Beddington Infants' School

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

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Miss Liz Kearney Beddington Infants’ School Croydon Road Wallington Surrey SM6 7LF

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Short inspection of Beddington Infants’ School

Following my visit to the school on 24 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 your school was judged to be good in April 2014.

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Short inspection of Beddington Infants’ School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. The school is in a co-operative: the Sutton Education Trust. Central to the ethos of the school are the strong and positive relationships you have cultivated with parents and carers to support their child’s education.

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Short inspection of Beddington Infants’ School

You have successfully addressed the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. Leaders have developed a whole-school approach to learning that involves teacher-led sessions, as well as developing children’s independence. Regular monitoring of teaching across the school is recorded and analysed to inform whole-school improvement. This analysis has highlighted pupils’ writing as an area for development.

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Short inspection of Beddington Infants’ School

The school has surveyed pupils and listened to and acted on their responses. Pupils undertake self-evaluation of their work and use the information to assess how well they are learning. All pupils benefit from this approach and enjoy the sense of responsibility that comes from understanding the progress they are making.

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Short inspection of Beddington Infants’ School

Guided by their teachers, pupils and children in the early years select from a range of learning activities. This results in improvements in their skills for learning independently. Children frequently opt for writing activities and develop their letter formation. Another example of pupils working independently is when they perform music to each other, spontaneously, in the dining hall at lunchtime.

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Short inspection of Beddington Infants’ School

The forest school, located on site, has been instrumental in removing barriers to learning and improving pupils’ confidence. This includes those who are reluctant talkers. The school takes advantage of local historic houses and gardens, using the latter to enhance pupils’ understanding of their own forest school.

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Short inspection of Beddington Infants’ School

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and that records are detailed and of high quality. Appropriate and effective safeguarding training is delivered regularly to all staff. Safeguarding leaders rigorously follow up any concerns and use the school’s robust safeguarding policies and procedures accordingly. They ensure that external agencies fulfil their obligations for pupils and their families.

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Short inspection of Beddington Infants’ School

The governing body supports and challenges the school’s safeguarding arrangements. Governors ensure that all staff are assessed for their suitability to work with children and that the school keeps accurate records of these checks. School leaders and governors are trained in ensuring that safeguarding is at the forefront of the staff recruitment process.

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Inspection findings

 At our initial meeting, we discussed the areas of strength and relative weakness at the school. We agreed two lines of enquiry that would be the focus for the inspection. The first was to look at how well current pupils are progressing in writing. This was identified because recent key stage 1 results in writing were below those in reading and mathematics. Leaders have also identified writing as an area for development.  Leaders joined me in observing the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes in writing throughout the school. This enabled me to gauge leaders’ ability to assess the school’s provision and gave me the opportunity to see pupils’ work. Leaders accurately assess pupils’ writing and the impact of adult intervention in the classroom. Pupils are keen to write, and frequently take up the many opportunities to do so. The majority of pupils write at an age-appropriate level. When pupils find the formation of letters difficult, skilled staff set accurate pupil

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Inspection findings

targets to ensure that they improve their fine and gross motor skills. This leads to improved letter formation and strengthens pupils’ self-confidence.  We jointly examined pupils’ written work, looking, in particular, for progress in their letter formation skills. We found examples of writers, initially reluctant, who have made significant progress. Older pupils have improved their punctuation, and now regularly use full stops and capital letters. Writing across the school is improving, and the gaps in outcomes between writing and other core subjects are closing.  Middle leaders have recently audited writing across the school. As a result, pupils’ skills in editing and improving their writing were highlighted as needing further improvement. Teachers have since observed exemplar lessons in this area, and further opportunities for training are planned.  Parents appreciate being informed on how to support their children in writing. A

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Inspection findings

recent ‘phonics for parents’ session had a 94% attendance rate. Parents told me that they appreciate being invited into school and it means that, at home, they can more easily support their child’s learning.  The second line of enquiry looked at the school’s absence and persistent absence rates, compared to those found nationally.  School leaders and governors are aware of the issues surrounding attendance and persistent absence, including how to address consequential gaps in learning. Current key stage 1 absence and persistent absence rates are above national rates. Attendance rates are increasing, but they are not yet in line with national rates. The school has plans to reduce absence further, including receiving support from within their cooperative.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:  results in writing at key stage 1 are in line with those in other core subjects  attendance rates rise to those found nationally.

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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 Sutton. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

 Meetings were held with senior leaders, middle leaders and members of the governing body.  The inspector held a discussion, on the telephone, with a representative from the Sutton Education Trust.  The views of staff were taken into account through the 20 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire.  Together with leaders, the inspector visited classrooms across the school.  Pupils from Reception and Years 1 and 2 were heard reading.  School documents, including policies and safeguarding records, the school’s website and governors’ minutes, were scrutinised.  The inspector reviewed work in pupils’ books and held discussions with pupils about their learning. There were no responses to Ofsted’s survey for pupils.  The 94 responses to the Ofsted online survey Parent View were considered.  The inspector held conversations with parents and pupils around the school.

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