Beckfoot Priestthorpe Primary School & Nursery

Inspection of a good school: Beckfoot Priestthorpe Primary School & Nursery Mornington Road, Bingley, West Yorkshire BD16 4JS

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school are friendly and courteous. Everyone is made to feel welcome, including new pupils to the school. Pupils love coming to school. They say this is because teachers add an ‘element of fun to learning’ and help them when they need it. Parents agree with this and say, ‘The staff are brilliant, and I am a happy parent.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say they enjoy their lessons. However, some pupils cannot remember what they have learned in subjects such as history. This is because curriculum plans do not set out the knowledge pupils need to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and consistently apply the school’s policy. Pupils know the behaviour system and feel that it is fair. They enjoy collecting marbles for positive behaviour choices. This leads to ‘exciting’ rewards.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are respectful to each other. They say they feel safe and can talk to anyone if they have any worries. Bullying is rare but if it does happen, pupils say adults deal with it.

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

Leaders have implemented a broad and balanced curriculum which aims to meet the needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders identify pupils with SEND and plan support so that they achieve as well as they should. However, leaders recognise that curriculum plans are not as precise as they could be. Currently, they are developing the mathematics curriculum. They are ordering the knowledge that they want pupils to learn so that the curriculum builds on pupils’ prior knowledge. New plans ensure that knowledge is repeated every term so that pupils remember. There has not been enough time for these plans to have an impact on what pupils know. 1 and 2 December 2021

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Curriculum plans in other subjects, such as history, do not set out the knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn or in what order. Therefore, teachers are unable to check what pupils remember. Curriculum plans do not start from early years. As a result, pupils do not remember historical information very well. Leaders are training staff to help them plan and implement a knowledge-led curriculum.

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Pupils enjoy listening to stories read by an adult. In Nursery, teachers provide story bags for parents, to support their children to develop a love of reading. Children learn phonics from Reception. However, phonics teaching does not support all pupils to learn to read quickly enough. Teachers do not have the expertise to deliver the school’s phonics curriculum. Books that pupils read do not match the sounds they are learning. As a result, those pupils who are at the early stages of reading cannot read with confidence or fluency.

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Leaders provide children in Nursery with rich experiences, both indoors and out. For example, adults develop children’s mathematical vocabulary, such as ‘more’ and ‘the same’, through activities such as playing bowls. However, this practice is not mirrored in Reception. Children do not engage in some activities as there is no clear purpose. This is because curriculum planning does not set out what leaders want children to know and be able to do.

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There is a range of opportunities for pupils to develop as social and active citizens. Each year group makes links with the local community through ‘social action’ initiatives. For instance, pupils plant bulbs in the local park for the community to enjoy. In addition, pupils can become ‘student leaders’ and engage in a range of activities. Some pupils can become ‘confident communicators’ and enjoy the opportunity to enhance their debating skills with pupils from other schools.

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Pupils know about a range of religions, such as Judaism and Sikhism, including the differences between them. They have a good understanding of fundamental British values.

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Leaders identify and support pupils who struggle with their social and emotional health and well-being. Quiet areas in the classroom provide pupils with an opportunity to have ‘brain breaks’ when they need them.

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Staff feel leaders are mindful of their workload and look for ways to reduce this where they can. They appreciate the training they receive and say they can make sense of how to plan the curriculum. Staff enjoy working at the school and the supportive relationships they have with each other.

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In discussion with the acting headteacher, the inspector agreed that early reading, and how wider curriculum plans have been developed and implemented, may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 1 and 2 December 2021

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Leaders ensure all safeguarding checks are in place. Leaders design ‘killer questions’ at the application stage to assure themselves that adults are suitable to work with children.

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Leaders ensure staff receive frequent safeguarding training. This means staff are alert to early signs of neglect or abuse. Staff know how to report and record incidents. They understand the potential additional barriers that pupils with SEND may have if they wish to report a concern. Leaders overcome these through providing alternative ways for pupils with SEND to communicate their concerns, such as through small-world play.

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Pupils know the dangers of online gaming and how to minimise risks, such as not sharing their personal information. They enjoy visits from the local police community support officer, who talks to them about how to stay safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not planned a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. Staff do not have the knowledge or expertise to deliver phonics effectively. Teachers choose books that do not match the sounds that pupils know. As a result, pupils who are at the early stages of reading cannot read with fluency or confidence. Leaders must ensure staff receive training to deliver the school’s chosen phonics programme so that pupils are taught to read with fluency and confidence by the end of Year 2.  The curriculum in subjects such as history do not set out the knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn. Curriculum plans do not start from the early years. Knowledge is not organised in an order that builds on pupils’ prior learning. This means that teachers are unable to accurately assess what pupils know. As a result, pupils do not remember what they have been taught in lessons. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum sets

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

out the intended knowledge that they want pupils to remember. This must be sequenced so that it builds on what pupils know from early years.  Children in Reception do not have access to a range of planned activities, both indoors and out, that support their learning and development. As a result, children do not sustain interest in activities and their language is not developed. Leaders need to ensure that the provision in Reception engages children and moves their learning on, so that they get off to a flying start like their peers in Nursery.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 1 and 2 December 2021

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about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 12 October 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 1 and 2 December 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200629 Type of school Primary

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provision

Website https://www.beckfootpriestthorpe.org/

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provision

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 There has been a high turnover of staff since the school’s previous inspection.  At the time of the inspection, the headteacher was absent from school. Since September 2021, the associate director for school improvement has been supporting the school as acting headteacher.  The school is an average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The school has a Nursery. 1 and 2 December 2021

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation.  During the inspection, the inspector held discussions with the chief executive officer, acting headteacher, deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), representatives from the local school committee and members of the trust.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. This involved discussions with leaders about curriculum planning, looking at pupils’ work, talking to pupils and visiting lessons.  The inspector listened to pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to an adult.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during breaktime.  The inspector spoke with pupils about the wider opportunities available to them and

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Information about this inspection

school life. She held meetings with the school’s SENCo.  The inspector considered the responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and spoke to parents at the end of the school day.  The inspector reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and Ofsted’s pupil survey.  A wide range of school documents were taken into account as part of the evidence, including behaviour and attendance records, local school committee meeting minutes and the single central record.

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Inspection team

Jenny Thomas, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 1 and 2 December 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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