Beech Grove Primary School

Beech Grove Primary School Beechwood Avenue, Middlesbrough TS4 3AP

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 There is a shared ambition across the headteacher, leaders, governors and staff to steer a course of ongoing development. Their well-focused actions ensure a sustained trend of improvement in pupils’ outcomes and personal development and welfare.  Training and astute use of a range of external expertise and effective practice ensure that staff continue to develop their skills.  Teachers have good subject knowledge. They plan and deliver work which matches pupils’ needs and interests effectively. Teaching assistants are skilled and deployed successfully.  Evidence in books shows that current pupils make good progress across the curriculum. However, across school, the proportion of pupils who are working at higher standards in writing and mathematics is not high enough.  Well-structured and effective teaching of phonics from early years and in key stage 1 ensures that, by the end of Year 1, pupils have strong phonics knowledge.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Children make good progress through early years. Developments in the teaching of phonics, reading, writing and mathematics have had a positive effect overall on children’s outcomes. Senior leaders are currently reviewing aspects of early years assessment and approaches to monitoring.  Effective use is made of additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils. This has a positive effect on their personal development and academic progress. While the attendance of these pupils is improving, it still lags behind that of other pupils in school and nationally.  The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive well-tailored support. These pupils make good progress overall. However, the progress of some of these pupils is not strong enough in mathematics.  Leaders and staff have ensured the curriculum successfully meets pupils’ needs. Following

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

successful development of the reading and mathematics curriculums, leaders have now commenced a full curriculum review.  Pupils’ personal development and welfare are a school strength. Staff ‘go the extra mile’ to help pupils thrive and develop positive learning attitudes. Developments in the curriculum are improving pupils’ academic progress as well as widening their horizons and aspirations.  Staff expectations, caring, positive relationships and clear behaviour management approaches ensure that pupils’ behaviour is good. Attendance levels are rising, although they are below those of similar schools nationally.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching, by: – ensuring that there are more opportunities for the most able pupils, and children in early years, to work at a greater depth in writing and mathematics – improving the quality of handwriting and presentation – embedding the opportunities for pupils to develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills and ensuring that mathematics teaching improves the progress of pupils with SEND.  Further develop the effectiveness of leadership, by completing leaders’ current curriculum review and ensuring its successful implementation so that pupils’ outcomes continue to improve.  Further improve pupils’ attendance to at least match the average found for schools in similar contexts, by sustaining the school’s determined approach to working with pupils and families where their absence levels are too high.  Continue to improve the proportion of children achieving a good level of development

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

by the end of early years, by: – ensuring the early years leader regularly checks the effect of actions to improve children’s outcomes in both Nursery and Reception – refining revised approaches to assessment to ensure that they reflect the strong practice found in other areas of the school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher, ably supported by the deputy headteacher, has established an ambitious and carefully planned vision for the improvement of the school. Other leaders and staff all play their role in the successful implementation of these plans. The positive effect of this team approach is clear across the school. Consequently, in almost all measures of pupils’ attainment, there is a trend of substantial improvement.  Leaders and staff have a deep understanding of the needs of pupils and their families and their actions have a significantly beneficial effect on pupils’ personal development and welfare. Behaviour management approaches have improved, and the school has a very positive climate for learning.  Leaders identify relevant training for staff, including teachers who are new to the profession. This has included working with the local English and mathematics hubs and visiting other schools to consider effective practice which staff then tailor to the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

school’s needs. Leaders use a range of approaches to check that training is having the intended positive effect. Responses to the staff survey show that teachers believe that leaders use professional development to encourage, challenge and support teachers’ improvement. Staff were also positive about how leaders consider their workload when introducing changes in school.  Leaders have established a well-planned curriculum to ensure coverage and continuity. Specialist teaching in physical education (PE) and music enhances the quality of teaching in these subjects. A wide range of before-school, lunchtime and after-school clubs enriches the curriculum and develops pupils’ social skills and academic achievement. Review of the mathematics and reading curriculums is having a positive effect on pupils’ learning, although some of these developments are relatively new and not completely embedded. Leaders are not complacent and are currently reviewing the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

curriculum for the next academic year.  Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Principles of democracy and the rule of law are developed in a practical sense, for example through the school council and the school’s five golden rules. The school’s curriculum, visits and visitors ensure that pupils have a secure understanding of world faiths and the diversity of people that pupils may encounter in society.  Pupil premium funding has a positive effect on disadvantaged pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare. It is also largely effective in diminishing the differences in progress between these pupils and others nationally. The attendance of these pupils has improved and levels of absence of disadvantaged pupils have fallen. However, despite the best efforts of leaders and staff, the overall levels of attendance for these pupils remain too low.  Leaders make effective use of PE and sport premium funding. The headteacher and PE

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

leader carefully plan and evaluate the effect of this funding to ensure it meets pupils’ needs. Specialist coaching ensures high-quality teaching and assessment of PE. A wide range of after-school clubs and involvement in competitive sports events are well used to generate pupils’ interest in active lifestyles. Clubs in holiday time ensure that pupils continue to develop their interest in sport and staying healthy.  The knowledgeable SENCo has ensured that pupils with SEND receive well-tailored support. Consequently, leaders use SEND funding effectively. Pupils with education, health and care (EHC) plans, including those in the resourced provision, make good progress. Other pupils with support for SEND generally make good progress, although this is not as strong in mathematics.  Leaders have made effective use of the additional resources and guidance provided by the local authority. They have suitably interwoven this support with the school’s actions

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

to improve pupils’ outcomes in reading and mathematics and to develop provision in early years.

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Governance of the school

 Governors have a clear understanding of the community the school serves. As with other leaders, they are ambitious for the school to provide pupils with the best educational chances possible.  Detailed information from senior leaders and presentations from subject leaders help them to know the school’s strengths and priorities. Governors have a secure overview of the effectiveness of leaders’ use of additional funding. A co-chair of the governing body meets regularly with the assistant headteacher to review safeguarding arrangements.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders, staff and governors give the highest priority to keeping pupils safe. There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose.  Leaders complete careful safeguarding checks for all staff, governors and volunteers to ensure they are suitable to work with children. Staff receive regular and appropriate training. This ensures that staff know and follow the school’s procedures to keep pupils safe.  The members of the school’s safeguarding team, which includes the assistant headteacher and parent support advisers, have a good understanding of the community the school serves. They work well with other agencies and families to ensure pupils are safe and their welfare needs are met. At times, this work extends into the school holidays. This team is tenacious in securing the support that vulnerable

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The quality of teaching is typically good. Teachers plan effectively and generally match work to pupils’ needs well.  Teachers use their good subject knowledge to probe what pupils know and understand. Generally, they make effective use of pupils’ responses to tailor learning so that it builds on pupils’ knowledge and skills.  Teaching assistants are deployed effectively. They support pupils’ behaviour and learning effectively in lessons. Their work with small groups and individual pupils successfully helps to close gaps in pupils’ learning and helps pupils to keep up.  In early years and key stage 1, skilled staff teach phonics successfully. Teaching is structured and systematic. This enables almost all pupils to develop good phonics knowledge by the end of Year 2. Pupils use these skills effectively when tackling unknown words as they are reading.  Training on the effective teaching of reading, improved resources and a higher profile

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

for reading across school have developed the quality of teaching in this subject. Regular teaching using good-quality texts that are well matched to pupils’ interests, abilities and phonics skills has a positive effect on pupils’ reading proficiency, including their comprehension and vocabulary knowledge.  Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to successfully plan, revise and evaluate their writing. For example, pupils could clearly explain to an inspector the key features of play scripts that they were planning. However, not enough of the most able pupils are working beyond the expected standards for their age. Also, the quality of pupils’ handwriting and presentation is variable in English and other subjects.  The teaching of number work is strong. Pupils develop secure mathematical knowledge because teachers provide clear explanations and provide pupils with practice to reinforce their understanding. While opportunities to use this mathematical knowledge

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

in problem-solving and reasoning activities are developing, this aspect is not as embedded as the number work.  Relationships in lessons are strong. Adults and pupils relate well to one another. Pupils work effectively in pairs or small groups and apply themselves well during individual work. Teachers use feedback and praise successfully to motivate pupils and to encourage them to share their learning.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils can explain their learning confidently. Curriculum opportunities, assemblies, teaching in lessons and homework provision encourage pupils to become independent learners.  A range of roles in school, such as being a member of the pupil council, librarian, play leader or peer mentor, develop pupils’ sense of responsibility. Initiatives such as designing and creating a sculpture and planting daffodils in a community garden develop pupils’ understanding of how to be an active citizen.  The school meets pupils’ physical and emotional needs very effectively. Before-school breakfast club provides a positive start to the day, and lunchtime and after-school clubs encourage pupils to lead active lifestyles. Staff, including learning mentors, provide additional support to pupils who need further guidance to nurture their social and

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Personal development and welfare

emotional needs.  Pupils have a good understanding of the different forms that bullying can take. They have been actively involved in devising a pupils’ anti-bullying policy. Staff diligently record incidents of poor behaviour, including bullying. This ensures that they fully address any incidents or patterns of poor behaviour.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  The headteacher has successfully promoted a culture of positive behaviour which is evident across the school. The ‘five golden rules’ are well understood by pupils and applied consistently by staff. Pupils behave well in lessons. They cooperate well when working with their peers and they work diligently on independent tasks. Additional support from learning mentors supports pupils who may need guidance to maintain good behaviour.  During playtimes and lunchtimes, pupils play games sensibly and socialise well with their friends. Staff organise a range of activities which develop pupils’ social skills. Suitable supervision by adults ensures that pupils are safe, and pupils know that there are adults to turn to if they have any concerns.  Leaders carefully analyse incidents of poor behaviour and put support in place to improve pupils’ behaviour where required. Consequently, the numbers of negative

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Behaviour

behavioural incidents and exclusions have fallen substantially. The number of exclusions is extremely low.  Attendance has a high profile in school and staff regularly celebrate pupils’ good attendance. Leaders’ actions and the determined approach of parent support advisers have successfully reduced levels of pupil absence. However, despite the school’s resolute approach, pupils’ attendance levels, including those for disadvantaged pupils, remain below the average found for schools in similar circumstances.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils’ books and school information show that current pupils make good progress across a range of subjects, including English and mathematics.  Over the last four years, the proportions of Year 2 pupils working at the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics have improved. Consequently, the proportions working at the expected standards have been close to national averages, particularly in reading and mathematics. However, the proportions working at a greater depth, particularly in writing, lag behind national averages.  The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check was above the national average in 2017 and 2018. The school’s provisional results have improved again this year, demonstrating that the trend of improvement has been maintained.  In 2018, pupils’ attainment in reading at the end of Year 6 was substantially below the national average. The determined focus of leaders and staff has improved pupils’

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Outcomes for pupils Good

progress in reading across the school. There is a trend of improving attainment and current pupils are making good progress. Pupils from Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6 read competently to an inspector, and they could express preferences for different books and authors.  Leaders’ pupil progress records show that current pupils are making good progress in mathematics and writing. Evidence found in pupils’ books mainly supports this information. However, the proportion of pupils across the school working at greater depth in writing, although improving, is not strong enough. Also, mathematics books show that opportunities for pupils to fully develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills are not as evident as their strong learning in number work.  In 2018, by the end of Year 6, disadvantaged pupils’ progress in mathematics and writing was similar to the progress made by other pupils nationally. As with all pupils in

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Outcomes for pupils Good

school, these pupils did not make strong progress in reading. Current disadvantaged pupils generally make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because leaders and staff review the progress of all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, rigorously and take prompt action to help them to keep up where required.  The pupils with SEND in the school’s resource bases have well-planned EHC plans, which staff have agreed in consultation with parents and carers and pupils. These pupils are making good progress socially, emotionally and academically.  The pupils with SEND attending main school classes make good progress in relation to their personal development needs. However, their academic progress in mathematics is more variable.  Pupils’ books show that pupils develop secure knowledge in other subjects such as science, history and geography. In science, pupils’ knowledge and practical science

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Outcomes for pupils Good

skills generally develop well and pupils apply their mathematical knowledge successfully where relevant.  The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined by the end of Year 6 has improved over the three years up to 2018. Consequently, over time, pupils leaving the school are increasingly better prepared for starting secondary school. The school’s key stage 2 results for 2019 were not available at the time of the inspection.

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Early years provision Good

 Generally, children start in early years with skills that are below those typical for their age. They settle quickly into Nursery, where they make a strong start. This continues with good progress throughout Reception. The proportion of children who are achieving a good level of development has increased over the last four years, although it is still below the national average. As a result, by the end of early years, increasing proportions of children are well prepared to start Year 1.  The quality of teaching in early years is strong overall. Staff provide an effective balance of adult-led teaching combined with provision where children choose activities for themselves to support their learning. Adult-led work ensures children get regular teaching of reading, writing and mathematics, which has a positive effect on their learning in these areas. However, opportunities for the most able children to develop

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Early years provision Good

their writing are not as well developed.  Early years staff have revised their approach to assessing and recording their assessments this year. They use a range of evidence sources and team meetings to assess children’s progress. Review of the school’s assessments found the approach is not consistently applied across the early years curriculum. Leaders are currently reviewing these approaches to ensure that they are as rigorous as the approaches found in the other areas of the school.  Senior leaders check the quality of teaching in early years. They visit other schools to identify effective practice, which they adapt to meet the needs of children. Support from a local leader of education has helped to identify some aspects to further improve the quality of early years provision. Early years staff have implemented these changes effectively. The early years leader has a secure view of the effectiveness of work in

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Early years provision Good

Reception. However, her checking of work in Nursery has been less systematic.  Staff provide children with clear guidance and support to help them improve their independence and develop well socially and emotionally. Consequently, children settle in quickly, cooperate well and follow school routines sensibly.  Partnerships with parents and other agencies are positive. Staff engage and communicate effectively with parents and provide guidance on how they can support their child’s learning at home. For example, opportunities to come into school and share stories linked to interesting activities to try at home encourage an interest in books. Links with other agencies ensure that children receive support, such as speech therapy, where required.  Children behave well, and they feel safe and secure. Safeguarding is effective, and all welfare requirements are met.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Co-Chairs Susan Richardson and Craig Wright

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School details

Email address becsteelbrewster@mcschools.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28–29 April 2015

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The vast majority of the pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium funding is well above that found nationally.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is above that found nationally.  The proportion of pupils with an EHC plan is above that found nationally.  The school has provision for 16 pupils (eight in key stage 1 and eight in key stage 2) who have a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Currently, 14 pupils attend the provision.  The headteacher was appointed to the role in September 2018.  The school has received support from the local authority to assist the school in addressing its priorities, particularly in reading, mathematics and early years.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in lessons and part-lessons across the school, including in the school’s provision for pupils with ASD. The headteacher and deputy headteacher joined the lead inspector for some of his observations in lessons.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the SENCo, the leadership teams for English, mathematics, assessment, safeguarding, and behaviour and the leader of the early years provision.  The lead inspector met with a representative from the local authority.  The lead inspector met with four governors, including the co-chairs of the governing body, and reviewed documents relating to the work of the governing body.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around school and reviewed the school’s promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The inspectors observed pupils in the playground and around school.  Pupils from Year 2, Year 4 and Year 6 read their reading books to an inspector and

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Information about this inspection

discussed how the school supports their reading development. Inspectors listened to a number of pupils read in lessons.  Inspectors considered the views of pupils throughout the inspection. They took account of the nine free-text responses to Ofsted’s online parent survey, Parent View. An inspector met with a number of parents at the beginning of the school day. The lead inspector reviewed the 33 responses to the staff survey.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including information about pupils’ achievement, the school’s evaluation of its own performance and its development plans. They reviewed records of behaviour and attendance, and information relating to safeguarding. The inspectors scrutinised samples of pupils’ work in their books across a wide range of curriculum areas.

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Inspection team

Michael Reeves, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andy Jones Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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