Belle Vue Primary School

Inspection of Belle Vue Primary School Lawnswood Road, Wordsley, Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8 5BZ

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 September 2022

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 21 and 22 September 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They enjoy coming to school and spending time with their friends. Pupils are proud of their school. They appreciate the picturesque school grounds and speak fondly about the forest school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and well mannered. They speak knowledgeably about the school’s behaviour motto, ‘Be ready, be safe, be respectful’. In lessons, pupils behave well and focus on their work. There is a calm atmosphere in and around the school. Pupils play cooperatively on the playground. They learn about the different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying. Bullying doesn’t happen very often. Pupils say that when it does, staff deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers speak positively about their children being happy and feeling safe in school. However, many parents would like to see communication systems improve, so that they are kept better informed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of staff and want the best for all pupils. Leaders have introduced a range of changes to improve the school, particularly over the last two years. However, more work needs to be undertaken to improve parts of the curriculum. Leaders have plans in place for this and have recently started to implement them.

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better?

In mathematics and English, leaders have thought carefully about the order of learning. In these subjects, leaders have mapped out the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils need to learn across the school. Teachers know what to teach and when to teach it. As a result, pupils achieve well. However, in other subjects, the curriculum is not well sequenced. Consequently, pupils’ learning does not always build on what they have learned in the past. In these subjects, pupils do not achieve as well as they should, and they struggle to remember what they have learned.

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better?

Nurturing relationships exist between the staff and children in the Nursery and Reception classes. Leaders and staff work closely with families before their children start school. This helps children in the early years to settle quickly. The early years curriculum is well ordered and takes into account children’s interests. Children love to learn and play. Learning activities consistently build on what children already know so that children achieve well.

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better?

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They explain new learning to pupils clearly in a logical, structured manner. Teachers and teaching assistants use ongoing assessment well to check pupils’ understanding. They adapt their approach to the curriculum if required, when pupils have misunderstood. Teachers model subject-specific language accurately, which pupils are starting to mirror when explaining their own understanding. 21 and 22 September 2022

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Leaders and staff are raising the profile of reading across the school. The English curriculum and regular story times support this. From the start, children and pupils develop their reading skills well. This is because all staff have been well trained to teach phonics. Reading books are well matched to pupils’ phonics knowledge.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) follow the same curriculum as their peers. Teachers consider the needs of pupils with SEND when they plan lessons and activities. Staff step in quickly if pupils need extra help. Where required, one-to-one or small-group work provides tailored support for pupils with SEND.

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Leaders and teachers have relaunched a variety of activities to enrich the curriculum. This includes a Year 6 residential visit that took place at the time of the inspection. Pupils understand the importance of diet and exercise to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They have a developing knowledge of fundamental British values. Pupils understand the importance of tolerance and respect for everyone.

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School leaders, supported by governors and the local authority, continue to improve the school effectively. For example, they have redesigned the mathematics and English curriculums, which is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Leaders have also worked with staff to improve the delivery of the curriculum with great success. Leaders’ improvement plans are having a positive impact on the quality of education across the school. Leaders are determined to improve the curriculum even further and are already putting new plans into action.

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Teachers say that workload is manageable. They value the curriculum teams, which support them in their role. Staff work together as one body and support each other. Staff comment that leaders have an open-door policy, listen well and are considerate of their well-being. Staff at all levels feel valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff do all they can to make sure that pupils are safe. Safeguarding is everyone’s top priority at this school. The members of the safeguarding team are knowledgeable and carry out their roles efficiently. Leaders have organised safeguarding training for all staff, including regular updates. As a result, staff know how to spot when a pupil might be at risk of harm. Staff know what to do if they have a concern about a pupil’s welfare. Pupils say they feel safe because they have been taught how to stay safe and because the staff look after them.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In subjects other than English and mathematics, the curriculum is not sequenced well. In these subjects, pupils’ learning does not build on what they already know. 21 and 22 September 2022

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As a result, pupils’ knowledge, skills and vocabulary do not build well over time. In these subjects, leaders need to map out the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils need to learn across the school.  Many parents say that they are not kept informed about what is happening in school. They add that it is difficult to make contact with relevant school leaders and staff if they require help. As a result, there is a noticeable level of parent dissatisfaction. Leaders need to revisit and refine communication systems between the school and home, so that key messages are clearly understood by all.

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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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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. 21 and 22 September 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10228100 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 4 April 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a breakfast club and an after-school club operating on the site. This provision is operated by the school.  The school has a nursery that admits three-year-olds.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector carried out this graded 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 school leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation.  The lead inspector met with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. He met with five members of the governing body, including the chair. The lead inspector also met with a representative of the local authority. 21 and 22 September 2022

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 Inspectors held meetings with a range of leaders to discuss safeguarding, early years, provision for pupils with SEND, pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  As part of the inspection, inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, science, history and geography. Early mathematics was also considered as part of the inspection. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning, and looked at samples of work. The lead inspector also looked at a selection of English books from a range of year groups.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils formally and informally about their learning and experiences at school. Two separate groups of pupils accompanied an inspector on learning walks around the school.  Safeguarding documents were checked, including the checks that leaders make

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on staff’s suitability to work with children. The inspectors checked that staff implement safeguarding policies and procedures effectively across the school.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, and the free-text responses received during the inspection.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation provided by the school. This included the school’s self-evaluation, school improvement priorities, school policies, curriculum documents, SEND records, behaviour records, attendance records and minutes of meetings held by the governing body.

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Inspection team

Wayne Simner, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Susan Hughes Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 September 2022

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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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