Belvoirdale Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Belvoirdale Community Primary School Scotlands Road, Coalville, Leicestershire LE67 3RD

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Outcome

Belvoirdale Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is an inclusive, vibrant and happy school where pupils thrive. Leaders have created an ethos that nurtures and supports pupils. Most pupils who shared their views said that they are happy to come to school. They feel safe and know that adults care about them. They know who to talk to if they have any worries. However, some pupils do not attend well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of behaviour. Pupils rise to the challenge and behave very well. Pupils of all ages play well together during social times. Incidents of bullying are rare. Staff deal with concerns quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has ensured that pupils’ wider development is at the heart of school activities. Pupils talk confidently about their roles of responsibility, including decisions made on the school council. The pupil librarians value their leadership role and support classes with book choices for their reading areas.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. However, some pupils do not gain the knowledge they should across the curriculum. This is because some subjects are not as well planned as others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are very positive about the school. One parent spoke for many when they described the school as ‘an amazing community school’.

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

The school’s curriculum matches the requirements of the national curriculum. In some subjects, the curriculum makes clear the important knowledge that pupils should learn and when. This is not yet the case in all subjects. Teachers plan lessons that build on what pupils have learned before. However, sometimes teachers choose activities that do not help pupils to learn the planned curriculum. 7 and 8 November 2023

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Teachers frequently check what pupils have learned and remembered in some subjects. They identify and address misconceptions. However, checks on pupils’ learning are not as well developed in other subjects.

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Reading is prioritised. Staff have received phonics training. They demonstrate high levels of expertise. Children begin to learn phonics as soon as they start in Reception. Teachers regularly check on pupils’ progress. They quickly identify those who need extra help. The school ensures that pupils develop a love of reading. Staff encourage pupils to practise their reading at home. Teachers read to pupils regularly. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they know. They gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers. Published outcomes do not yet reflect the effective strategies used by the school to help pupils learn to read. However, the school has responded swiftly to further improve the support that pupils get when learning to read.

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The mathematics curriculum builds pupils’ learning over time effectively. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. The consistent approach to teaching mathematics begins in the early years. Children in Reception focus on their learning of number facts. They join in with physical activities to make the learning real. Teachers ensure that pupils talk about their learning. They carefully check what pupils have learned. They identify those pupils who need extra help and ensure they get it.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported effectively to learn alongside their peers. Teachers adapt the curriculum well to meet these pupils’ needs. For example, they use appropriate resources and ask relevant questions that deepen learning. Support staff help pupils to overcome challenges and to develop their confidence and independence. Those pupils with SEND who need individualised support benefit from time in the Cedar class. One parent spoke for many when they said, ‘I feel the school has listened and gone above and beyond to help with my child’s needs.’

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Pupils gain from a wide range of enrichment activities, including sports such as football and boxing. Pupils know and understand the school’s values. They make connections between the school’s values and fundamental British values. They understand the importance of respect. Pupils learn about the protected characteristics and are confident when talking about them.

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Attendance is a priority for the school. Leaders have identified that disadvantaged pupils arrive late and miss too many school days. They work effectively with external support. The school is securing improvements in pupils’ attendance and reducing the number of pupils who are regularly absent from school. However, some pupils still miss too much of their education.

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Staff are positive about being part of a happy and supportive school. They appreciate the efforts that leaders make to help them manage their workload and well-being. Most parents and carers said their children are happy and feel safe at school.

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Those responsible for governance are well informed and understand their role. 7 and 8 November 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the curriculum does not precisely identify the key knowledge that pupils should know and remember. This leads to some pupils not developing detailed knowledge of all the subjects they study. The school should ensure that the curriculum in all subjects identifies the knowledge that pupils should acquire so that teachers can help pupils recall what they have studied and achieve well.  The school does not have a rigorous approach to assessing pupils’ learning in all foundation subjects. As a result, in these subjects, teachers do not always know what pupils have learned. The school should ensure that teachers are able to identify what pupils do and do not know in foundation subjects without placing an unnecessary burden on staff.  The proportion of pupils who are regularly absent from school or who arrive late is too high, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. This means that pupils miss too much of

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

their education. The school should continue to work with children and their families to further develop strategies to ensure that all pupils attend school regularly and on time.

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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 April 2018.

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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. 7 and 8 November 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding ( this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 7 and 8 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 and 25 April 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders and members of staff. The inspector met with governors and a local authority representative.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each of these subjects the inspector held discussions with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils, and looked at pupils’ work. The inspector listened to pupils reading.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents including the school improvement plan, the school’s self-evaluation documents, various policies, and curriculum planning.

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 The inspector observed social times and lunchtime. The inspector spoke to a range of staff and pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector spoke with parents and considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector considered the feedback from pupils and staff to the Ofsted survey.

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Inspection team

Donna Chambers, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 November 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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