Beulah Infants' School

Inspection of a good school: Beulah Infants’ School Furze Road, Thornton Heath, London, Surrey CR7 8NJ

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 February 2023

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Outcome

Beulah Infants’ School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils here are happy and confident. Enthusiasm in lessons shows their excitement about their learning. Leaders know pupils well and ensure that the curriculum meets their learning needs. Pupils learn about their locality and beyond, including visiting local places of worship. Leaders make sure that everyone feels valued and respected. They work closely with families, including in sharing different cultural experiences. Leaders weave enrichment activities throughout the curriculum to provide significant experiences for pupils. Pupils learn to play instruments and perform to parents and carers and the community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. Leaders place a high priority on reading and vocabulary. Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is productive. Working relationships between all staff and pupils are positive. Pupils said that if they had any concerns, an adult would help them. Leaders have clear policies to deal with any incidents of bullying if these occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have created an environment where all pupils are kept safe. Pupils know that they are part of a larger school community and they follow the trust’s values.

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

Leaders place a high priority on reading. They make sure that stories give pupils a greater understanding of characters and plots. Pupils read high-quality texts that help to inspire their writing. For example, children in Reception classes were writing police reports based on their class book. Leaders choose the books that pupils read with their teachers carefully. They encourage families to take books from the playground library to share at home.

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

Pupils engage enthusiastically in daily phonics lessons. They enjoy the confidence of being able to sound and blend new words. Leaders ensure that all staff receive thorough training to support pupils. Pupils who struggle to learn new sounds receive targeted 22 and 23 February 2023

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support to ensure success. In Reception, children practise their phonics through appropriate activities with skilled adults.

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Leaders have identified the key knowledge that they want pupils to know. Their curricular thinking builds progressively on pupils’ knowledge and understanding. For example, pupils develop their understanding of mathematics from early years onwards. Children in early years count and record numbers through a range of activities. Children in Reception were excited when they spotted the pattern of ‘one more’. Adults use effective questions to encourage pupils to think more deeply about their understanding. Teachers use resources well to give pupils a secure understanding, for example in mathematics.

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The curriculum is broad and ambitious, including in art and geography. However, sometimes, teaching does not ensure that pupils’ subject-specific understanding is embedded. This limits pupils’ deeper understanding in some subjects. Leaders provide pupils with many outings and workshops to build on their learning. For example, pupils in Year 1 were helped to see the differences between old and new toys through a toy workshop.

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Adults support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to access the same learning as their peers. Learning is adapted so that all pupils can understand new concepts. Teachers have an accurate understanding of what pupils know and understand. They identify the needs of pupils with SEND and support them effectively. Teachers check that pupils have understood new content and they address misconceptions well.

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Leaders ensure that pupils have many wider enrichment opportunities. Through assemblies and the curriculum, pupils are taught about different faiths and cultures. Pupils vote for new school council members. They have a strong understanding of positive, respectful relationships. Breaktimes are happy, and pupils engage in games and activities. Teachers intervene in a timely way if pupils lose focus during lessons. This helps learning to continue without disruption.

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Members of the trust have a secure understanding of the strengths of the school. Leaders identify accurately ways in which to make continued improvements. They ensure that all staff have appropriate training and development. Leaders and teachers work in collaboration with colleagues across the trust. Teachers receive positive support from leaders, including for their workload and well-being. They enjoy working in a positive school community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know pupils and families well. They ensure that pupils are well supported and cared for. Robust systems are in place to provide support for pupils who need it most. Leaders work with outside agencies to ensure that pupils get the right support. All staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and know how to identify pupils who need help or are at risk. 22 and 23 February 2023

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Pupils feel safe at school. Pupils said that they know they can share any worries with the ‘worry monster’ in their class. Leaders ensure that pupils are taught how to keep safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few foundation subjects, teaching does not focus sharply on ensuring that pupils revisit and, in turn, embed their understanding of important subject content. This affects how well pupils build up and remember knowledge in these subjects. Leaders need to ensure that all teaching helps to develop pupils’ subject-specific knowledge and skills securely.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2017.

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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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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. 22 and 23 February 2023

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Chair

Richard Hill (Chair, Board of Directors) Fiona Fearon (Chair, Academy Council) Headteacher Debbie Butler (Head of School)

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Date of previous inspection

12 and 13 July 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not make use of any alternative providers.

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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 leaders and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the head of school, executive headteachers, other leaders and a range of staff. Meetings were also held with members of the academy council and the board of trustees, and the director of education from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, discussed learning with pupils and considered samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector checked the school’s policies and records, including those related to behaviour and pupils’ wider development.

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 The inspector considered responses of parents and staff to Ofsted’s online surveys.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector met with leaders with responsibility for safeguarding and considered safeguarding documents and records. These included the school’s records and plans for supporting pupils who have been referred to outside agencies.  The inspector held meetings with staff and spoke with pupils during social times. The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour across the school, including as they arrived and left school.

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Inspection team

Sacha Husnu-Beresford, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 22 and 23 February 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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