Beaumont Lodge Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Dawn Solla Headteacher Beaumont Lodge Primary School Astill Lodge Road Beaumont Leys Leicester Leicestershire LE4 1DT

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Short inspection of Beaumont Lodge Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 12 April 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in May 2014.

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Short inspection of Beaumont Lodge Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

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Short inspection of Beaumont Lodge Primary School

You provide the school with strong and experienced leadership. You have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and know what needs to improve. You take effective action to remedy any weaknesses you identify. The senior leadership team provides you with valuable support. Senior leaders form a dedicated group of individuals who are determined to provide pupils with opportunities to make good progress. You have a conscientious team of staff who are proud to be a part of the Beaumont Lodge community.

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Short inspection of Beaumont Lodge Primary School

You provide pupils with a warm and welcoming learning environment. Pupils are well behaved and keen to do their best. They are polite and show great respect to adults and to each other. Pupils spoke with confidence and enthusiasm about their lessons. They said they are interesting, challenging and fun. Pupils enjoy learning and appreciate what adults do for them.

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Short inspection of Beaumont Lodge Primary School

Since the last inspection, you have continued to improve the quality of teaching. Teachers provide pupils with interesting and effective learning experiences. You have taken action to improve the areas identified at the last inspection. Teachers plan activities and match work well to pupils’ different needs. Pupils move on to harder work when ready and the most able pupils are provided with extra challenge. Teachers and teaching assistants use questioning effectively. They ask pupils of different abilities apt questions, both to check on their understanding and to make them think harder.

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Short inspection of Beaumont Lodge Primary School

Pupils, many of who have low starting points, have continued to make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics since the last inspection. In reading, pupils’ progress is more rapid. By the end of key stage 2, pupils reach similar standards to other pupils nationally. The school’s assessment system provides you with useful and accurate information about pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders make effective use of this information to identify and fill gaps in pupils’ learning when they occur.

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Short inspection of Beaumont Lodge Primary School

Members of the governing body work well with you and the senior leadership team. They provide you with appropriate support and challenge. You provide them with accurate and relevant information about the school’s effectiveness. A link governor is assigned to each of the school’s improvement priorities. This provides an effective way for governors to keep well informed about leaders’ work and pupils’ progress.

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Short inspection of Beaumont Lodge Primary School

Although pupils make good progress, you know that a smaller proportion than average of the most able pupils reach the standards they are capable of. Similarly, the proportion of children in the early years who exceed expectations for their age is also below average. You also recognise that pupils’ attainment in grammar and spelling has been a relative weakness. Furthermore, despite improvements in overall attendance over the last few years, you acknowledge that some pupils do not attend as often as they should.

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Short inspection of Beaumont Lodge Primary School

You have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Staff are caring and vigilant. As the designated teacher for child protection and safeguarding, you keep staff, volunteers and governors well informed about safeguarding matters. You provide them with relevant and timely training. Staff know well the action they need to take if they have a concern. The procedures for accessing any extra support or care pupils may need are thorough. Records are meticulous and securely maintained.

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Short inspection of Beaumont Lodge Primary School

Pupils told me that they feel safe in school. They explained how they learn to keep themselves safe in different situations. Pupils also told me how adults always listen if they need to speak with them. All parents and carers who responded to the school’s own recent parental survey agreed that their children were safe.

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Inspection findings

 During this short inspection, I focused on how effectively leaders are supporting children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 to make good progress. I also looked at pupils’ learning of grammar and spelling and checked what leaders are doing to improve pupils’ attendance.  A new leader and a committed group of recently appointed early years staff have transformed provision in the early years. Leaders provide children with a carefully planned, stimulating and well-resourced learning experience. They accurately assess children’s learning. Adults use this information well to identify and provide any extra help children may need. Children make good progress in both the Nursery and in the Reception Year. In 2017, the number of children who achieved a good level of development increased markedly. More children now enter Year 1 with skills and abilities typical of those found nationally.  Leaders provide children in the early years with more activities to challenge them.

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Inspection findings

Adults question children more skilfully and make them think harder. However, not enough of the most able children master skills to a higher level by the end of the Reception Year.  Many pupils achieve well in the Year 1 national phonics screening check. However, this has not been consistent over time. Leaders have taken decisive action to remedy this. They have implemented a new approach to the teaching of phonics. This has brought greater consistency in quality across the school. Pupils are now more confident in their understanding of phonics and the skills needed to support reading and writing. The pupils who read to me did so with confidence and enjoyment, with good use of intonation and a sound understanding of the text.  During key stage 1, pupils make good progress from their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics. In mathematics, pupils explain what they are doing and demonstrate their understanding. In 2017 in key stage 1, the proportion of pupils

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Inspection findings

reaching the expected standards was closer to average. Their attainment in reading and mathematics improved and pupils’ attainment in writing was in line with the national average. However, the proportion of pupils reaching the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics remained below average in writing and mathematics.  Pupils’ use of grammar and the accuracy of their spelling have improved since the last inspection. The rate of this improvement, however, has slowed. Leaders have identified that pupils’ spelling is not developing as well as it should. The introduction of vocabulary books, writing projects and bespoke training for teachers are some examples of how leaders have responded to this.  Teachers assess pupils’ spelling in a variety of different ways. These records indicate that external assessments in English, grammar, punctuation and spelling are likely to be higher in 2018. However, leaders have not yet established a consistent and

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Inspection findings

reliable approach to the assessment of grammar and spelling. Although leaders provide pupils with support to improve their grammar and spelling, they cannot measure which of their actions are successful.  The actions leaders have taken to remedy poor attendance have been effective. Pupils’ attendance has increased steadily over the last three years. In 2017, pupils’ attendance was broadly average. A similar trend of improvement has also been seen in the lower proportion of pupils who are persistently absent. Persistent absence, however, is higher at this stage than it was last year. Leaders have yet to identify other ways of working with parents to further reduce persistent absence.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that they:

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Next steps for the school

 increase the proportion of pupils and children who achieve at greater depth in their learning  establish a reliable system to assess and measure pupils’ progress in the correct use of grammar and spelling  work with parents to reduce the number of pupils who are persistently absent.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Leicester. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I held meetings with you, the deputy headteachers, the early years team and members of the governing body. You and I observed pupils’ learning in several lessons. I observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around the school. I spoke with pupils informally and met formally with a group of pupils. I also listened to pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 read and examined samples of pupils’ work.

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Information about the inspection

In addition, I considered a range of documents. These included the school’s self- evaluation, the school improvement plan and records relating to pupils’ progress, attainment and attendance. I considered parental views from the school’s own parental survey, as there were insufficient responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View.

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Information about the inspection

I reviewed the school’s safeguarding practices. The school’s website was also checked to confirm whether it met the requirements on the publication of information.

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