Belmont School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school and are keen to embody the school's ethos: 'Show respect, do our best, make the right choice'. Pupils are taught how to stay safe and how to ask for help when they need it. Pupils learn how to care for each other and their community.

As a result, pupils, including children in the early years, are well looked after and kept safe.

Pupils benefit from a range of rich experiences. For example, children in the early years visit the forest school each week.

Older pupils are involved in fundraising initiatives that promote important causes such as disabilities and anti-racism. Pupils have opportunities to develop their leadership by ...serving as 'eco warriors', 'digital leaders' and as representatives on the school council.

The school's curriculum is ambitious and carefully designed to match the breadth and depth of what is expected nationally.

Pupils work hard and produce work of good quality. The school promotes a love of reading. For example, avid readers are rewarded using the school's 'golden tickets'.

However, there are some inconsistencies in how reading is taught, limiting the achievement of some pupils. Leaders recognise this and have suitable plans in place to address the issue.

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

In each subject and area of learning in the early years, leaders have set out the key knowledge they expect pupils to learn.

This helps pupils to connect their learning within and between subjects by building on what they have learned previously. For example, in science, younger pupils are introduced to different food types, and they consider life cycles by planting their own seeds in the school's vegetable patch. They apply this understanding in design and technology by making their healthy wraps using their own seasonal produce.

By Year 6, pupils create their own three course meals and evaluate the environmental and nutritional benefits of their food.

In recent years, pupils' achievement in reading has been less strong than is the case nationally. Leaders have rightly prioritised this area and have put training in place to support staff in the teaching of phonics and reading.

Pupils begin the school's agreed phonics programme as soon as they start their Reception year. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), practise reading with books that match the sounds they are learning. Pupils who struggle with reading are quickly identified and given support.

While this supports some pupils to develop as accurate readers, staff do not consistently ensure that sounds are modelled and practised with precision. This means that misconceptions are not addressed swiftly, limiting some pupils' fluency and confidence.

Teachers understand the needs of pupils with SEND.

This is because systems are well established to identify pupils' additional needs. Leaders work with external agencies to ensure that training for staff is effective. Pupils in the 'Stargazers' provision, and across 'pathways', follow a curriculum that is carefully tailored to their needs.

They are supported to learn effectively and are well prepared for the next phase of their education. As a result, pupils access an ambitious curriculum alongside their peers, where this is possible, as well as benefiting from the broader life of the school.

The curriculum for pupils' wider development is exceptional.

The curriculum is carefully designed to ensure that pupils, including those with SEND, develop an understanding of important concepts such as democracy, equity and injustice. Pupils are given opportunities to deepen their spiritual understanding through a programme of visits and speakers to enhance their appreciation of different faiths and cultures. Pupils readily take on additional responsibilities and apply the values they have learned around the school as prefects and 'peace leaders'.

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. There is a respectful culture among staff and pupils. This is because expectations and routines are typically applied with consistency.

Bullying is rare, and pupils feel able to raise concerns if they need to. All pupils have access to the school's outdoor extended play provision. 'Play detectives' help pupils to follow the school rules and include others in their activities.

Leaders work closely with families and external agencies to keep attendance and punctuality high.

Staff, including those at the early stages of their careers, are typically positive about the help they receive from leaders. For example, staff are able to access the well-being support on offer, including access to the school counsellor.

Those responsible for governance understand and fulfil their statutory duties. While they review aspects of the school's work, this has not routinely focused on the areas that have required most attention.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Assessment is not used consistently well to check and correct pupils' misconceptions in reading. This means that some pupils do not develop as fluent and confident readers, limiting their achievement. The school needs to check how accurately the reading curriculum is implemented.

• The governors' review of aspects of the school's work has not routinely been rigorous or timely. As a result, effort has not been sufficiently focused on the areas requiring the most attention. Those responsible for governance should ensure they have the information and training they need to hold leaders to account for their work to further improve the school and pupils' outcomes.

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