Bellfield Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and pupils describe their school as the 'Bellfield family'. Everyone has a positive role to play in demonstrating the qualities that lie behind the Bellfield BEAMS: behaviour, enthusiasm, attitude, manners, support. Pupils reflect in lessons and identify which of these qualities they have successfully displayed.

Leaders promote positive behaviour through the use of 'restorative circles'. These 'circles' provide opportunities for open, honest conversations between pupils, parents, carers and staff and are held in a safe and supportive manner. This means, where possible, that pupils can resolve their own disagreements.

Each class has two pupil restorative champion...s. They support pupils at playtime to settle their differences and play amicably.

Pupils know what bullying is.

They will use the restorative champions or adults to help sort it out if it happens.

Leaders encourage pupils to be unique. Pupils have a secure understanding of difference and the importance of respecting others.

Pupils say, 'Everyone is different here and we encourage everyone to be themselves.'

Leaders offer pupils many opportunities to be leaders in each class through roles as curriculum or attendance champions. These roles enable pupils to have a direct impact on the school community.

For example, the pupil attendance champions raise the profile of good attendance. They share top tips for being on time to school, such as packing your school bag before you go to bed to be ready for the morning.

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

Leaders have developed the school's curriculum well over time.

The curriculum starts in the autumn term focusing on the local area, expanding to Great Britain in the spring term and then to the wider world in the summer term. Leaders agree an overarching statement they want pupils to know and understand by the end of each unit. Leaders make sure that pupils remember the most important knowledge in each subject.

Leaders prioritise a love of reading across the school. This starts in Nursery through games, rhymes and stories. Leaders ensure that adults read to pupils every day.

Pupils call these 'reading for pleasure' texts that are age-appropriate. Pupils in early years and Year 1 have phonics lessons every day. Pupils' reading books match the sounds that they know.

Pupils use their phonics knowledge well to blend sounds together to read new words. Teachers identify pupils who need more support with phonics. They have extra phonics sessions every day.

This enables them to keep up with their peers.

The teaching of mathematics is a strength of the school. Leaders have an excellent understanding of the curriculum.

The school has high ambition for pupils. Teachers adapt the mathematics teaching to meet the needs of the pupils in their class. Pupils can articulate their mathematical learning.

Teachers provide useful feedback that helps pupils to address any misconceptions and learn from their mistakes.

Leaders are reviewing aspects of support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They recognise that there is inconsistency in how well staff set targets for what pupils need to know.

For example, the effective support for pupils with SEND in mathematics is not consistently evident in support for reading and spelling.

Leaders use a variety of ways to check what pupils are learning. For example, teachers use quizzes to check what pupils can remember.

Teachers use this information to inform the planning for the next term. Pupils can remember what they have learned in previous years in history and how it links to their current learning. In art, pupils are less confident in making links between what they are currently learning and what they have learned before.

From the moment pupils arrive at Bellfield, staff establish positive relationships between home and school. Leaders create routines from early years that show there are high expectations for children. Adults encourage children to take risks with large equipment in the outdoor area.

They continually model language and introduce new topic-related vocabulary to children. They recognise language development is a key part of child development.

There are a variety of clubs on offer after school.

Year 6 pupils put on their own clubs at lunchtime, such as drawing and sign language club. This enables pupils to develop a talent or interest that they then continue to follow outside of school. Pupils make independent decisions about their mental health.

They decide whether to go outside at playtime or to use the resilience room to read or play board games.

Trust representatives are positive and confident about the skills of the exceptional leadership team. Leaders are consistent in sharing the vision and values of the school.

Leaders respond positively to needs in the community. For example, when a recent survey indicated that parents did not have a secure understanding of what constitutes bullying, leaders provided a workshop supplemented with an anti-bullying newsletter.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff have safeguarding training to ensure that they know how to identify indicators of harm. Leaders hold weekly safeguarding meetings to ensure that all staff keep up to date with national and local issues. The trust completes safeguarding audits to check that the school's safeguarding processes and procedures are effective.

Leaders recognise that pupils with SEND can have additional vulnerabilities. They know to look for subtle changes in pupils' behaviour that could indicate concerns about a pupil's well-being.Leaders ensure that pupils understand how to stay safe online.

Pupils know how to navigate the online world safely by not posting personal information or photos in their school uniform.Pupils can disclose any concerns to the well-being coaches in the resilience room. These adults are available all day and support pupils to address their worries.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Pupils with SEND receive less effective support in some areas of the curriculum than in others. This can lead to them making uneven progress. Leaders should work with staff to improve support and targets for pupils with SEND to help them to make better progress across the curriculum.