Belvoirdale Community Primary School

Belvoirdale Community Primary School Scotlands Road, Coalville, LE67 3RD

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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.  Pupils’ progress has improved over the last two years. It is now consistently good for all groups of pupils, including those who receive additional support.  Children enter the school with skills and abilities much lower than usually expected for their age. Staff prepare a wide range of activities which help children develop a love of learning, making it fun and enjoyable and helping them to develop their skills and make good progress.  Teaching is typically good and occasionally outstanding. Teachers provide demanding work at different levels, so it is not too hard for less-able pupils or too easy for more-able pupils.  Teachers work well with teaching assistants, and make sure that they make a difference to the learning of pupils they work with.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are particularly good. They have good opportunities in lessons to discuss their work, and support each other

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

in group work.  Pupils’ behaviour around the school is good. They are polite and courteous and respect the environment. Pupils say that they feel safe in school, and parents agree.  Leaders and governors, led by an exceptional headteacher, have been successful in improving teaching and pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection.  Governors know the school well and offer a good degree of challenge and support to its leaders.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough teaching is outstanding. Sometimes pupils continue with work they have already understood, even though they are ready to move on.  When teachers ask pupils questions in lessons, these are sometimes not effective in encouraging them to think harder or develop their skills more thoroughly.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 23 lessons or part-lessons. Four of these were joint observations with senior leaders.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, staff, and two groups of pupils. A meeting was also held with the current and previous Chairs of the Governing Body and two other governors.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  The inspection team observed the school’s work and scrutinised a range of documents. These include the school’s own evaluation of how well it is doing, its plans for improvement and records of pupils’ assessments, as well as records relating to governors’ meetings, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors considered the 34 responses to the online Parent View survey, along with 32 completed staff questionnaires. Inspectors also spoke with parents informally before school and

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Information about this inspection

considered written correspondence from parents.

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Inspection team

Susan Williams, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Julian Souter Additional Inspector Elizabeth Needham Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school has recently increased in size and is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium, additional funding from the government for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and other groups, is below average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  There have been significant staffing changes since the previous inspection and new ‘phase’ leaders were appointed to lead year groups from September 2013.

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Forest Way Teaching School Alliance.  The interim executive board handed over governance of the school to a new governing body in September 2013. A new Chair of the Governing Body took up the post in January 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make more teaching outstanding so pupils make more rapid progress, by:  sharpening teachers’ skills in monitoring progress during lessons, so they know when to move pupils on to further work and when to extend discussions and explanations  making full use of questions to probe pupils’ understanding and make them think harder.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ progress has accelerated over the last three years and all groups, including the more-able pupils, are now making consistently good progress. Pupils have good attitudes to learning in lessons, respond well to teachers’ instructions and help each other to do well: these positive attitudes support their good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter Reception with skills and abilities well below those typical for their age, particularly in communication and language development. Although outcomes at the end of Reception remain below average, children make good progress and the gap between their standards and those seen nationally is narrowing by the time they enter Key Stage 1.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Staff ensure that children are supported in developing positive approaches to learning that aid their development, for example by encouraging them to discuss ideas together to improve their speaking and communication skills. The development of writing is linked with activities which capture children’s imagination, such as using tubs of unusually textured and colourful food as an inspiration for their writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has a comprehensive approach to the development of reading and pupils learn strategies which help them to break down and read difficult words. Results in the Year 1 phonics check of pupils’ understanding of the links between letters and sounds have been well above average for the last two years.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Although attainment at the end of Year 2 in 2013 was below average, pupils are now making better progress in Key Stage 1 and this is helping to raise standards in Key Stage 2. In 2013, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 was broadly average in writing and mathematics, and a little below in reading. Current attainment is higher in all three subject areas and progress is accelerating. The faster progress made during the last two years has overcome the previous underachievement in the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The importance given to reading is paying off and standards are improving rapidly, with last year’s Year 6 pupils catching up strongly after previous slower progress. Pupils enjoy reading and read regularly at school and at home. The school promotes reading and a love of books in interesting ways. For example, Year 5 and 6 pupils were enthused when a book was brought to life by the use of handheld computers so they could take a virtual tour and were able to see inside the library they were writing about.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress in mathematics has been particularly rapid due to the focus on developing skills consistently in lessons. Similarly, progress in writing has improved across the school thanks to a staff focus on developing spelling, grammar and punctuation skills and providing pupils with more opportunities to develop their writing by tackling longer pieces of work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding receive extra help in small groups and on a one-to-one basis, as well as in after-school sessions and holiday revision sessions. These pupils make good progress across the school. Although their attainment in Year 6 was approximately four terms behind other pupils in English in 2012, in 2013 this narrowed to two terms in both reading and writing. The gap in mathematics widened, but this related to the particular background of the pupils and from low starting points they made rapid progress in Year 6, well supported by the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. The school ensures support is carefully selected on an individual basis and staff work well together as teams in lessons, with teachers ensuring work is well matched to their needs. The school is effective in securing equality of opportunity for pupils’ learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good in all key stages, and some is outstanding. Teaching across a range of subject areas, including literacy and numeracy, is equally strong. Teachers know pupils well and make sure work is well matched to their different ability levels, including those of the more-able pupils. The work for those pupils who receive additional support is well planned and teaching assistants are well deployed, helping pupils make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan a range of different activities in lessons to engage and interest pupils. The opportunities that pupils are given to comment on each other’s work, to discuss work together and to work in groups contribute to their positive attitudes to learning. Relationships between teachers and pupils are very good.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use new technology well to support learning. Interactive whiteboards are used to make lessons more interesting and pupils enjoy working with small computers.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers assess pupils’ work well. They regularly get pupils to jot answers on small whiteboards as an immediate check on understanding. Marking has improved considerably since the previous inspection. Pupils receive positive comments and next steps to help them improve their work, and say they are helpful.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Teachers give clear explanations and encourage children to think and share their ideas. They make lessons fun and exciting. For example, children were mesmerised by the introduction to a writing task which involved the teacher discovering a hidden envelope in a box addressed to the class; they were excited to hear the instructions for their task and set about their writing with enthusiasm. Children are involved in a wide range of activities which help them to develop their skills while having fun.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Very effective teaching was seen in a Year 3 and 4 literacy lesson where pupils made particularly rapid progress. The writing task was interesting to them, and they were keen to try out new adjectives and personification. The teacher regularly checked the quality of writing and pupils were encouraged to share their work and borrow ideas from each other. The lesson was particularly successful because of the teacher’s timing and the way activities were adapted in the light of pupils’ responses, which ensured that they all made rapid progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In some lessons, teachers did not time activities so expertly or show the same understanding of when to intervene or to give pupils more time to discuss and reflect, for example. In these lessons, learning was not as good and pupils did not make so much progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Some variation was also seen in the effectiveness of questioning. In a Year 5 and 6 mathematics lesson on problem-solving linking reading and mathematics, the teacher used a wide range of techniques to check pupils’ understanding. This helped all pupils to develop their thinking and explain their methods of working. However, not all teachers use questions this well to check and develop pupils’ thinking or support pupils in developing their skills further.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They have positive attitudes to each other and to learning. Year 6 pupils set a good example, acting as ‘buddies’ to Reception children, having lunch with them, and acting as their friends and as role models. Pupils in all year groups behave well in lessons, around the school and in assembly. They are typically polite and courteous to adults and to each other and respect their school environment.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning support their good progress. Pupils respond well to teachers, listen carefully to teachers’ instructions in lessons and are helpful and supportive towards each other, as shown by some excellent outcomes of work in pairs and groups.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say behaviour is good in the school. All parents responding to the online Parent View survey thought that behaviour was well managed in the school. Parents that inspectors spoke to commented that behaviour has improved and is now good. School records confirm that behaviour has improved; there are fewer incidents since the time of the last inspection and any that do occur are more minor. The school is effective in promoting positive relationships and ensuring discrimination is not tolerated.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say that they feel safe in the school and all parents responding to the online survey agree with this view. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including on the internet. Pupils say there is very little bullying in the school and that staff will help them to sort out any problems.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has improved this year and is now broadly average. School leaders have worked hard to raise the profile of attendance with parents and families. The governing body’s ‘zero tolerance’ approach to holidays in term time has supported the improvement in attendance, with the clear message that pupils cannot learn if they are not in school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leadership of the headteacher is exceptional and she is well supported by her very capable deputy. Their sustained focus on raising the quality of teaching has led to marked improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the leadership of the school, and made numerous comments about how much it has improved. Similarly, all parents responding to the online survey and those inspectors spoke to were positive about the leadership of the school and how much it had improved. The headteacher has developed a good relationship with parents and keeps them up to date with school events by using modern technology and providing regular updates about the school’s work.

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The leadership and management are good

 New leadership roles are being developed, with teachers appointed as year group leaders already starting to monitor teaching and support staff in order to improve teaching and learning in their areas. The headteacher and deputy headteacher also take an active role in the Teaching School Alliance, leading training in other schools on leadership, coaching and assessment.

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The leadership and management are good

 The systems to manage staff performance are thorough, with targets linked to pupils’ progress; there are higher expectations of progress for teachers who are paid more. Other targets are linked to individual training needs or whole-school development areas. These are monitored carefully. The support provided to improve teaching has been effective, with numerous examples of impact on classroom practice.  The primary school sports funding has been used to subscribe to a local sports partnership to provide exemplar coaching for teachers, particularly in orienteering and gymnastics. The partnership will also give pupils more opportunities to take part in competitive sport with local and county championships. Additional activities are planned to be provided in school to develop pupils’ health and well-being, including netball, basketball, cross country and Zumba. A lunchtime play leader organises activities for pupils and ensures they all get 15 minutes of

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The leadership and management are good

 The school focuses well on developing pupils’ skills in literacy and numeracy and uses a cross- curricular approach for other subjects, making links between them. For example, during the inspection the link between books and different areas of the curriculum including mathematics was being developed using a ‘themed day’. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through this approach, and also through regular assemblies.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided help in the interpretation of data and advice on quality assurance.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The interim executive board worked alongside the new governing body to help governors develop their skills and prepare them for taking on their new roles. The Chair initially became Chair of the Governing Body to ensure a smooth transition. Governors receive detailed reports from the headteacher and also visit the school themselves to check on areas of work. They have a good understanding of what published data say about the school’s performance, and receive regular updates on the pupils’ progress. They know how pupil premium funding is being spent and discuss the difference this is making. They are starting to look more closely at the different types of support provided for pupils to see which make the most difference. They receive updates on the management of staff performance and know how the quality of teaching has improved. They ensure that pay awards are only given where teachers meet

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The leadership and management are good

their targets and teach well. They are aware of the support that has been provided to improve teaching and how weaker teaching has been addressed in the past. Governors all attended induction training and also attend training with school staff. Safeguarding meets current national 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 119913 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 430579

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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 Maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 296 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sue Rath Headteacher Anne Bufton-McCoy Date of previous school inspection 5 July 2012 Telephone number 01530 832595 Fax number 01530 815593 Email address enquiries@belvoirdale.leics.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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