Beechwood Junior School

Inspection of Beechwood Junior School Juniper Road, Bitterne, Southampton, Hampshire SO18 4EG

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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The headteacher of this school is Lucy Phillips. This school is part of Hamwic Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Robert Farmer, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gary Plummer.

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since May 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 7 and 8 May 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embody the HEART values of honesty, effort, achievement, respect and teamwork across the school. The values are deeply understood by pupils and underpin the positive behaviour and nurturing relationships throughout the school. Pupils are highly engaged in their learning. They appreciate the wide range of opportunities available to them within and beyond the curriculum. These experiences help them to develop new skills, discover interests and think about their futures.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. These expectations were not met in the published outcomes for 2024. The school has strengthened the curriculum that pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, experience. As a result, pupils achieve well across a range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and are positive about their experiences here. The oldest pupils in the school are excellent role models for their younger peers. They take pride in leadership roles, such as being reading buddies and lunchtime assistants. Pupils in Year 6 recall how they aspired to these positions when they first joined the school. Pupils relish the many enrichment opportunities that help to bring their learning alive. These include a much-anticipated residential visit to Stubbington.

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

The school provides an ambitious and well-structured curriculum across all subjects. Working closely with the trust, the school has carefully considered when and how pupils learn key knowledge. This ensures progression as pupils move through the school. Staff accurately identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They make appropriate adaptations to the curriculum and support pupils to achieve well.

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

Teaching typically supports pupils to learn the important content. Staff use secure subject knowledge to clearly explain the key knowledge that pupils need to learn. Tasks are carefully designed so that pupils have sufficient time to practise new skills. Pupils benefit from opportunities to revisit and build on what they have already learned. In some subjects, staff’s checks on pupils’ understanding inform future teaching. However, in other subjects, this practice is not as well developed. This means that gaps in pupils’ recall are not identified and addressed as effectively as they could be.

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

Published outcomes for pupils’ mathematics and reading attainment in 2024 were significantly lower than the national average. The school has taken effective action to address this by prioritising further strengthening the curriculums in these subjects. As a result of the significant improvements to the teaching of English and mathematics, pupils are making rapid gains in their learning. Pupils confidently demonstrate a secure understanding across different subjects. This is reflected in pupils’ articulate discussions and age-appropriate written work. 7 and 8 May 2025

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The school helps pupils to develop a wide range of reading skills. Staff support pupils to read and enjoy diverse and engaging texts. Pupils who struggle with reading receive effective and timely support so that they develop fluency and accuracy in their reading.

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Pupils reflect the school’s high expectations of behaviour. Older pupils encourage and reward calm movement through the school, for example as classes leave assembly. At lunchtimes, pupils enthusiastically help to manage routines and equipment. Pupils focus well and work hard in their lessons. The school takes a proactive and personalised approach to promoting attendance. As a result, there has been a reduction in the number of pupils who frequently miss school.

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The school has a robust approach to promoting pupils’ personal development. The curriculum places a strong emphasis on teaching pupils how to stay safe. This prepares them for staying safe online and in the community. Pupils demonstrate a secure understanding of the importance of equality. They embrace diversity within the school. Pupils also enjoy learning about different cultures. They are mindful of the perspectives of others when expressing their opinions.

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Trustees work effectively with the school to hold it to account for the quality of education that pupils receive. The school has a clear focus on staff and pupils’ well-being. Staff value the professional development they receive at the school. They are supportive of the changes that the school has made to improve pupils’ learning. Parents and carers are also positive about the school, particularly regarding the care and attention it gives to their children.

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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 checks made on pupils’ learning do not identify when pupils are fully secure with prior learning before they move on to new content. This means that pupils may not understand concepts securely. The school should ensure that checks made on pupils’ understanding identify and address their misconceptions and gaps effectively across all subjects.

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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. 7 and 8 May 2025

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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). 7 and 8 May 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 20 and 21 May 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Hamwic Education Trust.  The headteacher was appointed in April 2022. There have been a significant number of other staff and leadership changes at the school since the previous inspection.  The chair of the trust joined the trust since the previous inspection.  The school does not currently make use of alternative provision.  There is a before-school club on the school site, managed by the school.

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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 7 and 8 May 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator and subject leaders.  The lead inspector met with the chair of the trust, trustees and a member of the local governing committee.  The lead inspector also met with the CEO, the director of education and quality assurance and a trust standards officer.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, history, and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke

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to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at curriculum information for a range of other subjects, including pupils’ work. They reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s own evaluation of its effectiveness and priorities for improvement. They also looked at information relating to behaviour, attendance and SEND.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed during lunchtimes.  The views of staff and pupils were gathered through both formal and informal discussions. Staff also completed an Ofsted survey.  The views of parents were gathered through the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. A team inspector also spoke to parents during the inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Katie Hancock, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Hilditch Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 May 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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