The Beeches Primary School

The Beeches Primary School Beech Avenue, Peterborough, PE1 2EH

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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 make good progress from well below expected starting points.  Children in Reception get off to a good start and enjoy a wide range of stimulating activities.  Pupils achieve better than is usually expected in Key Stage 2, even though standards are below average by the end of Year 6.  Pupils achieve well because teaching is good and sometimes outstanding.  New arrivals settle quickly and make rapid gains in acquiring English language skills.  Teachers set work at the right level for pupils so that it is not too easy or too difficult.  Most pupils take a pride in their work and make sure that their books are neatly presented.  Pupils’ behaviour is good in class and around the school. Pupils say they feel safe in school.  Leaders, managers and governors have been successful in bringing about rapid improvement in teaching and pupils’ progress since the previous inspection.  Several senior leaders, although new to their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

roles, have already had a positive impact on their areas of responsibility.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are below average.  Pupils do not always understand what they are reading well enough.  Teachers sometimes do not pick up pupils’ misconceptions in learning quickly enough.  Pupils do not have sufficient chance to apply their mathematical skills.  Not all teachers have consistently high expectations of what pupils can do and achieve.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 38 lessons or parts of lessons, many jointly with the headteacher or acting deputy headteacher.  The inspection team heard pupils read and, with the headteacher and acting deputy headteacher, looked closely at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors looked at a wide range of school documents, including development plans, policies, self-evaluation reports, monitoring files, safeguarding and curriculum materials, evidence of the school’s partnership work and information for families.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils chosen at random. Discussions were held with senior leaders, subject leaders, teachers and other staff, the Chair and Vice Chair of the Governing Body and another governor, and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors were unable to access the nine responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, because there were too few of them, but they spoke informally to parents.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors considered the staff questionnaires that were completed.

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Inspection team

Nick Butt, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lynn Lowery Additional Inspector Vreta Bagilhole Additional Inspector Kathleen Yates Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Almost all the pupils come from a wide variety of minority ethnic backgrounds, half being of Pakistani origin. The vast majority of pupils speak English as an additional language.  Many pupils join the school partway through their primary education, often from abroad and speaking no English.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (which in this school provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals) is well above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is well above average. The proportion supported at school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, is also well above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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Information about this school

 The acting deputy headteacher was appointed in January 2014 following the promotion of the previous postholder. Two acting assistant headteachers were appointed at the same time.  The headteacher has supported other schools in promoting learning with families and working with pupils who speak English as an additional language.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by giving pupils more opportunities to:  show they understand what they are reading and to draw out meaning from the text  apply their mathematical skills, such as through solving real-life word problems.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by making sure that all teachers:  have consistently high expectations of what pupils can do and achieve  pick up misconceptions in learning promptly and remedy them.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join Reception with skills well below what is typically found. A high proportion of children speak very little English. They make good progress because they settle quickly, and a wide range of interesting activities fires their curiosity and promotes their social skills. They are well prepared to enter Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils develop early reading skills rapidly because phonics (the sounds that letters make) is well taught. They have made great strides in learning to read, as shown by the considerable improvement in the proportion of pupils meeting the required standard in the annual reading check at the end of Year 1, which in 2013 was close to the national average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Because many pupils join the school partway through their primary education speaking little or no English, attainment does not always reflect the good progress they make. As a consequence, standards by the end of Year 2 were well below average in 2013 in reading, writing and mathematics. The current Year 2 pupils are on course to do better, especially in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2013, the proportion of pupils making expected progress by the end of Year 6 was above average and a greater proportion of pupils than usual exceeded expected progress in reading and mathematics. This placed the school among the top 20% of schools nationally for achievement in Key Stage 2. This is because teaching is almost always good.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 This good progress was not reflected in high standards, however, because many pupils joined the school in Key Stage 2 speaking little or no English. Those pupils who had been with the school from Reception attained average standards, reflecting their good achievement from well below expected starting points.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In the past, not enough pupils reached the higher levels of attainment in reading and writing. The school has taken successful action to accelerate progress. As a result, more pupils currently in Year 2 and Year 6 are on course to achieve Level 3 and Level 5 respectively. More-able pupils are given sufficiently demanding work to do.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has very effective procedures to help new arrivals settle quickly and acquire English language skills rapidly. Pupils who speak English as an additional language (and this is the vast majority) make good progress because teachers tailor the work to suit their particular needs, and those who require it receive effective additional support. Pakistani pupils perform better than this group nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In reading, while pupils pick up the skills to sound out new words rapidly, they sometimes struggle to understand exactly what they are reading. Older pupils read widely and can discuss the authors they enjoy, but sometimes find it difficult to draw out subtle meaning from the text.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement has improved especially well in mathematics in recent years. The rate of improvement has been much faster than the national picture. Pupils are developing a firm foundation of mathematical knowledge and understanding, but do not have enough opportunities to apply their skills, such as through solving real-life word problems.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well in writing because they write at length across different subjects. They have produced some high-quality writing based on their topics, such as a diary entry by Boudicca on her life with the Romans and information about Tudor punishments.  Pupils supported by the pupil premium achieve well from low starting points. The school’s up-to- date information shows that the gap in attainment is narrowing rapidly so that these pupils are less than two terms behind others in reading and mathematics and half a term behind in writing. The pupil premium has been spent on additional teaching among other measures, and this has proven effective in raising standards.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve well because the additional teaching they receive is effective and their progress is checked closely to make sure they are not falling behind.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good and some is outstanding. There are very positive relationships between pupils and adults in all classes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are adept at planning work that is mainly set at the right level for them. Pupils enjoy finding out new things, such as when they made parachutes to investigate air resistance. The school’s inclusive approach to learning means that all pupils have equal opportunities to succeed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make learning relevant for pupils and help them to make connections across subjects. In science, Year 5 pupils used their knowledge of solids, gases and liquids to compile a quiz for their classmates to complete. This made pupils apply their understanding for a specific relevant purpose.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers question pupils well to find out what they understand and to make them think some more. This was evident in an outstanding mathematics lesson when pupils were learning to find out the area of compound shapes. The teacher skilfully guided their learning and gave them demanding examples to work out.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Books show that marking is regular and gives pupils helpful guidance about how to improve their work. Pupils have been trained to act upon their teachers’ advice so that their progress improves and they do not repeat mistakes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The reason why more teaching is not outstanding is because there is some variation in what teachers expect pupils to be able to do and achieve. Occasionally, pupils do not make the best progress they could because teachers do not expect enough of them. At times, pupils’ misconceptions are not picked up straight away, and this means they make unnecessary mistakes which slows their progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite and friendly and get on well together. They have very positive attitudes to learning and work hard.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 While most pupils behave extremely well in class and around the school, a few have difficulties, but they are managed well by staff. The school can point to individuals who have made very rapid progress in their behaviour as a result of the support they have received.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to make pupils safe and secure is good. They say that bullying is not an issue. They know about the different types of bullying including cyber-bullying. They say they feel safe in school. They have a good understanding of keeping safe when using the internet. They also learn how to keep safe when cycling and what to do in potentially dangerous situations such as discovering a fire. Parents agree that their children are kept safe. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are keen to take responsibility around the school. Members of the school council make a valuable contribution to the life of the school. The gardening group makes the school grounds attractive and grows fresh vegetables.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils raise money for a wide range of different charities, including the British Legion. During the inspection, they enjoyed taking part in a fund-raising talent competition called ‘Beeches Got Talent’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour and safety are not yet outstanding because, sometimes, pupils need reminding what is expected of them and do not always concentrate in lessons.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school has worked hard to improve attendance and it is now close to average. The work of the Family Support Officer with parents and the robust stance the school takes to term-time holidays have contributed to this rapid improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders, managers and governors have successfully driven improvement since the previous inspection so that the school is now good. The headteacher has a very clear vision for improving teaching and raising standards and has built up a strong team of senior and other leaders.

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The leadership and management are good

 Several of the senior leaders are new to their roles but have already made their mark and have a good understanding of what is going well and what needs to be improved.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers are ambitious and have rigorous procedures for checking pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching. They have an accurate view of how different groups of pupils are performing and have been effective in making sure that nobody falls behind.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher develops his team of leaders well, and fully involves them in checking the work of the school. This means that leaders are able to have a positive impact from the start, and grow quickly into their roles.

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The leadership and management are good

 An emphasis on improving teaching means that most teaching is at least good and all teachers know exactly what more they have to do to become outstanding. The management of teachers’ performance is robust and pay is solidly linked to the progress that pupils make.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is engaging and relevant to pupils and, consequently, they enjoy school. Pupils take part in a wide range of visits to places of interest such as ‘Flag Fen’ and ‘Cadbury’s World’. This contributes well to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The leadership and management are good

 The primary school sports funding is being spent on a variety of additional sports including cricket, gymnastics and swimming. These sports are led by professional coaches and well attended. The funding is also supporting training for staff and wider sports partnerships, so that pupils can compete with other schools. This is having a beneficial impact on pupils’ health and well-being and promoting excellence in sport. For example, the school’s cricket team came third in national finals held at Headingley in Yorkshire.  Links with parents are strong. Parents speak favourably of the school. They attend workshops to help them support their children at home. They value the school’s informative website, which includes model lessons for them to watch to show them how phonics, for example, is taught.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided a good level of support to the school, but this is reducing as the school’s capacity to sustain and build upon its good practice has increased.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They know how pupils’ performance compares with that in other schools and about the quality of teaching. They bring a wide range of skills to the governing body including educational expertise. Governors have carried out their own self-review which has helped them to become more effective in holding school leaders to account. They visit the school frequently to find out for themselves what is going on and record their findings conscientiously. Governors also help out in school, for example as reading buddies. They know how specific funding, such as the pupil premium and the primary school sports funding, is being spent and the impact this is having on outcomes for pupils. They take a keen interest in the management of teachers’ performance and make sure that pay awards are only given when deserved. Governors know

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The leadership and management are good

what the school is doing to tackle any underperformance. They make sure that safeguarding arrangements meet 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 110756 Local authority Peterborough Inspection number 430789

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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 613 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair William Peasley Headteacher Tim Smith Date of previous school inspection 24 – 25 April 2012 Telephone number 01733 209877 Fax number 01733 209878 Email address secretary@beeches.peterborough.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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