Belle Vue Primary School

Inspection of Belle Vue Primary School Beaver Road, Carlisle, Cumbria CA2 7PT

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 1 and 2 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils delight in attending this popular and friendly school. The school has high expectations for pupils’ academic success. It develops pupils’ curiosity and concentration effectively from a young age. As a result, pupils generally achieve well in many subjects. Children in early years settle in right from the start. Staff ensure that pupils are ready for learning in Year 1 and beyond.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff provide effective support for pupils’ personal development. This helps pupils to become confident and successful learners. There is a strong sense of community, where pupils feel that they are at the heart of the school. The school has a consistent approach to managing pupils’ behaviour. As a result, pupils are respectful and sensitive to each other’s needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils make a positive contribution to the life of the school. For example, older pupils act as role models to younger pupils. They help those who are new to the school to feel happy and settled. Pupils engage actively in the wider life of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from a wide variety of clubs and trips that broaden their experiences. These include residential visits, inter-school tournaments and clubs such as sport and art.

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

The school has designed an ambitious, high-quality curriculum that is enhanced with rich experiences. These enrichment opportunities ignite pupils’ interests and broadens their aspirations and horizons. This prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education.

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

The early years curriculum is designed to promote key areas of development, including speech and language. Staff use purposeful interactions to extend children’s vocabulary and communication skills effectively.

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

In most subjects, pupils build up secure knowledge and skills as they progress through the school. However, in a few subjects, the school does not ensure that misconceptions are identified and addressed quickly enough. As a result, it is not clear how well pupils have learned what was intended, which affects how well they progress through the curriculum in these subjects.

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

The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND accurately and quickly. Staff are well trained to meet the needs of these pupils so that they learn the same content as their peers. There is a highly inclusive culture across the school.

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

The school has prioritised the teaching of reading. Staff benefit from regular, specific training to support children’s ability in the early years to recognise and read the letters that sounds make. This precise training ensures that the approach to the teaching of phonics is consistent and effective. By the end of key stage 1, most pupils, including those 1 and 2 April 2025

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with SEND, become fluent readers. Weaker readers are well supported so that they achieve well over time.

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Older pupils demonstrate a genuine love of reading. They use a range of vocabulary across the curriculum. Pupils speak positively about their favourite books and thoroughly enjoy visiting the recently refurbished and well-resourced school library and reading areas.

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Pupils behave well in lessons and stay focused on their learning. Outside of lessons, pupils demonstrate polite manners and show great respect towards staff and each other.

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The school has high expectations of pupils’ attendance and punctuality. It works closely with parents and carers to overcome any barriers that may prevent pupils from attending school as often as they should. As a result, pupils’ attendance is improving over time.

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The school ensures that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils are taught that all people are equal. They have a firm understanding of equality in the world and recognise the importance of challenging stereotypes. Pupils take on responsibilities, such as the school council, to develop their leadership skills. They help staff to improve the school, such as helping to design the new school library. The school supports all pupils well in ensuring there is a very strong uptake across these opportunities.

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Pupils access a vast range of opportunities to learn more about the wider world. For example, the school offers various educational trips to different areas of the country and pupils raise funds for local charities.

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Governors know the school well and fulfil their duties effectively. They provide appropriate support and challenge to ensure that the quality of education that pupils receive continually improves. Governors carefully decide priorities with consideration of staff’s work–life balance. Staff value this support and feel very proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the school does not consistently check whether pupils have understood and remembered key learning. This means that misconceptions are sometimes not identified or addressed. This limits how well some pupils progress through the curriculum. The school should ensure that pupils’ understanding is checked consistently so that gaps in learning can be identified and addressed. 1 and 2 April 2025

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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’ 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). 1 and 2 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 March 2023, under section 8 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

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about 1 and 2 April 2025

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the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  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 responses to Ofsted Parent View were reviewed, including the free-text responses. Inspectors also held discussions with some parents.  The responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil questionnaires were also considered.

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Inspection team

Keith Wright, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Hazzard Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 April 2025

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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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