Beaumont Community Primary School

BEAUMONT COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 29 th November - 1 st December 2004

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BEAUMONT COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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BEAUMONT COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Beaumont Community Primary School - 1

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Primary School category: Community Age range of pupils: 3 - 11 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 125 School address: Durrant Road Hadleigh Ipswich Suffolk Postcode: IP7 6GD Telephone number: (01473) 825120 Fax number: (01473) 829 997 Appropriate authority: The governing body Name of chair of governors: Mr Reg Smith Date of previous inspection: No previous inspection. New school.

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Beaumont Primary School opened in September 2003 with 50 pupils, that number having now risen to 125. The school is smaller than average. It serves a new area of housing on the edge of the Suffolk town of Hadleigh. Much of this new housing is married accommodation for the Army Air Corps base at Wattisham. This has meant that there is considerable mobility, with more than a third of the original pupils having left already. The pupils have come from a very wide range of previous schools, with the majority having already attended more than one school. Most of the pupils have well below average levels of skills and knowledge when they join the school. Almost all the pupils are of white British heritage. There is a very small number of pupils from a variety of minority ethnic groups but all speak English as their home language. The proportion of pupils identified as having special educational needs is above average. There is also an above average proportion of pupils

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

with statements of their special needs, most of whom are autistic or have specific learning difficulties, though individuals have a range of other needs. Beaumont Community Primary School - 2

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

20191 Mr J D Eadie Lead inspector English as an additional language Mathematics Information and communication technology Music Personal, social and health education and citizenship 9121 Dr H Danpure Lay inspector 18911 Mr D Nightingale Team inspector English Geography History Religious education 10144 Mrs M Marriott Team inspector Foundation Stage Special educational needs Science Art and design Design and technology Physical education

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

The inspection contractor was: Tribal PPI 1 - 4 Portland Square Bristol BS2 8RR

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637 833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Beaumont Community Primary School - 3

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 6 - 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 8 - 12

Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Beaumont Primary School has made great strides in its short life, having only opened in September 2003. It is already a good school . Much of the reason for this is the very clear direction provided by the headteacher and the support she has from the whole staff team and governors. Pupils are achieving well and the school gives good value for money. A particular barrier to achievement is the high number of pupils who leave and join the school at times other than normal. Many join having already been to a number of schools.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

• The headteacher provides strong and effective leadership for the school. • The pupils are learning well as the quality of teaching is good. • The curriculum provides a good balance of subjects but is not planned to provide sufficiently for the systematic teaching of skills and acquisition of knowledge. • There is no consistent system for teachers to record what skills and knowledge the pupils have mastered. • The premises provide a very stimulating and attractive learning environment. • The pupils have very good attitudes to their school and their work and relationships are very good throughout the school. Much of this is due to the very caring nature of the school. • The information provided for parents is very good, but parents are not sufficiently involved in supporting their children’s learning.

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The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are:

The school, being new, has not been inspected before, but rapid progress is being made in creating a school with its own identity.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6, compared with: 2002 2003 2004 2004 English - - D B mathematics - - E D science - - E C Key: A - well above average; B - above average; C - average; D - below average; E - well below average. Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

The grades in the above table should be viewed with caution as there were very few pupils in this group and nearly half had identified special educational needs. The grades are better when compared with similar schools as this school is very disadvantaged in terms of the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. The above grades are commendable, bearing in mind that this was the first year that the school has been involved in testing and a number of pupils who took the tests joined the school shortly before the tests took place. Pupils are achieving well. Children make a good start in the nursery and reception class. Most start school with well below average skills and knowledge. The majority exceed the goals children are expected to reach by the end of reception in their personal, social and emotional development, though they are still below the expected goals in all other areas of learning. By the end of Year 2, pupils reach average standards

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

in their reading and writing and just below average standards in mathematics. They reach average standards in English and science but below average standards in mathematics by the end of Year 6. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and religious education are average at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

Pupils’ personal qualities are developed well. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good though this development is better for their moral and social development Beaumont Community Primary School - 5 than for their spiritual and cultural. Pupils work very hard and thoroughly enjoy coming to school. Their behaviour is generally good. Although the school has not yet had to submit any annual statistics, rates of attendance look to be above average and parents ensure that their children arrive at school on time.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a good quality of education. The curriculum is suitably broad and balanced, though it is not always planned appropriately for all pupils in the mixed age classes. The quality of teaching is good throughout the school and pupils are learning well. Teachers have high expectations, particularly of behaviour and there are very good relationships in classes leading to pupils wanting to work keenly. Support staff provide good levels of assistance to teachers, making a particularly valuable contribution to the achievement of pupils with special educational needs. The school tests pupils’ standards in reading and mathematics regularly and uses these tests to check on their progress. However, there are insufficient systems to check on pupils’ acquisition of skills and knowledge in the shorter term. The new building has been designed well and provides a very stimulating learning environment.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The pupils are very well cared for, with all adults displaying high levels of concern for the welfare of each and every pupil. The school provides very good information to parents and there is a good partnership between the school and parents. However, the role of parents in supporting their children’s learning is not so good. Links with the community are good, and staff and pupils gain a great deal from the very good links with other schools.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The quality of leadership and management is good. The headteacher provides strong leadership and is supported well by all staff. The governance of the school is very good. The governing body has a broad range of expertise and is fully involved in the development of the school. All statutory requirements are met. The school is managed well and a particular strength is the continuing professional development of all staff.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents are very happy with the education that their children are receiving and expressed no significant concerns. They are particularly pleased that their children like school and much appreciate the very good arrangements made for their children to help them settle in when they joined the school. Their children thoroughly enjoy all that the school has to offer.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

This report recognises the hard work already accomplished in setting up this school and the following are the next steps needed for the school to progress.

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The most important things the school should do to improve are:

• to refine the curriculum so that it provides for the systematic teaching of skills and knowledge to all children; • to put in place consistent systems for the assessment and recording of the skills and knowledge that have been gained by pupils across the range of subjects; and • to continue to develop links with parents to ensure that they are more involved in supporting their children’s learning. Beaumont Community Primary School - 6

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Standards achieved in areas of learning and subjects

Pupils are achieving well. Pupils with special educational needs are also achieving well due to the precise targets that are set for their achievement. Standards at the end of Year 2 are average in reading and writing and below average in mathematics. At the end of Year 6, standards are average in English and science and below average in mathematics.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are achieving well through the school. • Standards in the national tests were well above average in writing at the end of Year 2. • Children are making a good start in the nursery and reception classes, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development. • Standards in mathematics are below average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6.

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Commentary

1. Standards at the end of Year 2 in the national tests in 2004 were well above average in writing, average in mathematics and below average in reading. A particularly high proportion of pupils achieved above average results in writing. The comparison with schools with a similar proportion of pupils eligible for free schools is difficult as the school has a high proportion of pupils from forces families. However, using an accepted formula for this situation, the results show high standards in writing and well above average standards in reading and mathematics. These results are particularly commendable as a number of these pupils joined the school during the course of the year and several were performing at below average levels when they joined the school. Also, a third of the group had special educational needs.

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Commentary

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2004 Standards in: School results National results reading 15.4 (n/a) 15.8 (15.7) writing 15.9 (n/a) 14.6 (14.6) mathematics 16.6 (n/a) 16.2 (16.3) There were 18 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Commentary

2. In the national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2004, standards were below average in English and well below average in mathematics and science. However, there were only seven pupils in this group and nearly half of them had significant special educational needs. There are no reliable figures for comparing their performance with schools which scored similarly in the tests in Year 2 four years previously as this is a new school. Using a similar formula to that used for the Year 2 tests, standards were above average in English, average in science and below average in mathematics. Once again these results are praiseworthy due to the wide variety of previous educational experiences that these pupils had received and their well below average attainment on starting at the school. No table is reproduced for results at this age as statistics are unreliable because there were so few pupils in the group.

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Commentary

3. Children start in the nursery with well below average skills and knowledge in all the areas of learning. They make a good start and by the end of reception standards in their personal, social and emotional development are above average. Children achieve well across all areas of learning, although their skills and knowledge are below average by the end of the reception class in all other areas of learning. The reason for standards in personal, social and emotional Beaumont Community Primary School - 7 development being higher than in other areas of learning is the very high priority that the school rightly places on this aspect of children’s development.

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Commentary

4. By the end of Year 2, pupils are reaching average standards in reading and writing and below average standards in mathematics. As most started at this school with well below average attainment, these pupils are achieving well due to the good teaching. The major reason for standards in mathematics being below those in reading and writing is that the pupils are not sufficiently skilled in using and applying the knowledge that they already have. Standards are average in ICT and religious education at this age.

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Commentary

5. Standards at the end of Year 6 are average in English and science but below average in mathematics. Although standards in English are average overall, standards in reading are a relative weakness, largely because of the very varied previous experiences that these pupils have had. Once again a reason for the lower standards in mathematics is the lack of competence in using and applying mathematical knowledge. However, a further factor at this age is that pupils are not always given work appropriate to their previous mastery of skills. Good teaching is resulting in good achievement at this age. Most of these pupils were measured with below average attainment when they joined the school. By the end of Year 6, average standards are reached in ICT and religious education.

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Commentary

6. There is a high level of commitment to inclusion in the school and pupils of all ethnic groups and most abilities achieve equally well, although some of the older, more able pupils are not always sufficiently challenged. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well. This is because of the good quality support they receive from support staff. There is no significant difference between the achievement of boys and girls. Parents are very happy with the progress that their children are making.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils’ attitudes are very positive and relationships are very good. Pupils’ attendance, behaviour and personal development are good. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils really enjoy coming to school, attend well and are very keen to learn. • Pupils generally behave well and are very considerate towards other people. • Relationships throughout the school are very good. • Pupils’ social and moral development is good.

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Commentary

7. Most pupils are very positive about coming to school and this is contributing significantly to the good attendance observed. They have described the school as a wonderful place to have fun. The school does not have any statutory attendance data at present, and there is therefore no attendance table published in this report, but the registers show attendance over the last fifteen months is good with low levels of unauthorised absence. Punctuality is good enabling lessons to start on time.

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Commentary

8. Pupils really enjoy their lessons and work well on their own and with others. They persevere very well with work they are given, rising to the challenge of difficult tasks but also accepting less stimulating activities. Some children have low self-esteem but the support of staff and other pupils is helping them to gain confidence. Pupils’ enthusiasm for school and their very positive attitudes are helping them to make good progress. Parents are particularly pleased that their children are happy at school and enjoy all it has to offer. Beaumont Community Primary School - 8 9. Most pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They are good at following the class rules that they have devised or, if failing, soon improve when reminded to do so by their teachers. There was one fully justified exclusion last term and a couple during the school’s first term. Pupils are very considerate, understanding and patient towards others, especially to

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Commentary

those with behavioural difficulties who occasionally disrupt their learning. They are also very tolerant and show understanding to those of other races. They are helpful and kind and willingly take on positions of responsibility, such as being ‘friends’ in the playground and helpers in assembly and at lunchtime. They willingly support various charities.

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Exclusions

Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

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Exclusions

Categories used in the Annual School Census Number of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions White – British 112 2 1 White – any other White background 6 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 6 0 0 The table gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Exclusions

10. A strength of the school is the very good relationships that have been developed throughout the school, reinforced through a very effective personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme. This has produced a happy, supportive community that values individuals and enjoys working and playing together.

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Exclusions

11. Lessons, assemblies and extra-curricular activities are providing good opportunities for pupils to develop their social and moral skills. Pupils both collaborate and co-operate well, which is helping them to learn from each other, share ideas and achieve well. They also know what is right and wrong and generally treat each other and the school well.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The school provides a good quality of education. Although the curriculum is suitably broad and balanced it is not always planned to deliver appropriate work to all pupils in the mixed age classes. The quality of teaching is good and pupils are learning well. Systems of assessment do not provide a consistent record of the skills mastered and knowledge learnt. The new building is most attractive and the whole site is a stimulating learning environment. The school cares very well for its pupils. Links with parents are good. They receive very good information from the school but are not sufficiently involved in their children’s education. Links with the community are good and there are particularly fruitful links with other schools.

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Teaching and learning

The quality of teaching is good and the pupils are consequently learning well. Although assessment procedures are satisfactory overall, insufficiently detailed records are kept of pupils’ acquisition of skills and knowledge.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The quality of teachers’ planning is usually good, although it does not always show appropriate tasks for pupils of the range of ages and abilities in their class. • There are no clear records of the pupils’ gains in skills and knowledge. • Teachers generally have high expectations, particularly of pupils’ behaviour. • Support staff make a significant contribution to the pupils’ learning. Beaumont Community Primary School - 9 • Teachers have good questioning skills.

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Commentary

12. The vast majority of parents agree with the inspection judgement that the quality of teaching is good. This good teaching is resulting in good learning and is a major contributor to the pupils’ good achievement. There are many strengths to the teaching. For example, teachers make very good use of questioning to involve all pupils and ensure good levels of understanding. Some teachers also make very good use of ‘talk partners’ to encourage pupils to discuss their own thinking and share ideas. This is effective in giving pupils some responsibility for their own learning. Teachers’ planning is usually thorough, with clear learning objectives. These objectives are often shared with the pupils at the start of lessons. They are also usually reviewed at the end of lessons so that pupils can gauge the success of their learning. A particular strength is the high standards expected in lessons, particularly of behaviour. This

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Commentary

creates a very orderly learning environment, which ensures that on the rare occasions when pupils with behavioural difficulties disrupt lessons, the other pupils know well that this is unacceptable and do their best to keep working.

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Commentary

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 24 lessons Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very poor 0 3 15 6 0 0 0 The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Commentary

13. Support staff make a significant contribution to the pupils’ learning, particularly for those pupils with special educational needs. These staff are well trained and skilled and teachers ensure that they play their full role by including them in the planning for all lessons when they are available. This teamwork between teachers and support staff benefits pupils well. The pupils with special educational needs benefit from the methodical approach to teaching basic skills. Individual education plans are well constructed and are used as a basis for classroom planning. There is very good sensitivity to the needs of these pupils’ learning and this, together with the very good relationships, helps pupils to become confident learners.

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Commentary

14. This quality of teaching, and the pupils’ achievement, could be improved in two ways. Teachers do not always plan for the needs of the wide range of ages that they have in their classes. This is partly the problem of a planned curriculum, which although effective when the school first started, has not been adapted to the changing needs of a growing school. This shortcoming in planning also sometimes applies to the needs of pupils of differing abilities in classes. The other area which has not yet been addressed by the school is assessing and recording the skills that pupils have gained in the range of subjects. Good records are kept of pupils’ abilities in spelling, reading and mathematics. These are used well to monitor their progress in the long term. Teachers are also good at adapting their planning for subsequent lessons on the basis of their assessments of how successful the pupils have been in meeting

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Commentary

the learning objective in a particular lesson. However, there are no records kept of the skills mastered and knowledge learnt by individual pupils. This is resulting in a lack of teaching of these skills and knowledge progressively.

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The curriculum

A satisfactory curriculum is in place but the school acknowledges the need for further development. The curriculum is satisfactorily enriched with a suitable range of visits, visitors and extra-curricular activities. The accommodation is very good and resources are satisfactory.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides very well for children’s personal development, particularly in settling children into school and helping them understand their new environment. Beaumont Community Primary School - 10 • A long-term overview of the curriculum and schemes of work for most subjects provide a good starting point for further development. • Planning for children in Year 3 does not provide similar work for all children. • The curriculum planning over two years does not always provide for sufficiently challenging work to be presented to the older children. • Explicit links between subjects are not made in planning. • Very good accommodation provides space and a stimulating environment to help children learn. • The school is well staffed by suitably qualified teachers who are ably supported by a good number of teaching assistants.

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Commentary

15. The curriculum provides a good balance of subjects with a satisfactory time allocation to each subject. It meets the National Curriculum requirements and includes appropriate provision for religious education and collective worship. A long-term overview of what topics should be taught in each subject together with selected published schemes of work provides a good starting point for teaching in the new school. The plan to teach topics over a two-year period ensures children do not repeat work, particularly in subjects such as history and geography.

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Commentary

16. The current planning does not, however, provide sufficiently for work to challenge the older more able pupils in literacy and numeracy when the cycle of topics is based on work meant for the younger age group in the class. This, together with the growth of the school and the establishment of new classes, has made it clear that the curriculum is not planned in enough detail to ensure that appropriate skills and knowledge are taught to all pupils at the correct age, whatever the organisation of classes. The current planning for pupils in Year 3 is different depending on which class they are in. Consequently, these pupils receive a significantly different curriculum, to the disadvantage of the younger pupils in the year group. The planning for these pupils is too directed at the Year 2 pupils in the class so that the targets for learning are not always appropriate or challenging enough for Year 3 pupils.

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Commentary

17. The school has identified the need to make more explicit the links between subjects in their planning. Opportunities to use skills learned in literacy in other subjects are used but not carefully planned. Although similar topics are taught at the same time, for example Greece in geography and ancient Greeks in history the planning has not identified clearly how they link together and which other skills could be enhanced through the topics.

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Commentary

18. The provision for PSHE is planned well and is effective. The very good provision for children’s and pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Topics planned in subjects such as geography and religious education make a significant contribution to the way children and pupils settle to school. They help pupils understand the community of the school and the wider community in which they are living. This helps with establishing the positive ethos within the school. An appropriate sex education policy is in place.

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Commentary

19. There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs because the work that they do is tailored to their individual needs in their individual education plans. Teachers and support staff make sure that pupils know what is going on and give good quality support. This ensures that pupils who need an extra boost to their learning receive it and this raises their confidence and self-esteem because it ensures success.

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Commentary

20. The school has begun to offer a suitable range of activities to enhance the curriculum. The curriculum is also enriched by a number of visits to places such as the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, and visitors to help in lessons such as art and design and history. Working with neighbouring schools has benefited pupils’ learning and helped prepare the older children for their move to secondary education. Beaumont Community Primary School - 11 21. Staffing levels are good and teachers and support staff work together as an effective team. Accommodation is very good. Good teaching spaces together with useful spaces for small group work and rooms for a library and an ICT suite combine to make an attractive environment in which to work and learn. The outside provision is very good with good-sized hard play areas and ample grassed space. The grounds have been laid out to provide good learning opportunities in environmental work with children. Daily they are aware of the benefits

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Commentary

of alternative sources of power supply through the windmill and solar panels.

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Care, guidance and support

Pupils are very well cared for in a safe and healthy environment. They receive good guidance and advice about their work and their views and ideas are valued.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The staff provide very good care for all pupils. • The new school provides a safe, stimulating and healthy place for pupils to work and play. • Pupils’ targets are effective in helping both their academic and, particularly, their personal development. • The school encourages pupils to be involved in making decisions about the school and has readily implemented some of their ideas.

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Commentary

22. The very good care given to all pupils is a strength of the school; a view endorsed by parents. Staff respond very sensitively to the diverse needs of all pupils, particularly those with special educational needs. They have devised very good strategies to help pupils manage their specific problems; deal with the sadness caused when children leave the school and give support to pupils joining the school. The school has put in place very good procedures to help pupils settle when they join the school. Staff and pupils work together to try to make the transition as seamless as possible. Parents are very positive about these arrangements to help new pupils settle in. Good discussions about pupils’ feelings in PSHE lessons enable them to think about how their actions affect other people and learn to behave in a considerate way.

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Commentary

23. The school very successfully achieves its aim to create a safe and secure environment, in which children can learn effectively, by frequent monitoring by staff and governors to ensure high standards are maintained. Healthy living is strongly promoted with healthy lunches being provided and children encouraged to bring healthy food to eat at break and for packed lunches. Systems to deal with any child protection issues are very good too.

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Commentary

24. Pupils say that their targets in English and mathematics are helpful in telling them what they need to do to improve. They are cleverly displayed in one class inside pictures of cars with the message ‘driving towards targets’. Their personal targets and class targets are also effective in helping them to achieve specific goals. All children are encouraged to identify something they are good at and are rewarded for being helpful as well as doing well. The head says she likes to catch pupils being good.

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Commentary

25. Pupils’ views are actively sought, for example over class rules and the behaviour policy. The school council actively seeks pupils’ views and has successfully implemented a number of changes, such as providing music in classrooms and additional playground equipment.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

The school has established good links with parents and the local community and very good links with other schools. Beaumont Community Primary School - 12

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides very good information for parents and has established very good communications between school and home. • Parents support the school well but overall do not make a significant contribution to their children’s learning. • Beneficial links have been established with the local community. • The school has developed very effective links with other local schools.

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Commentary

26. The school provides a good range of high quality information for parents, such as the prospectus, newsletters and pupils’ reports. Reports clearly indicate what pupils can do and give helpful targets for improvement in English and mathematics. Communications between school and home are also very good. Teachers are very accessible and willing to see parents informally before and after school, as well as formally at termly parents’ meetings. Parents of pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in discussions about the provision made for their children. Parents are happy to approach the school and have been consulted over a number of matters, such as the uniform.

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Commentary

27. Parents support the school well by ensuring their children attend school and look smart. The school has a full complement of parent governors, a new Friends’ Association and a number of parents are now helping in school. Attendance at parents’ meetings is high but few attend information evenings or courses designed to improve their understanding of what pupils are taught. At present, parents’ contribution to helping their children’s learning is limited and is having little effect on raising standards of achievement.

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Commentary

28. The school has already established good links with the local community. Pupils participate in local events; members of the community talk to pupils about their experiences, for example as a World War II evacuee, and the community uses the school regularly. Pupils visit local churches and have benefited from sponsorship. The school is keen to strengthen its links with the forces families.

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Commentary

29. Very strong links are in place with the pyramid of primary schools and the local specialist high school. Staff benefit from joint staff training, the sharing of ideas, resources and the support of local colleagues. Pupils have benefited from a joint arts project and a joint orchestra and sports teams are being formed. Pupils have taken part in a drama/musical production at The Maltings in Snape with children from other local schools. Pupils also benefit from opportunities to visit the high school for science days. There are good procedures for the transfer of pupils to the high school that enables them to continue their education with minimal disruption.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Leadership and management are good overall. The headteacher provides strong leadership although the leadership roles of other staff are still developing. Management is also good. The school is extremely fortunate in having an experienced governing body so governance is very good and all statutory requirements are met.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The headteacher has ensured very clear direction for the school in its short life. • Governors provide a wide range of expertise and are very involved in developments. • There are high levels of commitment to inclusion at all levels in the school. • The team leadership of subjects has produced effective developments, but the lack of individual responsibility is now holding back further progress. • The very good links with other schools have provided significant benefits in terms of continuing professional development for all staff. Beaumont Community Primary School - 13

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Commentary

30. The headteacher was appointed some time before the new school was completed and has worked hard to ensure that a very full range of provision was in place before the school opened. Advice was sought on a suitable curriculum for a small school that was likely to grow and this curriculum was adapted well to suit the needs of the school in its initial stages. It was sensibly decided that, due to the small numbers of teachers in the early days, curriculum development would be a teamwork effort, rather than having specific subject co-ordinators. The staff has now grown, and this teamwork is not being as effective as it might be in establishing the specific areas for development within subjects. For example, monitoring has not established the difficulties of ensuring that the Year 3 pupils, split between two classes, are always receiving similar provision. The lack of an individual with specific responsibility for

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Commentary

developing each subject has hindered progress. Leadership and management of special educational needs are very good. The co-ordinator works very hard and leads and manages the systems very well.

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Commentary

31. It has not been easy to create a new school with its own identity so soon, particularly as the pupils have come from a very wide range of previous schools, many having attended more than one. A strength in achieving this aim was the wide consultation that took place with the pupils and staff. This was very successful in that they were asked to say what worked best in their previous schools, for example when forming the behaviour policy. This encouraged the pupils and staff to work together to create a very good ethos very quickly. This is a very good example of the school’s high levels of commitment to inclusion. The work done in this area is a very good, and largely successful, attempt to deal with the barrier to achievement presented by the high mobility in the school. Parents are very positive about this, and all other areas of leadership and management.

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Commentary

32. The school is well managed at all levels. The links established within the pyramid of schools, and particularly with the local high school, have ensured that there is plenty of good, relevant training organised for all staff. This has been particularly effective in ensuring consistent strategies when dealing with the pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Although these pupils occasionally disrupt the life of the school, this is kept to a minimum by the good use of these strategies and the hard work of the support staff. This is another example of the school’s determination to ensure that all are included in receiving the full benefits of all the school has to offer. Day-to-day administration is very good, with the office being a hub of good-humoured efficiency. The school administrator knows pupils and families very well and is a most effective ‘front line’, relieving much of the routine administration from the headteacher

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Commentary

and other staff. Finances are managed well. The school has not yet had a complete financial year, so no financial figures are published in this report, but all monies available are used effectively. However, the school is having to spend an unusually high proportion of its own budget to support pupils with special educational needs.

p.15

Commentary

33. The temporary governing body, convened while the school was being built, was largely drawn from the governing bodies of other local schools. Many of these governors wished to continue once the permanent governing body was formed. This has ensured that governors are experienced and they have a good range of expertise between them. They are very knowledgeable about the strengths and weaknesses of the school and have had significant input into its development. A particular strength of their involvement has been their work in taking on many of the teething problems typical of the building and setting up of a new school and thereby relieving the headteacher and those in school of these concerns. All statutory requirements are already met, with even many of the monitoring roles of governors in place. Beaumont Community Primary School - 14

p.15

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision in the Foundation Stage is good .

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

The attainment of children entering the nursery is well below average. By the time they leave the reception class it is below average. Children achieve well in all areas of learning because of the consistently good teaching and the well planned curriculum, with different areas of learning being integrated and so reinforcing learning for all pupils. There is a good blend of child-initiated and teacher-directed activities, which are appropriate to the age and abilities of the children. The provision is well managed and this ensures that the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs are met well. Children enter the nursery on a part-time basis during the term in which they are four years old, though to ease their start not all join at the same time. They enter the reception class at the beginning of the term in which they are five years old.

p.16

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is very good .

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children achieve very well because of the good teaching and high expectations of all staff. • Very good relationships between staff and children promote children’s confidence and encourage them to work hard.

p.16

Commentary

34. Children’s personal, social and emotional development is nurtured very well and they achieve very well because of the very good teaching in the nursery and the good teaching in the reception class, and clear expectations of the staff. Staff are very skilled at promoting this aspect in everything children do. As a result, most children are on track to exceed the goals expected of them in this area of learning by the time they start in Year 1. Teachers, the nursery nurse and assistants in both the nursery and reception classes provide very good role models for children to follow. They are calm and organised and treat children with respect and courtesy. This leads to warm trusting relationships and helps children to be kind and considerate and to care for each other. They are expected to behave well, take turns and share. Personal independence is encouraged and children quickly learn to dress and undress

p.16

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good .

p.16

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Skilful teaching develops children’s speaking and listening skills well. • Imaginative language is promoted well through creative role-play. • Writing skills are developed effectively.

p.16

Commentary

35. Teaching and learning are good and so children achieve well in both nursery and reception classes. Most will still be working within the early learning goals 1 by the time they leave the reception class. The very good teaching in the nursery encourages children to take part in

p.16

Commentary

1 The ‘early learning goals’ are the goals children are expected to reach by the end of reception. Beaumont Community Primary School - 15 discussions and they begin to offer simple contributions during play and in carpet time. They are particularly enthused by ‘Mousy Brown’ and eagerly join in talking about his birthday celebrations. In both the reception class and in the nursery, children are given many opportunities to use talk and in almost every activity teachers ask questions and continually emphasise words or names. Staff encourage children to speak clearly and employ their own good use of language to help children to broaden their vocabulary. Writing skills are taught carefully and systematically so that children learn to form their letters correctly. Children enjoy looking at books and are developing pre-reading skills appropriately. Creative role-play is used well to develop speech and children enjoy play in the ‘Bears’ house and in the birthday role-

p.16

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Teachers provide a wide range of activities to develop and strengthen children’s knowledge of number and shape.

p.17

Commentary

36. Children achieve well because of the good teaching and learning. Most will still be working within the early learning goals by the time they leave the reception class. Teachers develop children’s understanding of number and shape through carefully planned activities often linked to other areas of learning. For example, children in the reception class learn to say and use number names and begin to count backwards and forwards to ten ordering the numbers on birthday cards. Children sing the ‘mystery bag’ song as they take a shape from the bag. They begin to recognise and name the simple two-dimensional shapes and some can name three- dimensional shapes correctly. They enjoy fishing for shapes and most know the names of the shapes that they catch. Children are given many opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of shape as they draw and cut out and make a party hat. Teachers use every

p.17

Commentary

opportunity to reinforce mathematics and mathematical language. They do this through stories, songs, games and imaginative play.

p.17

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The good range of activities supports learning well. • Children have limited opportunities to learn about different cultures.

p.17

Commentary

37. Achievement is good and although some children are on course to reach the goals expected nationally by the end of the Reception Year, attainment is below the expected levels overall by the end of the Reception Year. Teaching is good and children in both classes are given many opportunities to play with a range of small toys and building blocks. They learn about food technology and hygiene when preparing food for a birthday party. They have fun making a chocolate birthday cake, a pizza, jam and ham sandwiches, and carefully put different fruits onto sticks to eat at their birthday party. They excitedly enter into the birthday party role-play and eat the food that they have prepared. This generates much talk as they discuss their likes and dislikes and the taste of the foods that they are eating. Children are given opportunities to develop their ICT skills and their mouse and keyboard skills appropriately. Although festivals

p.17

Commentary

Beaumont Community Primary School - 16 from different faiths are celebrated in the Foundation Stage, children have limited chances to learn about other cultures.

p.18

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in physical education is good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The outdoor area is large and facilitates children’s learning well. • Children are developing a good sense of space and begin to move with confidence and control. • Children rapidly acquire the skills needed for painting and using small tools correctly.

p.18

Commentary

38. The provision for outdoor learning is very good and offers a range of surfaces and levels and plenty of space. This means that children can move safely whilst engaged in adventurous play. Children use the outdoor area well. Teaching is good in this area of learning and this ensures that children achieve well and make good progress. Despite this, they are unlikely to reach the expected levels in this area of learning before the end of reception. Children use space well in the playground as they move in different ways some on bikes and trikes taking care to use space well so that they play safely. They extend and develop their manipulative skills well as they handle dough, scissors and small toys. Teachers, nursery nurses and support staff carefully develop children’s fine manipulative skills. In both reception and nursery, children are given many opportunities to work with a wide range of tools.

p.18

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

Provision in creative development is good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a good range of exciting activities for children to explore.

p.18

Commentary

39. Through the good planning and organisation, children develop their skills well. The good teaching, supported by the nursery nurse and support staff, ensures that all groups of children enjoy their learning. Children express their feelings through a range of activities, materials, media, music and movement, story making and imaginative play. For example, children in the nursery play in the Bears’ House and in both classes make birthday cakes using both real ingredients and play dough. They excitedly take part in role-play of a birthday party. The use of colour and different textures stimulates children to produce many different paintings and collage work. They sing songs and rhymes which develop and extend their learning. Although only a few children will achieve the early learning goals by the time they leave the reception class, all children achieve well. Beaumont Community Primary School - 17

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The planning for children in the mixed Years 2 and 3 class does not always ensure that children are taught the skills appropriate for their age. • Planning for literacy does not provide enough challenge for some older more able children. • Teaching of children in the younger classes is good, helping children to achieve well. • A consistent approach to aspects of teaching English, such as handwriting, is being successfully developed.

p.19

Commentary

40. Evidence from pupils’ work, lessons and discussions with pupils indicates that most pupils are working at a level close to that expected for their age and that standards are average overall. The standard of reading of the oldest pupils is below average although at the end of Year 2 standards in reading are average. Given the varied experiences of pupils before they join the school, pupils, particularly those with special educational needs, achieve well and make good progress in developing skills in reading and writing. Standards in writing are average at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6, as are those in speaking and listening.

p.19

Commentary

41. The overall quality of teaching is satisfactory and helps pupils to learn effectively. In the lessons seen with the younger pupils, teaching was good. In most classes, planning for lessons clearly sets out what pupils are expected to learn and details how the lesson will proceed. This ensures that pupils learn suitable skills and have an appropriate time in which to complete tasks. As a result, pupils enjoy lessons and show a very positive attitude towards their work. The planning does not, however, clearly identify how the lesson will be adapted for pupils of the different age groups and the range of abilities in each class. Whilst this enables most pupils to work at expected levels it does not always ensure that the more able are provided with suitably challenging work. Teachers make good use of questions to help pupils build on their previous knowledge and so develop a better understanding of the topic in hand.

p.19

Commentary

This also helps pupils to improve their skills in speaking and listening. Few lessons have an effective session at the end of the lesson to help the teacher and pupils assess how well they have done in the lesson or to set targets for further work. Marking of pupils’ work praises their achievements well but does not set pupils specific targets often enough to help them improve their writing.

p.19

Commentary

42. The headteacher ensured that a basic plan for teaching literacy throughout the school was ready for teachers when the school opened. This provided a good platform for teaching. However, as the number of classes has grown this programme has not been adapted sufficiently to meet the new class structures. As a result, pupils in the two classes containing Year 3 pupils are not taught similar topics and the younger Year 3 pupils do not always benefit from the teaching of skills, ideas and content appropriate for their age. This affects the standard of work they attain. The programme of work, which covers a two-year cycle, has not been sufficiently adapted to provide the oldest, more able pupils with sufficient challenge. Much of the work for these pupils seen during the inspection lacked challenge because the planning aimed the work at the younger pupils in the class. Evaluation of this and leading

p.19

Commentary

further development of planning for literacy is inhibited by the lack of clearly defined leadership of the subject. Teachers are beginning to work together to provide more consistency in some aspects of teaching English; most noticeably in the successful way they have addressed improving pupils’ handwriting. Beaumont Community Primary School - 18 43. As a new school there has not yet been time to build the extensive range of resources needed to support the teaching of English. There is a basic supply of good quality books to support individual reading but there are not enough sets of books for pupils to be able to read a range of texts as a group. This limits the opportunities for intensive sessions of adult-led group reading (guided reading) that develop pupils’ skills in interpreting what they have read. The few sets of books that are available do not provide enough challenge for the older, more able

p.19

Commentary

pupils. Other resources available to support writing in the National Literacy Strategy are not used consistently across the school so that pupils, particularly in the middle years, do not benefit from materials aimed at improving their technical competence as writers. The support programmes for literacy have been implemented effectively with pupils in Years 1 to 4.

p.20

Language and literacy across the curriculum

44. There are appropriate opportunities for pupils to use and extend their skills in other subjects. Younger pupils develop skills in speaking and listening through discussions in religious education, history and geography lessons. Older pupils have opportunities to use skills learned in literacy in their writing in history, geography and ICT lessons.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Standards are below average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, largely because of the relative weakness in using and applying knowledge already learnt. • The quality of teaching is good and pupils are learning and achieving well. • Achievement in numeracy is particularly good and pupils reach average standards in this area. • There is satisfactory coverage of the curriculum, but it is not always planned to be appropriate for all pupils. • There are no records kept of the pupils’ gains in skills and knowledge.

p.20

Commentary

45. Standards in mathematics are below average through the school. There are a variety of reasons why standards in this subject are not as good as in other subjects. The most important is that, although the curriculum is carefully planned, it has not been sufficiently adapted to ensure that pupils of all abilities and all ages in the mixed age classes always receive work appropriate to their needs. The area where this is most significant is in the mixed age Years 2 and 3 class, where the curriculum followed is basically for Year 2 pupils. Although the teacher usually ensures that there are tasks pitched at a Year 3 level, these pupils are not having the same opportunities as their peers in the Years 3 and 4 class. A further problem is that teachers do not routinely plan work to match the very differing abilities of the pupils in their classes.

p.20

Commentary

46. Despite these shortcomings, the pupils are learning and achieving well, due to thorough teaching of basic skills in most classes. Bearing in mind their well below average attainment when they start school, most pupils achieve well to reach the expected levels in their numeracy skills by the end of both Year 2 and Year 6. The reason that their overall levels of attainment are below average is that they are not sufficiently competent in their ability to use and apply the knowledge that they have learnt to different problems and in different situations.

p.20

Commentary

47. Teaching is good. Teachers plan well, giving clear indication of what they expect the pupils to learn and what course the lesson is to take. This structure benefits the pupils who know what it is they are expected to learn, which gives their learning more focus. Relationships are very good, which means that the pupils are keen to do well and succeed. A particular strength is the high standards that teachers expect of behaviour. There is a consistent approach Beaumont Community Primary School - 19 throughout the school, which ensures an orderly learning environment. This is especially beneficial to those pupils with behavioural difficulties, who have very clear parameters and are thus included in lessons to as full an extent as possible. Teachers and support staff make good teams in classes, support staff playing a key role in the learning of those pupils with special educational needs, who are therefore achieving well.

p.20

Commentary

48. There is at present no co-ordinator to take responsibility for oversight of the subject. Although a great deal of work has been done to take the subject forward, the teamwork approach presently adopted is not taking a specific enough view to establish particular areas of strength and weakness. There is also no system of assessing and recording the pupils’ gains in skills. This means that there is no clear view of what each pupil needs to learn next.

p.21

Mathematics across the curriculum

49. Pupils have a number of opportunities to use their mathematical skills in other subjects. For example, accurate measurement is undertaken in science and design and technology. Skills in using co-ordinates are used in work in geography and the use of spreadsheets in ICT also supports work in mathematics. Teachers are good at looking for these links, but at present there is no overall plan to ensure that the fullest use is made of them.

p.21

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Some aspects of teaching are good. • Pupils work well together and they support and contribute to each other’s learning. • Pupils enjoy practical investigational work in science. • Teachers do not always match work well enough to meet the needs of all pupils. • Assessment is underdeveloped, consequently some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

p.21

Commentary

50. By the end of Year 2 and Year 6 standards are average and pupils’ achievement is good. Pupils with special educational needs make the same progress as other pupils when they are supported by teaching assistants.

p.21

Commentary

51. The quality of teaching is good overall. Most teachers clearly explain learning objectives so that pupils know what they are going to learn, and have a secure knowledge of the subject and insist that pupils use technical vocabulary. For example, in Year 1, pupils had to use words such as magnetic and non-magnetic, as they excitedly played a fishing game to explore and investigate materials which were magnetic and those which were not. Because pupils enjoyed their learning they achieved well. In Year 6, pupils were investigating Dr. Edward Jenner’s work on germs. Pupils’ imagination was captured as the teacher used the interactive whiteboard, ensuring that all pupils could see what she was doing as she demonstrated the use of a microscope. This helped to give pupils confidence to use microscopes with computers and smaller microscopes as they looked at the decaying food in Petri dishes, which they had prepared in the previous lesson. They quickly learned to use the technical terms

p.21

Commentary

microbes and micro-organisms during their investigations. Teaching is good in these lessons because it is exciting and challenges pupils’ thinking skills. Teachers have high expectations of pupils, expect them to work hard and behave well.

p.21

Commentary

52. In other lessons, learning objectives were not as clearly explained and pupils could not explain the skills they were using. Planning did not support learning of higher attaining pupils because Beaumont Community Primary School - 20 it was not detailed enough for their different learning needs, consequently pupils’ achievement was not as good as it could be.

p.21

Commentary

53. When given opportunities, pupils enjoy investigations and work well together. Because relationships are very good so is pupils’ behaviour in lessons. Pupils with special educational needs are fully included in activities and make good progress when support staff assist them. Pupils record their work in many ways, such as in charts and graphs. They are encouraged to write abut their work with an emphasis on recording in sequence and drawing a conclusion. This gives them an opportunity to practise and improve their writing skills. However they are not yet skilled enough to evaluate and record their findings.

p.22

Commentary

54. Although leadership of the subject is satisfactory, the science curriculum is insufficiently planned to provide for the systematic teaching of skills and acquisition of knowledge. As a consequence, teachers do not always use assessment data thoroughly to plan and prepare work that meets the needs of all pupils. Higher attaining pupils in some classes are mostly given the same diet of work as other pupils and this does little to help them achieve well.

p.22

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

Provision in information and communication technology (ICT) is good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are achieving well and reaching average standards by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. • Teaching is good and pupils are learning well. • The school has a good range of equipment which is used well. • There is no system of assessment.

p.22

Commentary

55. The school has put in place a nationally recognised curriculum, which is being covered efficiently. This is ensuring that pupils are building skills progressively and are achieving well. However, there is no system of assessment which would ensure that pupils are learning these skills efficiently, and to enable the more able to move on quicker. Teaching is good, which also contributes to this good achievement. Teachers are confident in their use of the technology and particularly good use is made of the interactive whiteboard in the spacious ICT suite. At present the suite is not fully equipped though there are good levels of equipment for a school of this size. There are sufficient computers for a whole class to use with sharing. This sharing works well as teachers know their pupils well and ensure that pairs are suited. The very good relationships also help in this as pupils are happy to work and learn together.

p.22

Commentary

56. Standards reached at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are average. For example, by the end of Year 2 pupils exhibited satisfactory levels of skill when using the computers for writing about a healthy lifestyle. They also produced some very effective pictures displaying a range of skills. By the end of Year 6, the pupils have produced diagrams of plants to support their work in science. These combined text and images and the plants were accurately labelled. The Internet had been used effectively for research for a topic, with suitable discrimination being shown in the choice of items from the Internet. Computers have been used to monitor external events, with good use being made of a microscope linked to a computer. Although leadership of the subject is satisfactory, there is no co-ordinator for ICT, leading to a lack of specific aims for development.

p.22

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

57. Good use is made of ICT in other subjects of the curriculum. Each class is timetabled for two sessions each week in the ICT suite. One of these is for teaching specific ICT skills, the other for cross-curricular work. Work was seen using word processing skills in literacy and history. Beaumont Community Primary School - 21 Much use is made of the computers to support work in science, as described above. A particular feature of the school is the touch-screen display in the foyer. This is linked to various monitors around the school and provides a fund of information. For example, one display shows how much electricity the school’s wind turbine has generated during the previous day and how much the school has been able to export to the National Grid. This is invaluable for work in geography and science, though its use is limited at present as the monitors are not always functioning reliably.

p.22

HUMANITIES

Religious education was inspected in full and is reported below. It was not possible to observe any lessons in geography or history and no overall judgements are therefore made in these subjects. Scrutiny of work in pupils’ books indicates that standards are meeting those expected nationally.

p.23

Geography and History

58. Pupils’ work and discussions with pupils show that they make satisfactory progress in learning about the past and the world in which they live. Although pupils come from a range of previous experiences, their achievement is satisfactory in their development of geographical skills and knowledge and in their understanding of the past. Standards of work seen in both subjects are consistent with those expected of pupils of their age. Teachers make good use of opportunities to extend pupils’ experience through visits to the immediate locality in geography or further afield, such as to the Imperial War Museum at Duxford, in history. Visitors provide pupils with valuable information such as their experiences as an evacuee. Pupils enjoy learning as a result of these experiences.

p.23

Geography and History

59. Sound initial planning ensured that history and geography topics were taught each term. These are organised in a two-year programme so that pupils in mixed age classes follow a different topic over their two years in a class. Work is based on schemes of work devised by the local education authority and on national guidance. Particularly good use was made of a geography topic on the local area and community to help the older pupils settle into the new school and locality. Planning has not been suitably modified since the creation of a Years 2 and 3 class to ensure that the Year 3 children in the class have work that is based on the relevant parts of the National Curriculum suitable for their age. As a result, some of the work has insufficient challenge in content and does not give these children the same chance to learn appropriate new skills as other Year 3 children.

p.23

Religious education

Provision in religious education is satisfactory .

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils learn new knowledge about celebrations and the role of religion in people’s lives well. • Good use is made of pupils’ own experiences to help develop understanding of religions. • A well-chosen topic helped pupils to settle into the new school.

p.23

Commentary

60. Pupils work at a level which is about average for their age and consistent with what is expected in the locally agreed syllabus. In the younger classes much of the work is done through discussion so that there was limited written work to examine. Evaluation of written work of the older pupils and of teachers’ planning indicates that pupils achieve well, given their diverse previous experiences, and that they make steady progress in developing knowledge and understanding of the customs and traditions associated with religious belief. Only one lesson was seen during the inspection. In that lesson the teaching was good. Beaumont Community Primary School - 22 61. Pupils’ work and the lesson seen showed that teachers make good use of pupils’ experiences. For example, the older pupils shared the excitement of a first communion with their class as part of their topic on ‘Milestones in life’. Younger pupils were encouraged to identify groups to

p.23

Commentary

which they belong such as their family, school or local club. This helped them learn effectively about significant religious and other celebrations in people’s lives. As a result, the subject makes a good contribution to the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

p.24

Commentary

62. The subject leader leads the subject effectively and has successfully ensured that an appropriate plan for teaching topics in religious education was in place when the school opened. This plan has not yet been adapted to take account of the changes in classes as the school has grown in numbers. The choice of initial topic was good as it focused on communities, including faith communities, to help pupils understand their role in the school and the wider community.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

None of these subjects was a focus for the inspection and little first hand evidence was available, so no overall judgements have been possible.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

63. Only one lesson was seen in art and design during the inspection. Taking this into account together with the quality of display around the school and a small amount of pupils’ work, pupils achieve well and their attainment is average. The bright displays of pupils’ work around the school produce a stimulating background to learning and help to make the school a pleasant and interesting place to be. They also celebrate pupils’ achievements. For example, in Year 6 pupils studied the work of Hundertwasser, using a keyhole technique pupils produced pictures in his style, for example sunflowers. Pupils have produced some imaginative drawings from a natural form, working in the negative by using rubbers to remove graphite work and using rubbers on the computer, which developed a variety of skills well. Younger pupils design and make collage and use an artists rag to create colour paint patterns. Planning indicates that the school provides pupils with many opportunities to enjoy a varied art

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

64. Teachers’ plans in design and technology and a small amount of pupils’ work were looked at. Pupils are developing their design and technology skills appropriately. Older pupils designed and labelled a hat for a celebration. This linked well with other subjects of the curriculum, for example the mathematical skills of measuring accurately were used and fine manipulative skills of cutting accurately were developed. In Year 2, pupils designed a mangonel, a device for throwing stones and missiles, which linked well with their topic in history on Castles. The school ensures that the subject has a secure place in the curriculum.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

65. In music , the curriculum is securely in place and pupils have the expected range of experiences. With very little first hand evidence, as there were no lessons during the inspection, it was not possible to make a judgement on standards or achievement. Singing in assemblies was acceptable, bearing in mind the rather dead acoustics of the hall. Younger pupils sang with enthusiasm and all had due regard for pitch and rhythm. A number of other opportunities have been organised. For example, the class for the oldest pupils had a visit from a saxophonist, who demonstrated her instruments and explained how they worked. Many pupils were delighted when they managed to play a few notes on the saxophone.

p.24

CREATIVE, AESTHETIC, PRACTICAL AND PHYSICAL SUBJECTS

66. In physical education , pupils have many opportunities to develop their skills, knowledge and understanding as they take part in football, which is coached by members of a local football team, encouraging girls in particular to take part. The school also gives pupils opportunities to learn tennis. When pupils leave the school, almost all are able to swim 25 metres. Space for physical activity is good because the school has extensive playing fields. The school ensures that pupils have access to a varied and exciting physical education programme. Beaumont Community Primary School - 23

p.24

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

Provision in personal, social and health education and citizenship is very good .

p.25

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils are achieving very well and reaching above expected standards. • The subject is very well led. • The school places a high priority on provision in this area. • Teaching is good.

p.25

Commentary

67. Three lessons were observed during the inspection and the teaching in all of these lessons was good. In each of these lessons, issues were raised sensitively and discussed openly because of the very good relationships. Provision is very good because the school places a very high priority on this subject. This is entirely appropriate because of the wide range of previous educational experiences that the pupils have had. In a very successful attempt to create a school identity and ethos very quickly, procedures were put in place to further the pupils’ personal and social development in the very early days of the school. This has been allied to thorough planning and very effective delivery of health education and citizenship. For example, in the Years 2 and 3 class, the pupils had a very clear knowledge of the constituents of a healthy lifestyle and particularly a healthy packed lunch.

p.25

Commentary

68. Pupils’ personal development and social awareness are above the levels expected of pupils of this age. This represents very good achievement as most join the school with well below average standards in this area. Pupils are very sensitive to the needs of others and are particularly tolerant of those with special educational needs in their classes. This sense of citizenship and the ability to live together in a community has been encouraged well by the lengths to which the school has gone to involve the pupils in forming this new community. For example, pupils were consulted fully when the school started about a range of systems. They were asked what had worked well in their previous schools and what they did not like. Full discussions very quickly gave the pupils ownership of the systems and began to create the school’s ethos.

p.25

Commentary

69. Much of the success of the programme is down to the very good leadership of the headteacher in guiding developments in this subject. A good programme of direct teaching has been put in place, but, far more importantly, this provision is part of the everyday life of the staff and school. Beaumont Community Primary School - 24

p.25

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 3 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 8 Value for money provided by the school 3

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities (ethos) 2 Attendance 3 Attitudes 2 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils’ needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 4 Accommodation and resources 3 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 3 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 3 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 3 The quality of the school’s links with the community 3 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 2 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 3 Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7); does not apply to this school (8).

p.26