Viscount Beaumont's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of good school: Viscount Beaumont’s Church of England Primary School Ashby Road, Coleorton, Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 8FD

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Outcome

Viscount Beaumont’s Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school. However, inspectors have some concerns that standards may be declining, as set out below.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. They are friendly, confident and polite. One pupil told us that, ‘Everything is fun because you get to learn hard things.’ Pupils are happy, and they feel safe. This year, there are more things to do at lunchtime. Older pupils help the younger ones to play games. Pupils say that lunchtimes are now more fun.

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What is it like to attend this school?

We saw pupils behaving very well nearly all of the time in lessons. They were working hard and joining in. A few pupils lose concentration at the end of the lessons. This is especially the case when the learning is too difficult.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told us that if someone is naughty, getting a yellow or red card usually works. They know that name-calling happens on rare occasions. They are confident that an adult will help sort it out. They trust the staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The youngest children have made a good start to their school life and have already learned some letter sounds. They were keen to show the teacher what they could remember. They remembered a lot.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Children make a strong start in the early years. They learn phonics in a small group. We saw them sitting in a circle around the teacher. They looked happy and interested as they practised their letters and sounds. The school bought new reading books last year for the Reception group. They have also started learning mathematics. Children were counting during a teaching session and again at snack time. They listened to a story and some of them answered questions in full sentences. The classroom and outdoor area are safe and stimulating. 2 October 2019

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Mathematics is taught well throughout the school. Teachers understand the subject well. They have chosen topics carefully. New knowledge builds on what the pupils have learned before. Teachers adapt topics well for the mixed-age classes. As a result, nearly all pupils learn the topics well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get extra help. They can use different practical resources to help them to understand. There are few chances for pupils who are ready for more demanding tasks. Teachers have not adapted the curriculum enough for them.

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Reading is not taught as well as mathematics. Leaders have prioritised the enjoyment of reading. Almost every pupil we spoke with loves reading. They enjoy reading or listening to stories by the ‘author of the half term’. Sometimes real authors come into school to talk to the children. Older pupils enjoy being a ‘free reader’. This means that they can now read well enough to choose any book they want to read, from home or school. This approach works for most of the pupils.

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Phonics and reading are taught well in early years. Pupils in key stage 1 carry on learning phonics. They choose their reading books according to a ‘book band’. However, pupils who struggle with reading do not have books that they can read well enough. Standards in reading have been lower than in mathematics in recent years.

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Leaders know how important it is to teach topics in the right order. They have been working on this with other schools in the trust to which the school belongs. This approach is in its early stages. In history, pupils were trying out a new topic about the causes of the First World War. They heard new words such as ‘delegates’ and ‘reparations’. The pupils were enjoying the challenge. However, these ideas did not build on anything that they had learned last year or before. As a result, many pupils did not understand the learning well enough and a few lost concentration.

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Leaders know that they need to review the curriculum in other subjects. They have the best interests of the pupils at heart and want to do this well.

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Pupils also have the chance to attend a range of clubs and to try out new activities. All pupils in Years 3 and 4 learn a musical instrument. Some pupils continue with instrument tuition. The new ‘happy lunchtimes’ provide extra activities which have ‘made it more fun’. A new programme across the trust aims to develop resilience, for example. Pupils enjoy their time in school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained They know what to look out for and what they would do if they believed that a child was being harmed. The safeguarding policy is clear and up to date. The designated safeguarding lead and two other members of staff are trained to the same level. They know how to work with other agencies to support children. Records are orderly, and they identify any concerns and actions taken to help children. Recruitment procedures are thorough. 2 October 2019

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Pupils’ attendance has improved over the last year. Now there is only a very small number of pupils who are persistently absent.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The reading programme is not effective in key stages 1 and 2. Pupils who are still struggling to remember their phonics knowledge do not have reading books that are appropriate for their needs. The intervention help they receive is not consistent with any planned approach to reading. In recent years, standards in reading have been much lower than in mathematics and in writing. Leaders should ensure that all pupils learn to read accurately, fluently and with comprehension.  Along with other academies across the Oval Trust, leaders have developed an understanding of the research on what makes an effective curriculum. They are rightly proud of their agreed ‘Curriculum Blueprint’, which is intended to guide the curriculum for all of the academies in the trust. This now has to be adapted for the pupils in this school. Leaders have clear intentions for the curriculum, but the detailed planning needed to translate this intent into what happens in the classroom has only just

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

started.  Leaders are in the process of reviewing the curriculum for each subject. They know and understand what end-points the pupils need to reach, and they are beginning to plan a programme for each subject, which sets out content and sequencing, retrieval practice and assessment. This is in its early stages and was seen at its best in mathematics. However, even in mathematics, the curriculum has not yet been adapted sufficiently for the most able mathematicians. The curriculum is not secure in other subject areas. For example, the ambitious history curriculum does not build on appropriate content from previous years.  Leaders should ensure that the planned curriculum for each subject enables all pupils to build their knowledge and understanding securely as they move through the school.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Viscount Beaumont’s Church of England Primary School, to be good on 3 — 4 October 2012. 2 October 2019

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 2 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110116 Type of school Primary

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governing body

Website www.viscountbeaumonts.leics.sch.uk

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governing body

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection in October 2012, the school closed and reopened as an academy in January 2017. It continued to use the same name but joined The Oval Trust.  The academy continued as a Church of England school, with a Christian ethos.

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Information about this inspection

 During this inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher, the subject leaders for reading, mathematics and history and the SENCO. The lead inspector also met with the chair of the local governing body, the CEO of the trust and a trust director.  Inspectors looked closely at reading, mathematics and history. They carried out discussions with subject leaders about their aims and curriculum planning, visits to lessons, work scrutiny and discussions with pupils and teachers about each subject. Several children were heard reading.  Safeguarding was inspected through a check on the single central record and staff recruitment processes, checking of the school policy, and discussions with a wide range of staff, pupils and a few parents. In addition, child protection records and training 2 October 2019

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records of staff were checked and sampled. Attendance records were checked because attendance had been a concern in the past.  Inspectors observed activities at lunchtime, considered the views of parents, pupils and staff, and read and scrutinised school self-evaluation and planning documentation.

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Inspection team

Jo Ward, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Carol Smith Ofsted Inspector 2 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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