Beech Street Community Primary School

School Report Beech Street Primary School Beech Street, Winton, Eccles, Manchester, M30 8GB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils’ achievement by the end of Key Stage 2 is good and has continued to improve since the time of the last inspection.  Teaching is good with some that is outstanding. Teachers deliver interesting lessons as a result of a stimulating curriculum which is focused on pupils’ interests. Most lessons are well organised and have good pace and activities that motivate and engage pupils well.  Recent changes to the teaching of reading have resulted in improvements in outcomes for pupils at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2.  Because of concerted efforts by leaders, staff, parents and pupils, attendance has improved to be in line with the national average.  Parents hold very positive views about the quality of leadership in the school. The school is well led by the experienced headteacher whose vision has created a strong sense of teamwork between all who learn and work there.  Behaviour is good because pupils are clear

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

about what is expected of them from an early age. They enjoy being part of ‘Team Beech Street’ and are happy and well cared for.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is a strength. They are helped to consider the feelings of others and build their own self- esteem and self-confidence extremely well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Progress is uneven across the school because too few boys reach the higher levels in writing in some year groups.  Marking does not always consistently help improve all pupils’ writing.  Governors do not receive enough information about how well all pupils and groups of pupils are doing to enable them to hold school leaders fully to account.  Leaders do not regularly check the quality of teaching or fully consider its impact on pupils’ achievement.  Strategic plans do not have sharp enough criteria to enable leaders, including governors, to measure the success of actions taken.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 18 lessons and made a number of short visits to classrooms to observe teaching and learning. They listened to readers and observed the teaching of early reading skills in the school. The inspectors also looked at examples of pupils’ work.  Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, one group of parents, the Chair of the Governing Body, a representative of the local authority and members of staff.  In the course of the inspection, inspectors took account of 12 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), a letter from a parent, the school’s analysis of questionnaires completed by parents and pupils during the last school year and 20 staff questionnaires.  They observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including a summary of the school’s self-evaluation, strategic plan and the school’s analysis of current data.

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Inspection team

Lyn Pender, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Patricia Cope Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school, although numbers have risen recently due to the admission of more children to the Reception class.  Most pupils are White British; however, the number of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds continues to grow and is now above average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is larger than average.  Fewer pupils than average are supported at school action. The number of pupils supported at school action plus or those with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.  The number of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (which provides additional funding for children in the care of the local authority, those who are known to be eligible for free school meals and the children of military personnel on active service overseas) is well above the national average and has risen year on year. The school meets the current

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Information about this school

government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Awards held include Investors in People, the Arts Mark and, recently, the school has been awarded the Basic Skills Quality Mark for the fourth time.  Breakfast and after-school provision are managed by a private company and are subject to a separate inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By July 2013, increase the proportion of outstanding teaching so that all pupils, particularly boys’ when writing, achieve as well as possible by ensuring that: - all teachers’ marking clearly shows pupils what they need to do to improve their writing and that teachers give them the time to act on this information - the best practice that exists within the school is shared more widely.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By July 2013, further improve the quality of leadership and management and its impact on pupils’ achievement by ensuring that: - leaders check more regularly that teaching is having the best possible impact on pupils’ progress and attainment - a sharper focus is brought to school development planning so that it is easier to evaluate accurately the impact of actions on pupil outcomes - governors have at least termly information about the progress of all pupils, and groups of pupils, throughout the school and that their skills and knowledge are further developed to enable them to ask all the right questions when holding school leaders fully to account.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skill levels below, and often well below, what might be expected for their age. They settle well and make good progress because they are given opportunities to explore, share and talk about the interesting activities provided for them. As a result, they enter Key Stage 1 with skill levels close to those expected for their age.  Progress at the end of Key Stage 1 continues at a broadly similar pace, although, compared to the national average, fewer pupils, particularly the boys, reach the higher levels in writing.  In recent years standards in English at the end of Year 6 have improved to above average overall, although there is some fluctuation between attainment in reading and writing year on year. Attainment in mathematics has also improved and unpublished data indicate that at the end of Key Stage 2 pupils’ achievement is at least in line with national expectations.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress is strongest at the end of each key stage. Most pupils make the progress expected of them and the proportion making better progress is increasing. Some unevenness in progress in other year groups leads to fewer pupils, particularly boys, reaching the higher levels in writing. However, the gaps are beginning to narrow as a result of improved teaching of reading.  Because of the effective support they are given, pupils who are learning to speak English when they join the school get off to a good start and make increasingly rapid progress as they move up through the year groups. Similar good support enables pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs to make progress similar to their peers and, in some cases, much better progress. The needs of pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding are also met well. They do better, and in some cases much better, than similar pupils nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils concentrate well and are eager to learn. They enjoy taking part in discussions and are keen to offer their own ideas and suggestions. For example, in a lesson where pupils were developing the ability to write sets of instructions they shared their leaflets about making a paper aeroplane with each other to check if the design could be made as planned. They then provided sensible and mature suggestions about how the instructions could be improved.  The proportion of pupils reaching the expected level in reading by the end of Year 2 is broadly similar to most other schools nationally. Progress accelerates in Key Stage 2 and by the end of Year 6 pupils’ attainment in reading is above average.

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The quality of teaching is good

 A welcoming, colourful and well-organised environment provides a positive climate for learning throughout the school.  Inspection evidence indicates that the quality of teaching is typically good and in some lessons it is outstanding. This is resulting in improvement in pupils’ achievement over time.  Teaching is helping pupils learn and progress well. The most effective lessons often include: - well-planned, challenging and enjoyable learning activities matched carefully to all pupils’ needs - clear explanations by teachers of what pupils are to learn and expected to do, so that they have a good understanding of how to move their learning forward - high expectations of what pupils can achieve and careful attention to timing, so that learning moves along at a brisk pace and pupils are fully engaged throughout the lesson - good teamwork between class teachers and teaching assistants which ensures that all

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The quality of teaching is good

learners are supported appropriately.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly. Some marking is of a very high quality and enables pupils to be very clear about their next steps in learning. In the best lessons teachers ensure that pupils have enough time to act upon the advice provided and think about how well they are doing compared to their individual targets. However, this is not yet consistent across the school.  Well-structured teaching of letters and the sounds they make helps pupils to develop early reading skills well. Regular reading is encouraged both in school and at home. The school is proud of its second award from the local library which recognises that many pupils read regularly during the summer holidays.  The school is aware that boys do not do as well as girls in writing. Staff have recently provided a wider range of books for all pupils, including the more reluctant readers. In addition, changes

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The quality of teaching is good

made to the teaching of reading and a focus on speaking and listening in lessons are having a positive impact on pupils’ writing skills, but there has not yet been sufficient time to close the gaps in attainment fully.  Teaching to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is particularly strong. For example, during the inspection Year 6 pupils, led by a teacher from a local secondary school, were considering the impact of discrimination and intolerance most sensibly and maturely.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils who spoke to inspectors said that they enjoy school and feel safe and well cared for. They consider behaviour to be good and are confident that bullying is rare and dealt with promptly by the adults if incidents do occur. Some pupils expressed a few concerns about boisterous behaviour at playtime. They agreed that staff had taken steps to address this and that behaviour had improved as a result.  The school promotes positive attitudes to learning and pupils respond well to the rewards system which sets high expectations and encourages good behaviour and attendance. Weekly ‘golden time’ sessions are popular; pupils enjoy the opportunity to choose activities and work with different teachers and pupils.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is a real strength. Leaders have allocated resources, including key staff, to this important aspect of the school. Pupils say that ‘circle time’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

is important to them. They talk about things that may be worrying them and learn how to manage their own feelings and respect those of others. Pupils told inspectors that, in circle time, pupils often choose to talk about friendship groups who might have fallen out or bullying incidents, if they occur. These issues are resolved by the class with the help of the adult present. During the inspection one session very effectively helped Year 5 pupils think about how they would keep safe when using the internet.  The class captains of ‘Team Beech Street’ are one example of pupils taking on responsible roles in the school. Most recently pupils have been helping with the designs for changes to the playground and all are looking forward to the alterations and new equipment which will be provided as a result.  Parents’ comments and questionnaire responses show they have confidence in the education, care and safety the school provides for their children.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has continued to improve since the last inspection. A welcoming and inclusive ethos exists where all adults ensure that pupils are treated equally, feel safe and enjoy school. Staff and leaders, including governors, share the headteacher’s ambition for the school and are committed to providing the best possible care and education for all pupils. The school has good capacity to continue to move forward.  Pupils’ progress is reviewed regularly. Teachers have to account for the achievement of the pupils in their class and understand that this contributes to salary progression. The training of all staff is clearly linked to performance management and school priorities. School leaders have identified good practice in teaching and are beginning to use this to work with teachers and support staff to improve practice even further.  Lesson observations and checks on pupils’ work by leaders are carried out periodically.

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The leadership and management are good

However, these checks do not take place regularly enough nor are they linked firmly enough to the progress pupils make to ensure that the quality of teaching is consistently improving.  The priorities identified in the school improvement plan are generally accurate but success criteria are not precise enough to help leaders, including governors, to fully assess how successfully the actions taken are helping to improve the achievement of pupils.  An enriched and well-balanced curriculum is provided. It is adapted well to meet the needs of all pupils, particularly those who are disabled or have special educational needs. Lunchtime and after-school clubs are valued by the pupils.  Parents are supportive of the school and feel that the regular communications they receive keep them fully informed and actively involved in their children’s education. Parents whose children join the school at other than the normal time are pleased with the induction

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The leadership and management are good

arrangements which help their children settle in well.  The local authority has provided effective support for this good school.  The governance of the school: - Governors are supportive and ambitious for the achievement of all pupils and ensure that statutory safeguarding requirements are met. Members are provided with information about the outcomes for pupils at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2; however, they do not have the opportunity to regularly consider the attainment and progress of all pupils and groups of pupils in the school. Inspection evidence shows that governors are sometimes unable to attend training, as sessions are not always provided at a convenient time for members with work commitments. This means that governors are not always able to hold leaders fully to account, particularly when considering achievement data.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 105906 Local authority Salford Inspection number 402991

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 230 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs K Bolton Headteacher Mrs P Carr Date of previous school inspection 19 May 2008 Telephone number 0161 789 1553 Fax number 0161 921 1623 Email address beechstreet.primaryschool@salford.gov.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,

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School details

please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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