Beechwood Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

There is a real togetherness that runs through this school. The school's vision and values of trust, justice, friendship, forgiveness, endurance and compassion underpin much of the work that takes place. Staff have an unwavering commitment to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their background, succeed both socially and academically.

Pupils behave well and attend school regularly. There are clear routines and classroom expectations that pupils follow willingly. At social times, pupils play together happily.

When incidents of bullying occur, leaders take swift and decisive action to ensure this does not continue. Pupils feel safe in school and know who to talk to if... they have any worries.

There have been several noticeable improvements to the curriculum.

The school ensures that pupils learn to read quickly and make good progress in their phonics. Alongside this, pupils also learn to write with confidence and develop secure mathematical skills. This is helping current pupils make better progress.

There are many ways that the school extends pupils' learning beyond the classroom. This year, for example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 have visited a local museum. For older pupils, there has been a residential trip to a Somerset farm.

Pupils also enjoy attending after-school clubs, such as football, dance, tennis and cricket.

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

Outcomes at the end of key stage 2 are low but are improving. This, in part, is because a significant proportion of pupils do not start in Reception, and some arrive new to the school in Year 5.

Many pupils also returned to school after the COVID-19 pandemic with significant gaps in their knowledge. School leaders, with the support of the trust, have had a sharp focus on improving pupils' reading, writing and mathematical knowledge across the school. Evidence gathered during this inspection shows that the actions leaders are taking are proving highly successful.

The school has established an ambitious curriculum that caters for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Topics are well sequenced so that, right from Reception, pupils build on what they know and understand. In many areas, pupils are remembering more of what they have been taught and are connecting their learning.

However, in a few areas of the wider curriculum, there is still work to do to clearly define the key knowledge pupils need to remember and how teachers check that this is secure.

The school has put learning to read at the heart of its curriculum. Right from when children join the school, they begin learning their phonic sounds.

Over time, pupils successfully begin to blend sounds and form words with ever-increasing fluency. The school regularly checks pupils' progress in reading. Where gaps in phonics are identified, pupils are given targeted support to ensure these are closed quickly.

The school ensures that appropriate books are given to pupils so that they accurately match where they are up to with their phonics. More widely, staff read to pupils daily so that they develop a love and enjoyment of stories.

Pupils with SEND receive high levels of support.

The school accurately identifies pupils' needs and routinely reviews learning plans to ensure they reflect the current needs of individual pupils. In lessons, teachers use various strategies to adapt tasks so that pupils can access their learning. The school works effectively with external agencies and ensures that staff are provided with ongoing training to help pupils with SEND make the progress of which they are capable.

Attendance is exceptionally strong. Leaders are relentless in their approach to ensuring pupils attend school regularly and leave no stone unturned in helping pupils and families overcome barriers they may face. The school is quick to intervene when attendance starts to drop and makes every effort to find solutions to any issues that arise.

The school has put in place a well-developed personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum. Pupils cover a range of different themes and topics, including celebrating difference, dreams and goals, and healthy relationships. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, both out in the local community and online.

There are a range of enrichment activities that happen throughout the year for all year groups. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed their trips to a chocolate factory, botanical gardens, a national space centre and many more. Pupils also learn about fundamental British values through different leadership responsibilities across the school and have a good understanding of what it means to be a good citizen.

Trustees provide strong support and challenge to the school. They discharge their duties effectively. Trust leaders understand the context of the school well and have worked closely with school leaders to help the school improve.

Both recognise the need to provide further support to help staff develop their subject-teaching knowledge across all areas of the curriculum.

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the leadership of the school. They unanimously agree that leaders take their workload and well-being into account when implementing new initiatives.

All staff enjoy working at the school and are proud to be part of the 'Beechwood family'.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The key knowledge that pupils need to learn in some subjects is not as clearly defined as it could be.

This means that some pupils are not secure in what they know and understand and how their learning connects. The school should ensure that the key knowledge that pupils need to know and remember in each subject is clear. It should also ensure that teachers check that pupils remember this knowledge to help pupils make stronger progress in their learning.

• The school is still in the process of developing teachers' subject-specific teaching knowledge. This means that, across some areas of the wider curriculum, staff have not had the opportunity to fully develop their teaching practice. The school should ensure that teachers develop their subject-specific pedagogical knowledge to enhance the teaching of the wider curriculum.