Beckley Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

At Beckley, pupils are welcoming and happy. Everyone belongs here. Leaders want pupils to be 'well-rounded, thoughtful and kind', and they are.

Relationships are built on the school's values of kindness, courage and responsibility. Pupils feel safe and are safe.

Teachers expect good behaviour from pupils.

Across the school, pupils follow the school rules and routines well. Pupils understand the difference between being unkind and bullying. Both are rare at this school.

If any unkind behaviour occurs, leaders have clear systems in place to handle it. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), feel confident talk...ing to any adult in school about their worries.

The school's motto of 'Soar on Wings Like Eagles', shows how determined leaders are for pupils to reach their highest potential.

One pupil explained that it means: 'Always aim for the top and be the best you can be.' Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that provides opportunities for pupils to achieve this.

The curriculum includes many hands-on experiences.

For example, in history pupils enjoy trips where they carry out historical re-enactments. Year 6 pupils look forward to their residential trip to Wales. Furthermore, pupils enjoy showcasing their learning to parents through class 'learning galleries'.

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

Leaders have recently reviewed the curriculum to ensure that pupils learn a broad range of subjects. All pupils enjoy this refreshed curriculum. They are motivated and excited to learn.

This means very little time is wasted in class due to off-task behaviour. If pupils get too excited, teachers bring them back on track quickly.

In most subjects, leaders have identified clearly the knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn.

A clear sequence of learning enables pupils to build knowledge systematically and remember their learning well. However, in a small number of subjects, the important knowledge that pupils need to remember is not yet precisely mapped out. In these subjects, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

Leaders have selected materials well to support teachers' knowledge and delivery of most curriculum subjects. In some subjects, for example mathematics and computing, teachers' clear understanding of how pupils learn enables them to check pupils' understanding effectively. In these subjects, teachers check what pupils know and do not know, identifying and addressing knowledge gaps promptly.

This provides a strong basis for pupils' learning as they move through the school. As a result, pupils, including those in Reception and those with SEND, achieve well in these subjects.

However, in a minority of subjects, teachers do not yet check pupils' understanding as effectively.

Before starting new learning, too many assumptions are made about what pupils already know. This causes pupils to learn in a disjointed way and leaves gaps in pupils' knowledge. Additionally, some subjects could be strengthened by leaders further considering the exact knowledge that pupils will learn.

Some pupils require more support than others to access the curriculum. The ambition for these pupils is no less than for other pupils. Teachers know each pupil well, enabling quick identification of any additional needs.

This means that any support needed is quickly put in place, which helps pupils with SEND to succeed.

In early years, adults have a good understanding of how children learn. High-quality interactions between adults and children help children to develop and use language confidently.

Children take pride in their achievements and support one another when they find things challenging, for example on the monkey bars. Children access all areas of learning that link to their current topic. They enjoy listening to stories and looking at books.

Leaders prioritise reading. Children learn phonics right from the start of Reception using a well-structured approach. During phonics lessons adults check how much pupils remember and provide support when needed.

The books pupils read match the sounds they know. This helps pupils learn to read with fluency and comprehension quickly. In addition, leaders and teachers choose books for pupils in all year groups that introduce new words.

These books also help pupils learn about people, communities and events beyond the school.

Leaders ensure there are many opportunities to enhance pupils' personal development. Pupils eagerly embrace opportunities to contribute to their school, such as becoming monitors or being elected for leadership roles like the eco-committee.

Nearly all pupils, including those with SEND and those who are disadvantaged, participate in the wide variety of clubs offered. The Choir is particularly popular and pupils enjoy singing in events like the 'Big Sing'.

The governing body knows the school and community well.

Leaders, including the governing body, have considered and reduced staff workload. Staff, including those who are at the start of their careers, appreciate the support they receive from all leaders and the multi-academy trust.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Ensuring the safety of pupils is a top priority at this school. Staff receive thorough training and know how to report concerns and follow up on them. Safeguarding leaders promptly and appropriately address raised concerns.

They work effectively with other agencies to provide families with the support they need.

Pupils know how to stay safe both on and offline, such as road safety and water safety. They also learn about personal space, consent and the right to say no.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, leaders have not sequenced the exact knowledge pupils need to learn clearly enough. This means that learning activities do not build on pupils' previous knowledge consistently well. Leaders need to identify the precise knowledge that pupils must learn and when they need to learn it in all subjects.

• In the foundation subjects, leaders have not developed an effective approach to checking what learning pupils know at the start of a unit of work. As a result, teachers do not have a clear picture of prior gaps in pupils' knowledge, so cannot always support pupils to learn well. Leaders need to ensure that assessment is effective in identifying these gaps in pupils' knowledge so that teachers can address these swiftly and effectively before introducing new content.