Beulah Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have developed a welcoming culture.

Pupils enjoy coming to school and feel valued. Staff know their pupils well and have developed very positive working relationships. As a result, pupils are happy and safe in school.

Pupils behave well during lessons and around the school's site. Clear systems are in place to support staff on the rare occasion that any low-level disruption takes place. Pupils are confident, polite and kind to each other.

Leaders have developed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, the school has not made sure that the quality of education is... consistently strong. This means that pupils do not develop their knowledge and skills routinely well in many subjects.

As a result, pupils are not fully prepared for the next stage of their education.

Pupils have access to a range of wider opportunities. These include a variety of sports and music clubs.

All pupils attend various outings every year including visits to museums, places of worship and outdoor pursuits centres. They can also take on positions of responsibility which contribute to the school community. Pupils can become prefects and members of the student council.

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

All pupils, including pupils with SEND study an ambitious curriculum. Leaders have identified the key knowledge they want pupils to learn. The curriculum is designed to build pupils' knowledge progressively over time.

For example, in mathematics, pupils in Year 3 learned how to add fractions with the same denominator. Pupils use these skills in Year 4 to add and convert improper fractions confidently.

Teachers generally have strong subject knowledge and present information clearly.

However, the school's curricular aims are not consistently implemented in some subjects. For example, activities in lessons do not routinely ensure that pupils practise and master what they are learning in sufficient depth. Opportunities are missed to embed and consolidate learning.

This means that pupils do not routinely retain the knowledge that they have learnt. While the school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND accurately, teaching sometimes does not support these pupils to achieve curricular aims successfully.

Systems to check pupils' understanding and address misconceptions are not securely in place.

As a result, pupils move on to new content before they have a secure understanding of prior learning. This means that pupils have gaps in their understanding across the curriculum. In 2023, pupils' outcomes in national tests were significantly below national averages.

Changes to the curriculum have been introduced recently, but these have not become embedded to secure improved outcomes.

There is a strong focus on reading. Staff identify pupils who are weaker readers when they join the school.

They provide effective support for these pupils to ensure that they learn to decode and blend phonic sounds confidently and increase their reading fluency. The staff who deliver the interventions are skilled at supporting the weakest readers in the school.

There is a strong emphasis on developing pupils' passion for reading.

Pupils read a wide variety of books daily. Staff also read to pupils every day. As a result of this support, pupils develop their reading skills well and become fluent readers by the time they leave school.

Pupils largely demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. Systems to manage behaviour are clear and effective and staff use these consistently. Leaders have clear and systematic procedures in place, including for attendance.

They work closely with parents and carers to ensure that pupils attend school regularly.

Leaders have designed a well-considered personal development programme. This builds pupils' knowledge of how to stay safe and healthy in an age-appropriate manner.

Pupils demonstrate strong knowledge of what they have learned, including potential online risks. A number of external speakers regularly visit the school to speak to pupils to support this programme. This includes talks from the police and the NSPCC.

Staff have access to professional development opportunities. However, there is variability in the consistency of teaching across the school. Leaders have developed positive relationships with parents.

They offer several parental sessions on a range of themes including online safety. Governors understand the strengths and priorities of the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not ensured that pupils' understanding is routinely checked, and any misconceptions identified during lessons. This means that across the curriculum, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and are not fully ready to learn new content. The school should ensure that all teachers check pupils' learning and understanding carefully and address any gaps in pupils' knowledge.

• Sometimes, activities in lessons are not well selected to help pupils to practise and master subject-specific knowledge and skills. This limits pupils' development and retention of important subject content. The school should ensure that activities are well selected to deepen and strengthen all pupils' subject-specific understanding.