Benfieldside Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where everyone takes care of one another.

The school welcomes all pupils, ensuring they have a sense of purpose and pride. The school encourages pupils to achieve their very best. Pupils enjoy coming to school.

They are safe. Adults model positive behaviour and expect pupils to meet their high expectations. Pupils are respectful and listen to one another's opinions.

They learn about the importance of manners and are proud to show this to visitors.

Pupils are enthusiastic and focus well on their learning. Pupils listen attentively and work diligently.

Pupils are confident that staff are there to support them. They know staff ...will listen to any concerns that they may have. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive timely and effective support.

Parents and carers of children in the early years typically comment on how well their children settle into school life. Children are happy in the setting. Caring staff support children's learning in considered ways.

Pupils enjoy trips in the local area to deepen their learning, including visits to places of worship. They travel further afield to widen their understanding of the world. All pupils can attend residential visits where they develop their resilience and their teamwork skills.

Pupils represent the school at sporting events. This helps to develop their talents and interests.

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

Pupils benefit from a strong reading curriculum.

Reading outcomes have matched or exceeded national expectations in recent years. Key reading skills are prioritised across the curriculum. The school promotes the importance of reading for future academic success effectively.

Well-trained staff teach phonics to younger pupils. Pupils read books that are well matched to their abilities. They have additional opportunities to share quality books with parents and others.

Pupils' progress in reading is carefully checked to identify gaps in their understanding. The school uses this information to adapt teaching and address any gaps in pupils' knowledge.

The school has reviewed its curriculum offer to ensure that it is ambitious.

The rich and varied curriculum builds on previous learning. The school has identified the important knowledge it wants pupils to know. Pupils' understanding of this knowledge is checked before they move on to new skills.

For example, in geography, early years children learn about the differences between man-made and natural features. This prepares them for learning about physical and human geography during key stage 1. By the end of key stage 2, pupils confidently use and analyse these aspects of geography when studying landscapes.

Teachers regularly check pupils' understanding. This helps subject leaders review the effectiveness of the curriculum in their subjects. However, in some subjects, resources are not well matched to the intent of the curriculum.

This limits the progress some pupils make through the curriculum.Many children enter the early years foundation stage with weak communication skills. Staff develop children's oracy skills well.

They talk to children regularly and encourage them to speak with clarity. Well-chosen activities allow children to extend or practise their vocabulary. Songs and rhymes are used to develop children's skills and to make learning exciting.

If children need extra support, they are quickly identified. Expert staff use early intervention programmes to help children to catch up with their peers.

The school works with local partners to identify and support children with SEND.

Plans to support these children are shared with parents and staff. Pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Skilful adaptions are made to learning to allow individualised progress to be made.

The school ensures that pupils with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life.

Pupils are keen to win the attendance award that is presented in school weekly. However, pupils' overall attendance at school is too low.

The school has taken positive steps to improve pupils' engagement with school. It has worked with external agencies to identify and remove barriers to attending well. This is starting to have an impact.

Online safety is taught regularly in school and reinforced to parents through newsletters. Staff warn pupils of the dangers of social media. In assemblies and lessons, pupils are taught a balanced view of world and local events.

They also learn about how their bodies change. Pupils enjoy opportunities to deepen learning of other religions with visits to places of worship. The school ensures that the voice of their pupils is heard.

There are several pupil forums that provide feedback to school leaders. This includes on topics such as ecology and school meals.

The school prioritises the well-being of staff.

Workload is regularly reviewed by leaders. Members of the governing board take an active role in checking the school's performance. Governors visit the school, examine processes in detail and question senior leaders about the impact of changes.

Governors have also actively sought new members with specific expertise. This has strengthened the impact they have in areas such as finance and safeguarding.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, resources are not well matched to the intent of the curriculum. This can slow some pupils' progress through the curriculum. The school should ensure that resources support the aims of the curriculum across different subjects effectively.

• Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means pupils develop gaps in their learning and miss out on important experiences. The school should continue to work with partners and families to reduce the number of pupils who are persistently absent.