Beaconside Primary and Nursery School

Beaconside Primary and Nursery School

Address: Hazel Road, Rubery, Birmingham, West Midlands, B45 9DX Unique reference number (URN): 116768

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils achieve very well. Leaders anchor the curriculum in the essential knowledge that pupils need. Staff ensure that pupils, especially those at the early stages of reading, writing and mathematics, gain accuracy and fluency in the basic skills they need to pave the way for future success. Targets for pupils with gaps in learning are ambitious and realistic. Support is timely and checked for impact. Teachers spot and close gaps quickly so progress keeps momentum and pupils experience success.

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Achievement Strong standard

Outcomes in external tests reflect the impact of staff's work. Pupils achieve consistently highly in the phonics screening check in Year 1. Pupils' achievement at the end of key stage 2 sits above national averages in most areas. Leaders forensically identify areas where attainment could be even better and prioritise those areas. Disadvantaged pupils achieve considerably better than their peers nationally. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make impressive progress from their starting points. This leads to pupils being very well prepared for their next stage of education.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders prioritise attendance and punctuality, using rigorous fortnightly analysis at whole ‑ school and group level to spot patterns early and trigger timely, targeted support. These actions are securing improving attendance overall, with a demonstrable impact on many individual pupils. Leaders maintain momentum through supportive, but appropriately challenging, conversations with families and effective work with external agencies so improvements continue. While these actions are not fully reflected in the published data available, the school is taking the right action to secure impressive improvements in the attendance of individual pupils.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils behave very well. Leaders' expectations are clear and applied consistently by staff. As soon as pupils start school, they learn the routines that help them to arrive ready to learn, settle quickly and sustain their attention. Staff recognise and celebrate pupils' positive behaviour. Pupils are intrinsically motivated to do their best and behave well. Pupils' learning is not disrupted by the behaviour of others. If any pupils ever find maintaining the highest standards of behaviour more challenging, staff skilfully and sensitively adapt their approaches so that all pupils can do their best. Relationships are courteous and respectful. No unpleasantness is tolerated by staff or pupils. Older pupils set a positive example and help younger pupils to play and learn well.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teaching is consistently highly effective. Teachers explain new learning clearly, model methods and anticipate common pitfalls, especially in mathematics. They build subject vocabulary so pupils secure key ideas. Additional staff contribute skilfully, working alongside teachers to help pupils tackle learning while building independence. Pupils talk and write about their learning confidently. Staff check understanding and provide the right help at the right time, so errors are corrected quickly and work improves over time. Leaders ensure that the curriculum is broad, balanced and ambitious. Subject curriculums set out intelligently what pupils should learn and the order in which it is taught. Leaders refine these curriculums when they notice pupils have not understood a key idea or concept. Training strengthens teachers’ knowledge so that the curriculum is taught to a high standard in each class. Staff provide pupils with meaningful and impactful extra support when they

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The youngest pupils receive the teaching they need in reading, writing and mathematics from the start. Older pupils who need it receive extra practice to catch up quickly. Teachers know their pupils well and expertly adapt lessons for disadvantaged pupils, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and others facing barriers. Carefully chosen adjustments help these pupils learn the same important content as peers and experience success.

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Early years Strong standard

Children settle quickly into a warm, language ‑ rich environment. Staff build trusting relationships and talk with children in meaningful ways during play, routines and focused activities. This ensures that children's vocabulary grows rapidly. Staff prioritise daily story time, songs and rhymes. They revisit favourite texts to deepen understanding and joy in reading.

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Early years Strong standard

Leaders have carefully sequenced the curriculum and ensured that each aspect of a child's day is organised around intentional learning opportunities. All staff know what each activity is designed to achieve and how to support children to be successful. Staff interact with children skilfully to probe and extend understanding. In Reception, phonics starts straight away. Children practise often and become fluent readers. Staff teach early writing and handwriting routines explicitly, alongside highly effective practice to secure pencil grip and letter formation. In mathematics, staff develop children's number sense and mathematical language through practical exploration. Children talk confidently about quantity, pattern and shape.

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Early years Strong standard

Carefully considered teamwork and collaboration help quieter children find their voice and build confidence. Staff notice emerging needs quickly and adjust support so every child takes part and learns well. Leaders plan smooth transitions, including thoughtful liaison with nursery settings and parents, so children arrive ready and move into Year 1 with secure foundations. By the end of Reception, most children have been set up well for key stage 1.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders make inclusion a lived reality. Staff identify pupils' individual needs promptly and precisely, drawing on teacher observation, parents’ and carers' views and pupils’ progress. They translate any external specialist advice straight into classroom practice, so support lands where it will have the greatest impact. Pupils' support plans set clear, short ‑ term targets and outline meaningful practical strategies. Staff check how pupils are getting on and change the help that pupils receive so it keeps up with their needs. Teachers provide high ‑ quality teaching and carefully consider how additional support can promote learning and understanding. As a result, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn alongside their peers, engage well and make progress through the curriculum. Leaders use additional funding effectively and with noticeable impact on the outcomes of disadvantaged pupils.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders ensure that partnerships with parents are highly effective and any decisions are made in the best interests of pupils. Staff benefit from coaching that sharpens their practice and grows the confidence of an already skilled workforce. Leaders make thoughtful, sensitive decisions in complex cases. The specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND supports pupils very well. Pupils whose places have been commissioned by the local authority typically make rapid gains in wellbeing and learning. They join mainstream classes successfully, when the time is right. Leaders work with a local special school and other professionals to further strengthen this offer.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have established a clear vision for staff and make decisions that put pupils first. They work closely with parents and carers. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school, the education and care provided and the noticeable difference that it makes to their children. Staff describe a safe, well ‑ led school with fair, consistent systems, purposeful professional learning and a coaching culture that builds expertise. When new initiatives are introduced, leaders make positive change stick.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders want, and expect, the best for every pupil. They shape an individualised approach to the curriculum and support, so each pupil can achieve as highly as possible. Leaders check how well strategies are implemented with precision and act quickly to make further improvements when necessary. They share their expertise widely. The impact of this work shows in pupils’ strong outcomes at the end of key stage 2.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Governance provides proportionate, impactful oversight. Governors receive high ‑ quality information, probe intelligently and check leaders' intentions against pupils' experiences and outcomes. They prioritise staff development, workload and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders and governors are committed to maintaining and developing the highly inclusive culture at the school. Advice received from external professionals, including a local specialist setting, supports the school in providing the right support at the right time. Together, these features translate into consistently high standards. Pupils feel known and able to thrive in a child-centred, forward-looking and nurturing school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders cultivate personal development with care and intent. The ‘celebration corridor’ makes clear that contribution is an achievement in its own right. Elections to junior leadership roles teach pupils about democracy and give them a real say. Pupils use their agency well, most visibly by suggesting how to improve social times and by fundraising to make those ideas a reality.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have designed a high-quality personal, social and health education curriculum. They invest time, training and resources because they want pupils to be ready to learn and ready for life. Leaders ensure that pupils' learning about safety is relevant to them and their community. For example, specialist teaching in Years 1 and 5 gives pupils essential first-aid skills so they know what to do in an emergency. Staff teach pupils how to keep safe both online and offline. They know who to speak to if they are worried. Pupils also learn how to stay healthy through routines and teaching that promote active lifestyles and positive choices. Pupils learn to respect and value difference. Teaching promotes kindness, mutual respect and tolerance. Pupils talk confidently about listening to others.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils develop a sense of belonging and aspiration, for example by taking part in peer mentoring. Older pupils model good habits, strengthening younger pupils’ readiness to learn and socialise. Leaders have deliberately shaped the refreshed personal development programme around the school’s context and pupils’ needs. It threads ethical leadership, teamwork and problem-solving through classroom learning and wider experiences. Consequently, pupils gain the character and skills to thrive beyond school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders track participation in wider opportunities. They remove barriers so disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit fully. Pastoral support is responsive and effective. Pupils know staff will listen and help. Together, these strands nurture confident, considerate and resilient pupils who feel recognised, valued and safe. Through their conduct and choices, pupils show that character and community matter.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Beaconside is a calm school with a purposeful climate for learning. Staff model kindness and respect in every interaction. Pupils mirror this, treating one another thoughtfully and celebrating difference. They feel safe and trust staff to listen and act. Leaders act on pupils’ ideas, such as improving outdoor spaces and resources for social times. This helps them see how their voice shapes daily life. Pupils value the ‘take a moment’ bench where they can sit, reflect or reset.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Relationships sit at the heart of the school. Pupils say that staff notice the small things and respond quickly when anyone needs support. Help is sensitive and proportionate, from a quiet word to timely, tailored assistance that keeps pupils learning and feeling secure. Classmates encourage each other, take turns and work hard. This starts in earnest in the early years, where children settle quickly and soon become a valued part of school life.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy lessons, and they like school. Pupils attend and arrive on time. Teachers explain new ideas clearly and check understanding often. As a result, pupils know what to do and how to improve. They take pride in their work and talk about their learning with confidence. They recognise that practise, particularly in reading, writing, handwriting and mathematics, helps them master the skills that unlock the wider curriculum. Staff help pupils to build their creativity, teamwork and resilience. For example, Year 6 pupils relish the ‘one- pound challenge’.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Standards of behaviour are high. Routines are upheld consistently. Lessons start promptly, and low ‑ level disruption is rare. When problems arise, staff resolve them fairly and without delay, helping pupils learn and grow from mistakes. Bullying is not tolerated. This nurturing,

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Team inspectors:

Nicola Harwood, Ofsted Inspector Linda Brown, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

friendly school is a place where pupils feel that they belong. As a result, they thrive both emotionally and academically and are very well prepared to move on when the time comes.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to embed their approach to improving attendance so that overall figures continue to improve.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Kate Bennett.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, a representative from the local authority and 3 governors, including the chair, during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school includes provision for up to 8 pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, specialising in supporting pupils with a diagnosis of autism. This is currently undergoing a rebuild so is not operating at capacity. The local authority is not currently commissioning any places.

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About this inspection

The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Lorraine Hadley The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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What does this mean?

The type of Special Educational Needs provision provided at the school (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 67% 63% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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gap

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 5.3% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.6% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.2% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 12.0% 13.3% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 15.1% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 12.7% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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