Becket Primary School

Inspection of Becket Primary School Monk Street, Derby, Derbyshire DE22 3QB

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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 13 and 14 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Becket Primary School is a school where pupils are well cared for. Strong relationships between staff and pupils help pupils to feel happy and become confident learners. The values in this school, ‘be kind, be respectful, be honest and work hard’, thread through everything that staff and pupils do. Everyone shares these values, and pupils are proud of their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations of pupils. Pupils behave well in lessons and when outside on the playground. Bullying is rare, but if it happens, pupils have faith in the staff to deal with it quickly. Pupils feel safe at school because they have trusted adults around them to listen to them and help them if they have any concerns or worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils arrive in time for breakfast bagels, which starts the day well for them. Parents can attend activities at school to learn with their children on ‘Thrilling Thursdays’, for example reading stories together. Senior leaders are committed, visible and approachable to parents. Parents appreciate the care and nurture provided for their children. One parent’s comment, typical of many, said, ‘The school always goes above and beyond to ensure the children feel safe, supported and ready to learn.’

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better?

The new leadership team has placed a sharp focus on improving the quality of education. Leaders have worked hard to create a new curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils. They have identified the knowledge that they want pupils to learn in all subjects. However, in a few subjects, this is not as precise as it could be. As a result, teachers sometimes plan learning activities that do not focus well enough on the key knowledge that pupils need to learn and remember. Teachers have good subject knowledge and leaders prioritise their professional development well.

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better?

Teachers regularly check pupils’ work. However, teachers do not always help pupils to understand what they have done well or how they could improve their work. This means that pupils do not always have opportunities to deepen their understanding or correct their work.

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better?

Pupils in the school enjoy reading, and spoke passionately about their favourite books. Leaders have prioritised reading, which starts as soon as children start in the Nursery Year. Children explore sounds through rhyme and song. They learn phonics daily during the Reception Year. Leaders have recently introduced a new phonics scheme. Staff teach phonics expertly and follow the scheme well. As a result, pupils quickly learn to blend their sounds, and are becoming fluent readers. Teachers carry out regular assessments. Pupils who need extra support receive this swiftly so they keep up.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is a highly inclusive school, where staff work hard to 13 and 14 March 2023

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meet the individual needs of all. Leaders have established clear systems to identify pupils with SEND. The special educational needs coordinator works closely with parents and other agencies. They ensure that pupils with SEND are supported effectively and achieve well. Leaders have ensured that staff are well trained, for example in speech and language and emotional literacy support. Right from the beginning of the Nursery Year, children are helped to recognise and name their emotions. The vast majority of children are beginning to manage their own feelings and behaviour.

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Leaders work closely with families and other agencies to highlight the importance of regular attendance. They have focused on reducing persistent absence. More pupils attend more regularly than before. Leaders acknowledge there is more work to do to ensure this is the case for all, and have prioritised doing so.

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Pupils know the school’s values and model them throughout the school day. Pupils’ knowledge of different faiths and beliefs is strong. They understand the importance of celebrating differences and spoke with confidence about equality and discrimination. Pupils understand that their opinions are important and valued. They know and understand modern British values. Pupils experience many opportunities to develop their talents and interests, such as through sports, arts and science clubs and trips to places such as Nottingham Castle. They spoke fondly of writing songs and performing these on the stage at the Derby Theatre.

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Leaders and governors support all staff well. They are considerate of their well-being and workload. The governing body shares the headteacher’s clear vision for all pupils to be successful. Governors support and challenge the headteacher effectively. Staff are happy and proud to work at this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders act on concerns quickly. They are tenacious in ensuring timely and appropriate support for pupils and their families when needed. They work effectively with external agencies to secure this support. Leaders carry out all the necessary employment checks on staff and keep robust records. Governors check that safeguarding procedures are effective.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum ensures that pupils learn how to stay safe, including when online and in the wider community. 13 and 14 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders are rightly prioritising the development of the curriculum. In a few curriculum areas, leaders have not yet precisely identified the knowledge they want pupils to learn. As a result, pupils are not building sufficient subject and disciplinary knowledge as effectively as they could over time. Leaders must continue to develop the curriculum in these subjects, to ensure that teachers are clear about what pupils need to know and remember in order to help them plan their teaching more effectively.  In some cases, teachers do not check effectively how well pupils have understood the subject content that has been taught. As a result, some teachers are not fully clear about what pupils know and can do. This hinders how well pupils are making connections between different topics, and pupils’ misconceptions are not always identified. Leaders need to ensure that teachers are systematically checking pupils’ understanding of the precise subject and disciplinary knowledge

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

in plans, and that all pupils are supported to embed this knowledge and use it fluently.

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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. 13 and 14 March 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Osarumen Mcardle

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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

 There have been significant changes to the leadership of the school since the last inspection. The headteacher took up their post in September 2021. The assistant headteacher took up their post in April 2022 and the deputy headteacher started their role in September 2022.  A new chair of the governing body was appointed at the end of the summer term in 2022.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The school operates a breakfast and after-school club on site.

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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. 13 and 14 March 2023

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher and a range of teaching and support staff.  The lead inspector spoke with four members of the local governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors focused on the following deep dives: early reading, science, history and mathematics.  For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at other subjects to look at the curriculum and to check how they are taught.  The lead inspector observed individual pupils reading to their teachers.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils from Years 1 to 6.  Inspectors observed breaktime and lunchtime.  The lead inspector checked the school’s safeguarding procedures and the checks made on staff. They met with leaders, staff and pupils to evaluate the culture of

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safeguarding.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including those relating to the school development plans, self-evaluation documents, curriculum documentation and attendance and behaviour records as well as other documents on the school’s website.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors also considered the views of the parents and carers who responded to Ofsted Parent View. This included the comments received via the free-text facility.

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Inspection team

Anne Maingay, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephen Long Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 March 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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