils' knowledge over time. Teachers consider carefully how to help pupils learn.

For example, pupils develop their ideas for writing by talking about them first. In mathematics, pupils use carefully chosen resources to check calculations. Pupils are building their confidence in these subjects.

In other subjects, curriculum thinking is new. Ambitious plans are in place which identify what pupils need to learn and when it should be taught. However, these plans do not yet reflect pupils' previous gaps in learning.

There is variability in how well teachers use assessment. In subjects such as mathematics and physical education (PE), teachers check what pupils know and remember over time. This helps teachers to ensure that pupils have the necessary prior knowledge to make sense of new ideas.

This is not yet consistent in all subjects. Teachers do not always check that pupils understand what they are learning. This means that pupils are not supported well to fully understand new curriculum content.

Leaders have prioritised early reading. All staff have had training which helps them support pupils who are learning to read. Reading books are matched well to the letter sounds that pupils already know.

Books are regularly changed. Pupils also choose books to read with an adult for enjoyment. Leaders have put in place daily phonics sessions.

Although many of these sessions are effective, some phonics sessions, including 'catch-up' sessions, lack specific focus on supporting pupils who have fallen behind.

Children in the early years do well. There are lots of planned opportunities to learn both indoors and outdoors.

These planned opportunities are built around themes which capture children's imagination. For example, children observe caterpillars and baby chicks as they grow and change. This helps them understand important ideas ready for them to begin to study science in Year 1.

Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn well at this school. Pupils' needs are identified and clear plans of support are in place.

Leaders have put in place a new behaviour system.

Staff follow this consistently and manage behaviour well. Very few lessons are disrupted by pupils not concentrating on learning tasks.

The personal development of pupils is strong.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves fit and healthy. Dental nurses visit school to support pupils' oral health. Pupils' character is built through a range of leadership opportunities available in school.

For example, pupils can become 'earth buddies', play leaders or members of the sports council. Older pupils benefit from 'life coaching' to build self-esteem and confidence. Pupils value these opportunities.

Leaders engage effectively with staff. They feel well supported. Leaders have implemented new changes in school without increasing staff's workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have robust and secure safeguarding procedures in place. All staff know how to identify concerns, help and manage risks.

Leaders are very sensitive to the risks that pupils may face outside of school. They work closely with many local agencies. For example, the police come into school routinely to talk about important issues affecting the community.

Leaders promote a 'listening culture' in school. This means that they can identify the root cause of any unhealthy behaviours and help pupils to understand why these behaviours are not acceptable.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subject areas, more recent ambitious curriculum plans do not take account of any gaps in pupils' prior learning.

As a result, some pupils do not have the prior knowledge required to make sense of new learning. Leaders should ensure that curriculum plans for foundation subjects consider any gaps in knowledge that pupils may have following a change of curriculum before moving on to new curriculum content. ? Teachers do not use assessment consistently well.

Sometimes, teachers do not check sufficiently that pupils' have retained important knowledge over time. This means that pupils' knowledge gaps are not identified and addressed. Leaders should ensure that assessment is used effectively by teachers to check that all pupils learn the intended curriculum and remember it over time.

• Some phonics sessions, such as catch-up sessions, are not focused precisely on what pupils need to learn. This means that a significant minority of pupils in key stage 2 are still at an early stage of learning to read. Leaders must ensure that all additional phonics sessions for pupils who are falling behind identify specifically what pupils need to learn so that they catch up to their peers quickly.

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