Beech Hill Community Primary School

Inspection of Beech Hill Community Primary School Dunstable Road, Luton, Bedfordshire LU4 8BW

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 October 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 13 and 14 October 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Beech Hill Primary School is a happy and welcoming place. Pupils feel valued and cared for. They enjoy being at school, meeting their friends and learning in lessons. Relationships between pupils, adults and families are positive. There is an inclusive environment that ensures pupils treat each other with respect and kindness.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations of pupils. Pupils know that they must work hard in their lessons. They are eager to share what they know and how they find things out. Many pupils say they ‘love to learn’ and that they enjoy school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Playtimes are joyous times. There is a sea of smiling faces as pupils share their games and play together. Pupils say that generally everyone behaves well and bullying hardly occurs. If it does, pupils are confident that adults will manage any concerns effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many parents agree with their children and told us how happy they are with the school. They recognise how well leaders support pupils’ development and learning. One parent summed it up, saying, ‘There are not enough words to say how happy I am with the school’.

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better?

Leaders have worked together to improve the school. They have tackled weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. The headteacher has built a cohesive team. They have worked together to develop the curriculum. Staff appreciate this opportunity and feel valued for their contribution to what pupils are to be taught.

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better?

Curriculum leaders have thought about the important knowledge pupils need to learn. Starting from the early years, teachers give priority to developing pupils' language. Leaders have selected the key vocabulary that helps to build pupils’ knowledge. For example, in science, pupils use terms such as ‘omnivores’ to help them understand about food chains.

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better?

The curriculum sets out the order in which pupils will learn new ideas. In early years, children learn the expectations and routines well. The curriculum is planned to build important foundations for children’s learning. Children enjoy well-structured activities that help prepare them for Year 1 and beyond.

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better?

In most subjects, plans provide all the knowledge pupils need to remember. Teachers make careful checks on pupils’ learning. Leaders of these subjects have a secure grasp of how well their curriculum plans are working. This is not the case for all subjects. Some leaders are new to their roles. They do not know whether teachers’ subject knowledge is secure or if their plans are working well.

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better?

Teachers make effective use of resources to support pupils’ learning. Teachers ask useful questions to find out what pupils remember. Teachers change their plans to 13 and 14 October 2021

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address any misconceptions pupils may have. As a result, pupils have a secure understanding of the things that they are learning.

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Leaders place a high importance on reading. Phonics teaching is carefully planned. From the start of school, children learn different sounds letters make. Books are well matched to the phonics pupils are learning. Staff make regular checks on pupils' progress. Pupils receive extra support to help them to catch up. Leaders promote a love of reading across the school. Story times are regular features of the school day. Inspectors saw pupils captivated by stories as teachers read out aloud. Each classroom has attractive book areas to encourage pupils’ reading.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the support they need to access the curriculum. Teachers explain new concepts clearly. They revisit previous teaching to help pupils to remember. Teachers adapt their plans to help pupils with SEND learn well.

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Leaders plan enrichment opportunities as part of the curriculum. These opportunities make a strong contribution to promoting pupils’ personal development. Pupils are proud to serve as school councillors, sports ambassadors or eco warriors. Pupils learn how to express opinions and represent others. They are well prepared in how to become a citizen in modern Britain.

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Governors help to improve the school through their work with leaders. They ask searching questions to hold school leaders to account.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know their local community well. They ensure that pupils and staff understand the risks and challenges faced. Pupils learn about important themes such as cyber bullying, drug misuse and gang exploitation. The family workers are effective. They provide a point of contact for vulnerable families and sign posting early help.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained. They understand how to identify signs of abuse and how to act upon their concerns. Leaders maintain detailed records and act upon the information they receive in a timely way. Leaders work closely with other agencies to keep vulnerable pupils safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Most subject leaders are well trained and know how to check whether teachers understand how to deliver their plans effectively. However, this is not the case for those who are new to subject leadership roles. New leaders do not have the skills to understand how to monitor their areas of responsibility. They do not know if 13 and 14 October 2021

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their plans are delivered well by teachers. Leaders need to provide new leaders with the training that will help them fulfil their roles effectively so that all leaders have a secure understanding of the strengths and weakness of their planned curriculum.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 13 and 14 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200523 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 and 25 January 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Beech Hill Community Primary School is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are from Asian or Asian British ethnic backgrounds. Almost all pupils speak English as an additional language.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, four assistant headteachers, curriculum leaders and the early years leader. They also met with a range of staff, including teachers and support staff. 13 and 14 October 2021

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 Inspectors met with the governing body, including the chair of governors. Two governors joined the meeting remotely. An inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science, art and personal, social, health and economic education. In each subject, inspection activities included discussions with the curriculum leaders, visits to lessons, discussions with teachers, scrutiny of pupils’ work and discussions with pupils.  Inspectors listened to pupils from across the school read to a familiar adult and each other. They spoke to pupils about their reading.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school at break time and lunchtimes. They met with groups of pupils to talk about their learning and their views about the school.  Inspectors met with leaders to discuss the school’s safeguarding procedures.

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They scrutinised documents related to safeguarding. Inspectors spoke to pupils, parents and staff about how safe pupils are.  Inspectors reviewed a variety of school information, including school improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings, school policies and information on the school’s website.  Inspectors considered 16 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including 11 free-text comments. They spoke to parents at the beginning and end of the day. Inspectors considered 40 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire, as well as 37 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Steve Mellors, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

John Lucas Her Majesty's Inspector 13 and 14 October 2021

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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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