Beckingham Primary School

Beckingham Primary School The Limes, Beckingham, Doncaster, DN10 4QN

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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 achieve well. Nearly all of them make good progress from starting points that are very variable because of the small size of each year-group.  Pupils’ progress is checked regularly to make sure that anyone in danger of falling behind is quickly identified and helped.  Teaching is good in all classes and sometimes outstanding. Teachers have high expectations and activities interest and inspire pupils.  Teachers adjust tasks well in reading, writing and mathematics to cater for the very wide range of abilities in the mixed-age classes.  Pupils enjoy school and attend regularly and say they feel safe.  Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes towards their learning.  The school is well led by the headteacher and all staff share her ambition to improve teaching and learning. This is clear in the high targets set for pupils’ progress.  Governance of the school is strong. The

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

governing body has an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Governors visit regularly to check how well the school is doing.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching. Not all teachers always explain pupils’ targets sufficiently clearly, ensure pupils correct their work or make clear what pupils should be learning next.  Some parents’ feel that it is difficult to contact the school and that they need more information on the progress their children are making.  Not all teachers and teaching assistants are sufficiently skilled in how to teach pupils phonics (the links between letters and the sounds they make). Pupils’ understanding of phonics and their skills in their use are consequently not yet high enough at the end of Year 1.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed seven lessons including four observed jointly with the headteacher. Visits were also made to sessions on phonics to see pupils working in groups or individually, and short visits were made to all classes.  The inspector looked at pupils’ workbooks and talked to them about their work, listened to pupils read and looked at work on display.  The inspector held discussions with pupils informally around the school and met with a group of pupils, the headteacher, other staff, governors and parents.  A telephone conversation was held with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector took account of the 35 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and letters received from parents. The responses to the school’s own questionnaire for parents and pupils sent out in autumn 2013 were also considered.  A range of documents were examined, including those describing the school’s own view of its

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Information about this inspection

performance and standards, plans for the school’s future development, records of how pupils’ learning is monitored, how the quality of teaching is checked, minutes of governing body meetings, records of behaviour and attendance, the school website and records relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Sue Rath, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage and few speak English as an additional language.  Most children who join the Reception class continue their education at the school until they leave at the end of Year 6.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is lower than the national average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is low.  The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is lower than average and, across the school, numbers are very small in each year-group. The pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, those who are looked after by the local authority and other eligible groups.  Pupils are taught in four classes. Reception children are taught on their own. The three other

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Information about this school

classes have mixed age groups.  The school is part of a local partnership of schools.  There were too few Year 6 pupils in 2013 to comment on whether the school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by ensuring:  all teachers check that pupils both understand and act upon teachers’ comments on their work so that they quickly correct any misconceptions and consolidate their learning  all pupils know what learning targets teachers have set for them  teachers and teaching assistants improve the way they teach phonics so that more pupils reach the level expected of them by the end of Year 1  the outstanding teaching practice in these areas that already exists within the school is adopted in all classes.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve communications with parents by:  updating the school website with easily understood information about what children are learning and how they can be helped at home  improving the information parents receive about their child’s progress  ensuring that all parents know how to contact the school and who to speak to if they have a problem.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement is good and many pupils make good progress from their individual starting points. The school checks the progress of each individual pupil carefully and is quick to intervene if they feel that any child is falling behind. This helps ensure equality of opportunity.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Generally, pupils enter the Reception class with levels of development that are typical for their age. By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage all pupils have made good progress and move to Year 1 with levels of development that are better than those expected.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are taught well in Year 1 and 2 and make good progress. In 2013, attainment in all subjects in Key Stage 1 was above national expectations. Current school data shows that more pupils are expected to achieve the higher levels this year and that progress will remain good.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Several pupils in the 2013 Year 1 national phonics screening check did not meet expectations. This is because not all teachers and teaching assistants have yet been trained to teach phonics. This has not slowed pupils’ progress in reading and writing in Years 1 and 2 as pupils are using other skills to help them work out how to spell or read new words.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Results in national tests vary year on year because of the small size of each cohort but they are usually above average overall. Last year results in Year 6 were below average but the progress that most pupils made was good. The school’s information held on current pupils’ progress shows that they, too, are making good progress across Key Stage 2 in all subjects. The present Year 6 pupils are already at the level expected for their age in all subjects with the attainment of some already above that level. This is particularly the case in reading, where over half of the class are already working at the higher level.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Reading is good but there is no complacency and the school keeps encouraging pupils to read more often. Regular opportunities are given throughout the school day for pupils to read or be read to. Some pupils have daily support to help them improve their reading skills. Although younger pupils read well they do not always have enough knowledge of the sounds that letters make to tackle harder words.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils usually achieve well and the level of challenge set for them in lessons is good. Teaching is closely matched to pupils’ individual needs and this enables them to make rapid progress. For example more-able pupils could explain how they improved their writing of explanatory texts because of the individual guidance that the teacher supported them to develop.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There were too few pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium leaving Year 6 last year to comment on their attainment in English and mathematics; there is too great a risk that individuals might be identified. The school has used this additional funding effectively to provide additional one-to-one support and to purchase new resources. Across the school as a whole, eligible pupils all make progress that is either in line with their peers or better.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress from their starting points. The school reviews their progress regularly and tailors support to meet their individual needs either individually or when working as part of a small group as necessary.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching across the school is good and promotes consistently good progress. During the inspection work seen in books and discussions with pupils confirmed this judgement. Not enough teaching is sufficiently imaginative to always capture pupils’ enthusiasm and allow them to go on to make outstanding progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Lessons are planned thoroughly and meet the needs of all pupils in the school’s mixed-age classes. Pupils say they can do the work they are given because the level of difficulty is just right. Teachers question pupils carefully to check they understand what they are learning and to extend their thinking. For example, in a Year 5 and 6 music lesson, the questions that the teacher asked about how instruments produce different sounds led to pupils increasing their knowledge of the instruments markedly.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have established good relationships with and between pupils across the school and these contribute to a very positive learning environment, where pupils are always expected to do their best. In lessons, teachers ensure pupils behave well and that the work they produce is always of a good standard.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use technology to motivate pupils and to increase their knowledge and skills very effectively. For example in the Reception class, children used a computer programme to practise writing the letter ‘e’ on the interactive whiteboard by following an aeroplane. This particularly caught the interest of the boys who worked eagerly to ‘get it right’.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ achievement and often work as a close-knit team with the teacher. These effective partnerships enable disabled pupils and those with special educational needs to receive high quality support that enhances their learning. However, the knowledge that teachers and teaching assistants have about how to teach phonics effectively is not always as secure as it needs to be.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Although teachers work together and share good practice, this is not yet done systematically enough to spread more of the outstanding aspects of teaching. For example, some pupils are very clear about what learning targets the teacher has set for them, but this is not the case in all classes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ work is marked regularly and teachers provide guidance on how work can be improved but they do not always make sure that this guidance is followed up in future pieces of work. Recently teachers have begun to help pupils to check their own work and that of their friends so that they can see for themselves if they have achieved what was expected of them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make classrooms warm and inviting with many good examples of pupil’s work that celebrate their achievement. The standard of presentation in pupils’ work is good, reflecting the school’s high expectations.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils are polite and courteous and show respect for each other and adults. They are proud of their school and respect the school environment. They are keen to tell visitors how good their school is and how much they like their teachers.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have positive attitudes to learning, they settle quickly to their work so that lessons can start promptly and are eager to participate in activities. In one lesson, for example, pupils were eagerly finding different sums that had the answer ten. All the pupils were desperate to share their ideas with the teacher.

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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 they feel safe in school and are taught how to stay safe. A recent focus on ‘e-safety’ helped pupils understand how to keep themselves safe when on the internet. Pupils are confident that there are adults at school who they trust and can turn to if they are worried about anything. The vast majority of parents agreed that the school keeps their children safe.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a good understanding of the different types of bullying and are adamant that there is no bullying in the school. The school’s records show that on the rare occasions where there has been bullying that this is dealt with quickly and effectively.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Playtimes are mainly free from incidents and pupils play happily together. On the occasions when there are minor disruptions, these are dealt with quickly and effectively.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy coming to school and as a result attendance is good and above the national average.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Some parents who responded to Parent View felt that bullying and behaviour were not dealt with effectively by the school. No evidence to support these views was found during the inspection.

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The leadership and management are good

 The high expectations the headteacher has of pupils’ achievement and of the quality of teaching are shared by all staff and together they have ensured sustained improvement since the last inspection. Staff are united in their determination to raise standards and this indicates a strong capacity in the school for further improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has an accurate understanding of its strengths and what it needs to do to improve. Its monitoring of pupils’ progress is accurate and data is generally used well to set school priorities as well as to provide help where it is needed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The arrangements to improve teaching are well established. Teaching is checked and evaluated regularly and any weaker aspects resolved quickly. Targets that are set for staff are challenging and directly linked to pupil outcomes.

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The leadership and management are good

 Training for teachers is used effectively to develop all teachers’ skills. For example improvements to how pupils evaluate their own work have been as a result of recent training that staff have received. However not all teachers have acted to implement all aspects of this training as effectively as the best.

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The leadership and management are good

 Although some staff have senior leadership responsibilities for different subjects, all staff have a leadership role. They all work together to produce action plans that show how changes will raise attainment. The impact of these is evaluated collectively and leads to a shared approach to bringing about improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is good and contains an appropriate emphasis placed on helping pupils to practise their reading, writing and mathematical skills across other subjects. Pupils benefit from a wide range of visits that extend and enrich the curriculum and make learning meaningful. For example pupils visited a Hindu temple whilst learning about other religions. Plans are underway to consider how the new curriculum will be implemented and pupils are already learning the new computing curriculum.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Older pupils take responsibility for aspects of school life and lead Friday assemblies when all pupils have an opportunity to discuss how they can improve the school or particular issues. A recent assembly encouraged pupils to think sensitively about racism.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding and child protection arrangements are regularly reviewed and meet current statutory requirements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The primary school sports funding, from the government, has been used to extend the range of activities offered to pupils. For example a clog dancing club is due to start next week.

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The leadership and management are good

 Although many parents are happy with the school there are some who feel that they do not receive enough information about their child’s progress and that staff are not easily available to talk to when they have a problem. The school recognises that it needs to review how it communicates with parents.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided an appropriate amount of support for this good school, mainly in evaluating different aspects of its performance and in training governors. The school works collaboratively with other local schools, particularly in relation to ensuring the accuracy of its assessments of pupils’ achievement and to secure additional training opportunities for teachers.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors know the school well and understand what it needs to do to improve. They monitor the plans for improvement regularly and make visits to school to check on the progress that is being made.  Governors understand the school’s performance information well. For example, they know that pupils do not do well enough in the phonics check at the end of Year 1.  They set performance targets for the headteacher related to the school’s plan for improvement and monitor the effectiveness of the targets set for teachers to raise the achievement of pupils. They ensure that decisions about teachers’ pay and promotion are linked directly to their effectiveness.  Governors have been instrumental in ensuring that the school building provides an effective learning environment for all pupils and complies with the requirements of the Disability and Discrimination Act of 1995.  Governors keep a careful check on the school’s budget. They are clear about how the school is

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The leadership and management are good

using the additional funding for pupil premium pupils and know how well these pupils are doing.  Statutory duties are carried out effectively and regular checks ensure that safeguarding procedures are in place.

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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 122615 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 431228

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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 88 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Dennis Shemilt Headteacher Elizabeth Moore Date of previous school inspection 28 January 2009 Telephone number 01427 848230 Fax number 01427 848700 Email address office@beckingham.notts.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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