Bellfield Primary School

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

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Mr Mark Batty Executive Headteacher Bellfield Primary School Saxby Road Bellfield Avenue Hull HU8 9DD

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Short inspection of Bellfield Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 12 December 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 March 2015.

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Short inspection of Bellfield Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Based on the evidence gathered during this short inspection, I am of the opinion that the school has demonstrated strong practice and marked improvement in specific areas. This may indicate that the school has improved significantly overall. Therefore, I am recommending that the school’s next inspection be a section 5 inspection.

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Short inspection of Bellfield Primary School

Since joining Bellfield Primary School, you and your head of school have created a culture of high expectations which is embedded across the whole school. You have a belief that every child can, and will, succeed. This means that everybody in the school, including pupils, works hard and wants to achieve. Teachers thrive through opportunities to develop their practice and are ambitious for their pupils. Staff are quick to establish positive and supportive relationships with pupils. As a result, all pupils settle in very quickly and make strong progress.

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Short inspection of Bellfield Primary School

Bellfield is a special place to learn. There is a strong balance between developing pupils academically and pastorally. The warmth of the school is obvious when first walking through the school entrance. This is a school where everybody is made to feel welcome. Staff enjoy working here, and pupils enjoy learning here. This is because you and your team have worked hard to create a nurturing and inclusive environment. Pupils are extremely polite, and their behaviour is excellent. Your school benefits from the support you are given by the Hull Collaborative Academy Trust (HCAT). The trust closely monitors the standards in the school and sets high expectations for the leaders and staff in their schools. The members of the local governing body bring to their roles a range of highly relevant skills, knowledge and expertise. They have an accurate view of the school and they ask pertinent questions of leaders. For example, they challenge leaders regularly about pupils’

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Short inspection of Bellfield Primary School

progress and attainment in reading, writing and mathematics. You have an accurate and comprehensive view of the school and you are proactive in securing further developments. This ensures that the quality of teaching across the school is going from strength to strength. You have very successfully addressed the areas for improvement at the last inspection. You were asked to strengthen the quality of teaching in reading, writing and mathematics. Teaching across the school is very strong. Teachers effectively plan learning that is well sequenced. As a result, learning is built on prior knowledge and pupils are challenged effectively. There is a buzz to learning in all classes. Pupils take pride in their work, this is seen in the way they talk about their learning; they want to share their learning with others and take time to meticulously improve their work.

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Short inspection of Bellfield Primary School

You were also asked to ensure that children in the early years are effectively challenged to achieve higher standards. The proportion of children now exceeding national expectations at the end of early years is in line with national averages. Children in the early years are well challenged through well-thought-out activities that stimulate them, but also through very effective adult interactions that move children’s learning on. The early years environment is immersive and children get really involved in their own learning, for example having a ‘dark gloomy cave’ built in the classroom because the children were reading ‘We’re going on a bear hunt’.

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Short inspection of Bellfield Primary School

The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Pupils feel happy and safe in school. They are confident they can speak with an adult in school if they are worried about anything. They said that bullying was rare, but they were very confident that the school deals with any incidents effectively. A pupil said, ‘No one is bullied here as it’s not allowed.’ Another pupil said, ‘Sometimes we fall out, but we mostly sit in a circle and sort it out ourselves. If we can’t, we go to a teacher and they always sort it.’ Pupils have a range of opportunities to learn about keeping safe through assemblies and also through times when pupils from Reception Year to Year 6 get together in small groups to discuss pastoral issues together. Pupils show a strong understanding of how to stay safe on the internet. They understand that they must speak with an adult they trust if they see something they are unsure about online.

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Short inspection of Bellfield Primary School

There are systems to check that adults at the school are safe to work with children. Staff and governors receive appropriate safeguarding training. They understand the procedures they must follow if they have concerns about a pupil. Leaders work effectively with other agencies to ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families receive appropriate support. Records of leaders’ work with external agencies are strong.

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Inspection findings

 At the start of my visit, we agreed a number of key lines of enquiry for the inspection. First, I looked at how leaders have ensured that pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of key stage 2 continues to remain high and what strategies are in place to challenge pupils. You have instilled high expectations into all staff members. Staff believe that all children can achieve. Work is well matched to the needs of the pupils, with all pupils receiving support that allows them to access learning that is expected for their age. Work in books shows that class teachers set exceedingly high levels of challenge, that their pupils rise to. Work shows that challenges are very effectively used to move pupils’ learning on through practising key concepts that have been learned during lessons. Class teachers think carefully about tasks that engage pupils in innovative ways, for example teaching Roman numerals though Super Bowl numbers

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Inspection findings

and wrestling posters.  Clear planning is shared with pupils, so they know where they are going on their learning journey. Pupils said they find these useful as ‘It’s our path to learning. It helps us to know where our learning is going and also what we have already learned.’ Class teachers have excellent subject knowledge and, as a result, can address misconceptions quickly and effectively. Teachers use their knowledge to anticipate what misconceptions might occur, as well as to react to any that do occur in lessons.  I also looked at how leaders ensure that pupils access a motivating and meaningful curriculum. The curriculum is well planned and bespoke to the school. It is well designed to motivate pupils and develop their knowledge systematically in all curriculum areas. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their recent topics, including the Second World War and the Vikings. You engage with parents well through themed events, for

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Inspection findings

example ‘the pupils’ WW2 presentation for learning’ event, themed around the Second World War, where you invited local police, ex-army veterans and parents to join in your learning celebration. Pupils cooked food from the period (including slow-cooked stews and crumbles) and shared it with parents and visitors.  Middle leaders are developing a new approach to the curriculum. They have thought carefully about the particular learning needs of pupils. With this in mind, plans to develop a highly bespoke curriculum that will deepen pupils’ knowledge, vocabulary and skills effectively in subjects beyond English and mathematics are now underway. Leaders have established a clear vision for curriculum development. This new approach is already having a positive impact on learning in art and science. Although work is underway, it is at an early stage. Continuing the development of the curriculum by your middle leaders, therefore, is an important next step.

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Inspection findings

 Finally, I looked at how well disadvantaged pupils achieve across the school and how they are supported to catch up with their peers. You monitor the progress and attainment of disadvantaged pupils well. You quickly identify areas that pupils may be finding difficult and give them support to fill any gaps in their knowledge. As a result, disadvantaged pupils make very strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The progress of disadvantaged pupils has been above average for the last three academic years. Attainment is also high, with the proportion of pupils achieving and exceeding the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics considerably above average.  Pastoral support is put in place to ensure that pupils who have worries are supported effectively. The emotional well-being worker knows the pupils’ families well and offers support to any family as and when they need it. This has resulted in a significant

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Inspection findings

improvement in parental engagement and parental support of learning.  The attendance of disadvantaged pupils is improving. Leaders ensure that effective support is given to families. They challenge parents and carers when their children’s attendance is not good enough. However, the attendance of disadvantaged pupils is not yet at the same level as that of other pupils in the school.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 they continue to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils  middle leaders continue to develop the school’s new curriculum.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the board of trustees and the chief executive officer of Hull Collaborative Trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Kingston Upon Hull City Council. 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 head of school and other middle leaders. I met with members of the trust board and the local governing body. I also met with members of the trust’s school improvement team. I evaluated documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation, the school development plan, information about pupils’ attainment and progress, minutes of local governing body meetings, behaviour and attendance records and information about safeguarding. I met with a group of pupils. I considered the 31 free-text responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. I also looked at the 20 responses to the staff questionnaire. I visited every classroom with you to observe teaching and learning and to scrutinise pupils’ work in their books.

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