Belford Primary School

Inspection of Belford Primary School West Street, Belford, Northumberland NE70 7QD

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 January 2023

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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 Good 24 and 25 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Belford Primary School benefit from an inclusive and welcoming school. Pupils enjoy coming to school and the different opportunities they are offered here. The school’s vision of ‘Make, Believe, Learn and Achieve’ is part of everyday life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders are dedicated to pupils fulfilling their potential. The curriculum is broad. Pupils’ academic learning is supported by a rich range of wider experiences. Learning extends beyond the classroom.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. Pupils are confident that they can get help from trusted adults if they need it. Pupils say that bullying could happen but that is always sorted out by staff. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and caring. Around school, pupils of all ages play together with respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are proud of the whole school community. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent said, ‘the school has a strong community ethos and works hard to ensure the pupils are happy.’

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better?

Leaders have high ambition for pupils in the school. They have thought carefully about what they want pupils to learn over time. This planning ensures that all pupils, including pupils with SEND, have access to a full and broad curriculum.

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better?

The teaching of reading and mathematics have been a priority for leaders. Pupils receive quality teaching through the phonics curriculum. Pupils are supported well if they need further help to read. Teachers make sure that pupils practise their reading with books that are well matched to the sounds they are learning. Pupils are developing fluency well. Pupils in early years make a rapid start to their reading journey. Across school, pupils enjoy a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books as part of their reading offer. Daily story time enhances this further. High-quality training means that the mathematics curriculum is being taught with success. The curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Understanding of number is embedded in early years, where pupils work with number across the day.

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better?

Leaders have thought carefully about how to sequence the curriculum in mixed-age classes. In early years, the curriculum prepares children well for their next steps. Communication and language are a focus here. Pupils in the two-year-old provision learn about positional language as they find items linked to their learning. As pupils move to Reception this progresses to using simple maps to explore language further. In subjects such as history and religious education the curriculum for key stage 1 and 2 has clear learning intentions. Sometimes, the learning activities planned are 24 and 25 January 2023

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not challenging enough for pupils. Assessment in foundation subjects is currently being developed.

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Staff know pupils very well. This is seen in the relationships between them. Staff support pupils with SEND effectively. Pupils with SEND receive support from a leader who has developed an inclusive ethos across the school.

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Leaders are passionate about pupils’ personal development. The personal, social and health education curriculum is well sequenced. This curriculum is enhanced through assemblies and themed weeks across school. There are clear links between the curriculum and school trips and visitors to school. Pupils have access to books that help them explore life in modern Britain and beyond. Pupils understand the importance of equality. During lunchtimes, older pupils support the youngest pupils with care and empathy. The school parliament and eco-council work with the wider school community. All these opportunities broaden pupils’ experiences.

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Pupils’ behaviour across school is positive. Pupils make a positive start in early years. There are clear routines that are embedded and build pupils’ independence. Pupils recognise and understand how they are all unique. They recognise how to support each other in learning and when they are outside playing during breaktimes.

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The well-being of the school community is a high priority for leaders and governors. They support pupils to access a range of initiatives. This work builds respect, teamwork and strengthens pupils’ resilience. Staff are well supported with their workload. Governors are part of school life. They too are committed to the development of every child. Leaders, governors and staff work together effectively to improve outcomes for pupils in school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) has clear policies and procedures in place to safeguard pupils. The DSL knows the school community, pupils and families well. Record keeping is detailed and responses to any concerns are timely. Referrals to other agencies are prompt and provide further support to families. Staff and governors get regular safeguarding updates. Staff are clear on local issues, which might have an impact on pupils’ well-being. Recruitment checks are made on adults who work with children in school.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school. Pupils are clear on how they keep themselves safe in school, in the local community and online. 24 and 25 January 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not assess effectively to check on what pupils know and remember over time, in some subjects. Leaders do not have a clear picture of what pupils are remembering. Leaders should further develop assessment, so that it is used effectively, so that staff identify how well pupils are building their knowledge and understanding.  In some foundation subjects, the activities planned do not match the learning intention and are not sufficiently challenging for some pupils. As a result, pupils’ subject knowledge and understanding is not as deep as it should be. Leaders should ensure that teachers are supported through quality training to develop their understanding as to how to deepen pupils’ subject knowledge through high- quality pedagogy.

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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. 24 and 25 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255574 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.belfordprimary.northumberla nd.sch.uk/ Date of previous inspection 2 and 3 May 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There has been a change in headteacher since the previous inspection.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast club.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors 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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and history. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons and spoke to teachers. They spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also looked at 24 and 25 January 2023

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pupils’ work in religious education. Inspectors listened to pupils at the early stages of reading with a familiar adult.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors spoke to staff, parents and governors. Safeguarding documentation was scrutinised, including the safeguarding policies, and the single central record. Inspectors spoke to pupils and observed relationships between pupils and adults. Inspectors also met with the designated safeguarding lead.  Inspectors gathered views of parents informally in person and formally through responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and free-text responses. The views of staff were considered through the staff survey and through meetings with them. Pupils’ views were considered through meetings.  Inspectors spoke with representatives from the governing body and the local authority.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classes, during breaks and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Emily Stevens, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

John Linkins His Majesty's Inspector 24 and 25 January 2023

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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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