Beacon Hill Community Primary School

Beacon Hill Community Primary School Beacon Hill Road, Hindhead, Surrey, GU26 6NR

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 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.  In the majority of lessons, the quality of teaching is good and sometimes outstanding.  Teachers and teaching assistants know the pupils well and support the pupils effectively in their learning, including within the Early Years Foundation Stage.  There is particularly good support for those who are disabled and who have special educational needs. Their achievement is good.  Pupils’ behaviour is good particularly in lessons. They feel valued by the staff and there are good relationships between staff and pupils.  Senior leaders are developing new leaders, giving them appropriate professional development so that they become very effective in their roles in monitoring pupils’ achievement.  Leaders, managers and the governing body are focused on improving standards and have taken effective steps to improve the quality of teaching in Year 4.  The school is happy and harmonious. Pupils believe that respect for each other is more

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

important than rights. Pupils’ social, moral spiritual and cultural development is promoted well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 The quality of teaching is not yet consistently outstanding and does not promote accelerated progress for all pupils.  Middle leaders who are new to the role have not yet had sufficient time to make an impact.  Pupils’ achievement in Year 4 is not as good as it might be due to some historically weak teaching.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 15 lessons of which four were jointly observed with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  Inspectors looked at a range of evidence including: the school’s self-evaluation and development plan; data for tracking pupils’ progress; monitoring reports; pupils’ work in books; policies on child protection and special educational needs; risk assessments; attendance records; minutes of governing body meetings; classroom displays; and resources for the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, the headteacher and deputy headteacher, subject leaders, the Early Years Foundation Stage leader, the special educational needs leader, two governing body members including the Chair of the Governing Body, and two representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors listened to pupils read from Year 2 and Year 6.  Inspectors took into account 67 responses to Parent View (the online questionnaire) and four

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Information about this inspection

letters.  Inspectors took into account the 29 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Jameel Hassan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lily Evans Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average sized primary school. It is on two sites which are close to each other.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care, pupils eligible for free school meals and those with a parent or carer serving in the armed forces is much lower than average.  The proportion of those pupils who speak English as an additional language is much lower than average.  A very small number of pupils come from a range of different backgrounds, the largest group being White British which is above average.  Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage full time in the Reception class.  The number of pupils who join or leave the school other than at usual times is higher than the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion of those on school action plus and with a

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Information about this school

statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school is part of a local confederation with five other schools, including two infant, one junior, another primary and a secondary school.  The school meets the government’s floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching from good to outstanding by:  teachers consistently providing pupils with opportunities to extend their English and mathematics skills through other subjects  consistently meeting the needs of pupils of all abilities in all lessons and giving them the appropriate feedback in their marking, so that they know what they have to improve in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Leaders at all levels must make sure that:  middle leaders new to their roles effectively monitor their areas of responsibility and that they are accountable for the progress of all pupils across all Key Stages  senior leaders continue to monitor and offer support to make sure middle leaders are effective in their roles.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils enter Reception with skills that are above the levels expected for their age. By the end of Reception, pupils have maintained above expected levels and improved them further, showing that they make good progress. This has been a consistent picture over the last three years and is likely to continue.  This good progress continues throughout Year 1 and Year 2 and so that pupils achieve higher than expected levels by the end of Key Stage 1 in all subjects. The school quickly puts in support for those pupils who are falling behind and as a result most pupils make good progress.  Pupils continue to make good progress throughout Key Stage 2, although pupils’ achievement in Year 4 is not as good as it should be due to some historically weak teaching which has now been addressed. Despite this, by the end of Year 6, pupils from all ethnic groups, and in particular, the largest group which is White British, reach national expectations in reading, writing and

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The achievement of pupils is good

mathematics.  Writing has been an issue in the school and, as a result of this, the school has taken effective measures to improve standards across the school. Writing is encouraged from Reception with pupils learning to write between lines, form letters and correctly make sentences. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment in writing is above national expectations and has been so since 2010. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have achieved expected attainment and are in line with national expectations for progress, with mathematics slightly above average.  Current school records and pupils’ work show that pupils continue to work at national expectations, including the more-able pupils. More-able pupils do particularly well in mathematics in Key Stage 2. Good and better teaching across the Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, as well as effective tracking, has made sure that almost all pupils

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The achievement of pupils is good

make good progress from their starting points.  With the help of skilled teaching assistants and the use of outside agencies, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve above national expectations. This is because their needs are identified at an early stage and appropriate interventions are put in place to meet their needs, so their achievement is good.  The small number of pupils who have recently arrived and those with English as an additional language have good support and are able to take part in the majority of lessons. An examination of the average point score for pupils who are eligible for pupil premium shows that some are well above national expectations. Several pupils who are eligible for free school meals also have additional needs but current school data shows there has been a narrowing of the gap between them and their peers.  From Reception, pupils read widely and often. As a result, pupils in Year 1 who take part in the

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The achievement of pupils is good

phonics screening check are well above the national average and this is likely to continue with the current Year 1. Inspectors listened to some pupils read and they used their letters and sounds well. Pupils have robust reading records monitored by the teaching staff. Pupils report that they read at home with good support from parents and carers.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the majority of lessons, the quality of teaching is good and sometimes outstanding. Teachers have good subject knowledge, set up appropriate activities to meet the needs of pupils and ask searching questions, which enable pupils to be independent in their learning.  Teachers and teaching assistants know the pupils well and so they all support the pupils effectively in their learning. For example, in Reception class, the teacher provided a stimulating environment as well as activities which met the pupils’ needs, through the story of Jack and the Beanstalk. Teaching assistants then supported the pupils both outside and indoors with appropriate questions and language development.  Pupils’ progress meetings take place on a regular basis, where every pupil is discussed with the senior leadership team. Good accurate records exist for each class which include an analysis of all groups of pupils.  In a few lessons where teaching was less than good, the quality of teaching was not meeting

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The quality of teaching is good

the needs of all pupils. Time was wasted for learning and some pupils were not aware of what they had to do to improve their work.  Throughout the school, teachers make sure that pupils know their targets for reading, writing and mathematics. In the outstanding lessons, pupils have an opportunity to check their work and respond to marking and they know what they need to do to improve. For example, in an English lesson in Year 3, pupils worked independently because work was set to meet the needs of all pupils. Pupils’ targets are mentioned during lessons. Pupils discussed their targets with each other with confidence and checked themselves to see if they had met their individual targets. Good questioning takes place by the teacher and teaching assistant to allow pupils to see if they were correct, using subject-specific vocabulary.  Although pupils are encouraged to strengthen their literacy and mathematics skills in other

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The quality of teaching is good

subjects and topic work, the provision of this is not consistent in all year groups and so the progress of pupils is not as accelerated as it could be.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is good overall, particularly in lessons. Pupils work well together, sharing equipment and resources, and respond well to challenges in lessons. Their behaviour is not outstanding because where the teaching failed to capture the interest of pupils, they were off task and did not progress as well as expected.  Throughout the school there is a strong ethos of respect which is held by staff and pupils. As a result, the relationships between pupils and staff are strong, with an air of mutual respect.  Pupils believe they are happy and safe. They believe that the staff care for them. The vast majority of parents and carers who took part in the online questionnaire believe this to be true too.  Pupils understand what bullying is and they are very sure that bullying does not take place in school. Appropriate policies in place allow pupils to report such concerns if they happen. They

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

are aware of the different types of bullying, including cyber bullying.  Opportunities are available within the school curriculum for pupils to learn how to keep safe in their daily lives. They learn about road, internet and fire safety. Older pupils have an opportunity to learn and improve their skills for cycling safety.  Pupils know right from wrong. Throughout the school day and over time, the pupils have good opportunities for social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. Pupils have playground equipment each lunchtime and break time provided by the school. They use this well and in most cases share it with their peers so they can take part in joint activities.  Pupils take on responsibilities to develop a citizenship role within the school, including monitoring jobs in each class for books, the register and water bottles. Whole-school responsibilities are encouraged, for example, as play equipment monitors, dining room helpers

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

and members of the school council. Year 6 pupils become buddies to new reception children and in so doing help the younger pupils settle into school well.  Attendance is above average and monitored effectively. Unauthorised absence has been reduced significantly since the last inspection. Punctuality to school and to lessons is good. After breaktimes, pupils enter the school respectfully. There is no bell. Those on duty remind the pupils quietly to go in. They just walk in sensibly and go to their next lesson independently and maturely.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders, managers and the governing body are focused on improving standards and have taken effective steps to improve the quality of teaching across the school. Performance management is in place which monitors pupils’ achievement as well as teaching and learning. Those members of staff who are on the upper pay scales and have an area of responsibility are monitored effectively by senior leaders. With the support and monitoring from the local authority, they have improved the quality of teaching in recent years. In 2012, they successfully dealt with underperformance in Year 4. As a result, due to some outstanding teaching, Year 4 pupils are now showing improvements across reading, writing and mathematics, although their progress is still slightly behind national expectations for their age.  Through mentoring and coaching, senior leaders are developing new middle leaders who are enthusiastic and willing to learn. They are giving them appropriate professional development to

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The leadership and management are good

become more effective in their role to monitor pupils’ achievement and improve their areas of responsibility, although they do not yet have a good grasp of its strengths and weaknesses and how to improve it.  There is a positive ethos within the school and respect is central to its values. Through assemblies pupils learn how to develop their values. They have some understanding of various faiths and beliefs which are within the United Kingdom and learn about Islam and Christianity.  Training and development are at the heart of the school’s improvement since the last inspection. Management of performance is in place for all staff who support pupils with their learning, including teaching assistants. For example, in Reception, teaching assistants have been on moderation training so they know how to assess children’s learning against the new Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. The school looks outwards and is not afraid to find local schools

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The leadership and management are good

that have best practice and learn from them. They school shares expertise in the confederation and has developed strong links with other local primary-age schools and a secondary school.  The curriculum is rich with different ways for pupils to learn different skills. Displays reflect the diversity of the curriculum. The school effectively uses visitors and there are regular, stimulating and exciting trips to enhance learning for all years. For example, pupils visited the Harry Potter studios to develop their writing skills and a local ice hockey team has visited the school. Homework utilises technology so pupils can use a mathematical website to improve their numeracy skills.  There are clubs which the pupils enthused about, such as street dance and karate. Years 5 and 6 pupils have opportunities to develop financial acumen through their own business, raising funds for charities and school residential visits. Pupils have ample opportunities to develop

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The leadership and management are good

involvement with the local community and beyond. They attend local sporting competitions and other enrichment activities such as quizzes between schools.  Parental involvement is strong. Through Parent View (the online questionnaire) and also through letters given to inspectors, parents and carers say the school regularly reports about their child’s progress through parent evenings and annual reports and some less formal methods on a daily basis. A letter from a parent commented how the school gave their child the confidence to believe in herself and achieve anything. The school has a strong parent association which recently bought the school a minibus. The local community is utilised to help pupils learn. Inter- generational volunteers attend the school to help with reading for all years in the school.  The governance of the school:  The governing body provides leadership and challenge and supports the school well.

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The leadership and management are good

Governors have taken a very proactive role since the last inspection. They set up surgeries to find out what the issues were about the school for parents and carers. As a result, governors have set up Parentmail and each governor has been given a class to be responsible for in order to monitor the pupils’ development and respond to parental concerns once a term. The local authority supports the governors through training, as well as supporting them develop appropriate targets for the headteacher’s performance. Through this process, they have an accurate view of the school’s performance. They know how the pupil premium is spent and its impact. It is reported on the school website to inform parents and carers. In addition to this, they effectively monitor the school’s financial arrangements and how much is spent on staffing and resources. The governors hold the headteacher to account for the pay and performance

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The leadership and management are good

of her staff. Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements.

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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 is

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Grade Judgement Description

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 124978 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 402302

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 208 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Chris Grimes Headteacher Sue Walker Date of previous school inspection 29–30 September 2009 Telephone number 01428 605597 Fax number 01428 609150 Email address head@beacon-hill.surrey.sch.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, please

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School details

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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