Beck Row Primary Academy

Inspection of Beck Row Primary Academy The Street, Beck Row, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk IP28 8AE

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 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 Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

The executive principal of this school is Naomi Brown. This school is part of Academy Transformation Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Sir Nick Weller, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Patricia Beanland. 13 and 14 December 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Beck Row Primary Academy is a polite and friendly place in which to learn. Pupils receive plenty of praise for what the trust deems small but important acts of respect that everyone learns together, such as ‘lovely lining up’ and ‘wonderful walking’. As a result, classrooms and corridors are calm. Staff know pupils well. Pupils feel safe and are safe. Pupils trust that staff will sort out any friendship problems if they occur.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning new knowledge about the world, the universe and the past. The curriculum gives them much to ponder and inspires their story-writing. Pupils gain confidence in reading, writing and mathematics because their teachers have high expectations of them. Pupils have respect for their teachers and know that education is important.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Beyond the classroom, there is plenty for pupils to do and take responsibility for, such as being a play leader, a school librarian or a member of the ‘job squad’. Pupils take part in sporting events that broaden their talents. A variety of visitors talk to pupils about a wide range of topics, such as how guide dogs are trained to support people. This helps pupils to appreciate the needs of others and to learn to respect and understand each other.

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better?

In every subject, the school has set out the key knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn. Leaders and staff have worked together to adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of the school community. The school, and the trust, have trained teachers in how to teach the curriculum and how to adapt lessons. Some teachers are still getting to grips with how to teach the curriculum. Occasionally, this means that teachers do not adapt lessons well enough or set work that gives pupils enough opportunities to practise and secure new knowledge.

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better?

Pupils start to learn to read as soon as they join the school. Staff are experts in teaching early reading. Reading lessons help pupils to learn, step by step, the sounds that letters make. Teachers frequently check how well pupils are learning to read, including those who join the school at different points. This means they can quickly identify and provide effective, additional support for pupils who need to catch up. Reading lessons continue into key stage 2. Older pupils enjoy the wide selection of books that teachers introduce them to.

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better?

Staff are trained well to help pupils with different special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This helps staff to reflect on and improve the types of help they give in the classroom. Leaders listen to parents and work closely with external experts to make sure that pupils with SEND receive the right kind of support.

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better?

Staff regularly read to and sing with children in the early years. Children learn how to take turns and how to be patient. This helps to develop their ability to focus when 13 and 14 December 2023

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the teacher is giving instructions. Leaders have set out, in a logical order, important knowledge for children to learn. This prepares children well for learning in Year 1.

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The school has created the ‘Beck Row Way’. This helps pupils to develop good behaviour and a positive attitude. It sets out important beliefs, rules and routines for all pupils to learn and put into action. This means that pupils learn without interruptions. Pupils appreciate the way that staff and leaders encourage and reward good behaviour in class and around the school. Pupils look forward to celebrating each other’s successes in assemblies.

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Pupils learn how to make friends, keep safe and live healthy lives. Leaders revisit these topics in assemblies to help secure pupils’ learning. Pupils also learn about important people, celebrations and different cultures in assemblies. The school is working on expanding the offer of cultural trips and experiences. This will continue to broaden pupils’ personal development still further.

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Governors and trustees fully support leaders’ endeavours to prioritise education and pupils’ well-being. Trust leaders are instrumental in providing support and professional development for staff who are new to teaching or school leadership. Staff share best practice with one another. This helps to create consistency and stability and grows expertise within the school. Staff feel supported. Parents have noticed the way that the school has changed for the better. They appreciate leaders’ visible presence and improved communication.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff are still getting to grips with teaching the new curriculum. As a result, there are rare occasions where teachers do not adapt lessons well enough or set work that provides pupils with sufficient opportunities to rehearse new knowledge. This means there are instances where pupils do not secure their understanding of important knowledge as well as the school expects them to. The school, and the trust, should ensure staff have the training and guidance they need to teach the curriculum consistently well. 13 and 14 December 2023

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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’ 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). 13 and 14 December 2023

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School details

Principal Naomi Brown (Executive Principal)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Beck Row Primary Academy is part of Academy Transformation Trust.  The school does not make use of 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

 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 13 and 14 December 2023

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 The lead inspector met with school leaders, the chief executive officer, the deputy chief executive officer and members of the trust board and local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector observed pupils read to a familiar adult. Inspectors also spoke to pupils and looked at pupils’ work in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: 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 lead inspector considered 24 responses made by parents to Ofsted Parent

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View, including 18 free-text responses. The lead inspector also considered nine responses to Ofsted’s survey for school staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s survey for pupils. Inspectors gathered the views of pupils during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Hannah Stoten, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Pamela Finch His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 December 2023

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