Beresford Memorial CofE First School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders, staff and governors foster a very positive and supportive school community.

The headteacher's and deputy headteacher's strong leadership, together with a skilled and dedicated staff team, are maintaining good outcomes for pupils. The staff provide exceptional support and care for pupils, particularly those that are vulnerable or disadvantaged. The school is very effective in ensuring pupils' safety and well-being.

Disadvantaged pupils achieve as well as other pupils. When leaders and staff identify any differences they are very good at planning appropriate interventions and catch-up programmes to quickly close and diminish these ...differences. The governing body provides effective support and challenge.

Leaders and governors carry out accurate evaluations of teaching and pupils' achievement. Early years provision is highly effective. Children make rapid progress in their development of early language, literacy and mathematics.

The early years is led and managed extremely well. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and early years leader use assessments well to focus on individuals and groups of pupils to ensure that they make good progress.

Mainly good teaching and learning in Years 1 to 4 with some outstanding practice are having a positive effect on pupils' academic and personal development. There is scope now for teachers to assess the achievement of the most able pupils more closely to provide work that helps all of them reach higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics from typically low starting points.

However, pupils in Years 1 to 4 do not always have enough opportunities to read and write independently or extensively about a range of subjects or topics. Standards in mathematics compare well with national figures at key stage 1 and pupils continue to achieve well in Years 3 and 4. The school has rightly identified the need to improve still further pupils' reasoning and problem-solving skills so that more pupils learn in greater depth.

There are excellent relationships between pupils, parents and staff. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is supported extremely well.

Information about this school

The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

This is a small first school that caters for pupils from Nursery through to Year 4. Nearly all pupils are of White British heritage. Early years provision comprises a Nursery class for three-year-old children who all attend in the morning, and a Reception class for four- and five-year-olds who all attend full-time.

The nursery also manages and accommodates 'wraparound care' provision in the afternoons for three-year-olds. Families choose to pay for this provision on a voluntary basis. All the children currently attending this additional provision also attend the Nursery class in the mornings.

A private provider uses the Beresford Family Hub for pre-school two-year-old provision. This is situated on the school site but is not managed by the school. The percentage of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is similar to that of most primary schools.

There is no additional or specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs. The percentage of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is well above the national average. The school manages a morning breakfast club and a range of after-school activities for pupils.

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