Belvoirdale Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Make certain that teachers use assessment information effectively, particularly to ensure that the most able pupils are sufficiently and promptly challenged in writing.
• Ensure that teachers consistently reinforce high expectations for the presentation of pupils’ work across different subjects.
• Ensure that senior leaders further develop the capacity of middle leadership in assessing and monitoring the progress of pupils across different subjects.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s performance. They know their community well and are ambitious for all pupils. Their shared determination and vision have been key to the improvements made.
• In recent years, the school has been through a period of substantial change. The school has had several changes of staff, including various interim headteachers. The appointment of the current headteacher in September 2016 was a turning point for the school. He has developed a cohesive team of staff and a strong leadership team. The headteacher and deputy headteacher are successfully driving improvements, embracing the local community and raising aspirations for pupils.
• Plans to improve the school are precise. They correctly identify the priorities and actions needed to achieve success. Senior leaders and members of the governing body regularly review their plans to ensure that improvements move forward rapidly.
• Leaders and staff understand that many of the pupils who attend the school have specific and unique needs. Consequently, leaders have created a school culture that is safe, nurturing and aspiring for pupils. As a result, parents and carers are involved well in school life and pupils enjoy coming to school.
• Senior leaders work well with staff across the school. Members of staff say they respect the headteacher and deputy headteacher and feel well supported by them. As a result, the school is improving well.
• Leaders work extremely well with parents to involve them in their child’s education. As a result, parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school and are particularly appreciative of the way the headteacher, as one parent put it, ‘gets involved in all aspects of school life and is very enthusiastic, which rubs off on the children’. Another parent explained that: ‘Every employee at the school is working hard to invest an interest in each child’s progress. They go beyond simply delivering a curriculum. Class activities and methods of learning are diverse and provide opportunities for unique learning experiences.’
• The coordinator for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities has ensured that extra funding received by the school is used effectively to raise standards for these pupils. She is tenacious in her approach to pursuing the best support and advice for the pupils and their families. As a result, these pupils receive support that is carefully tailored to their individual needs.
• The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum for the pupils. Themes and activities which enrich the curriculum are chosen well to reflect the needs of the community from which the pupils are drawn. Pupils are encouraged to learn about their local area and develop a sense of pride in their heritage. Displays celebrating the history of Coalville as a mining town dominate the school entrance and corridors. The curriculum is also designed to extend pupils’ experiences and build their knowledge. For example, some pupils will visit the Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre as part of their crime and punishment topic; others have visited a National Sea Life centre to enhance their learning in science; and Reception Year children enjoyed a visit to a local farm. The pupils relish these opportunities.
• Leaders have accessed a range of effective support, some of which is provided by the Forest Way Teaching School Alliance (FWTSA) for leadership, staff training and development opportunities. For example, they organised specialist support for the leadership and teaching of mathematics. As a result, the leader for mathematics has introduced new strategies for the teaching of mathematics, the quality of teaching is improving and pupils across the school are making good progress in mathematics.
• The deputy headteacher has recently introduced new systems to enable leaders to more precisely measure the progress pupils make in reading, writing and mathematics. Their rigorous checks on this information are securing continued improvements and raising standards.
• School leaders ensure that the pupil premium funding is used to provide a good range of additional support for eligible pupils. The support is carefully targeted to meet pupils’ academic as well as social and emotional needs. Additional funding provided through the physical education (PE) and sport premium is used well to provide a wide variety of additional sports clubs, competitions and experiences for pupils.
• Middle leaders are passionate about their areas of expertise. Many are relatively new to their roles but lead their areas of responsibility well, with determination and a desire for all pupils to achieve their very best. Nevertheless, not all middle leaders have a clear understanding of pupils’ performance in their area of responsibility.

Governance of the school

• The governing body demonstrates a strong commitment to the pupils. Its ambition to provide the pupils with an aspirational educational experience in a caring and welcoming environment is realised in the school’s curriculum and relationships between staff and the pupils.
• Governors maintain a sharp focus on the progress and attainment of pupils and are effective at holding the headteacher to account for school improvement. They provide appropriate challenge and question the information he provides.
• Governors are aware of their responsibilities and visit school regularly to meet with leaders, staff and pupils. The visits help governors to understand the performance of the school in areas such as the quality of teaching and learning and the progress of groups of pupils, such as those who have SEN and/or disabilities. After these visits, governors write reports and share them with other governors, ensuring that the governing body is made aware of any issues and can take necessary action.
• Governors understand the importance of monitoring the use of additional funding, such as the pupil premium. They understand that they need to check provision for eligible pupils carefully and ensure that the actions taken by leaders are having a positive impact on pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Staff and governors have undergone training in safeguarding. Staff understand that they have a duty to be vigilant and are fully aware of the different forms of abuse.
• A robust system is in place to enable staff to report any safeguarding concerns they may have regarding a pupil. The designated safeguarding leaders are well trained and ensure that pupils and their families are referred to external support agencies promptly, when required. Records relating to safeguarding are kept in a well-ordered fashion.
• Senior leaders know the school community well and work effectively with families to ensure the well-being of children whose circumstances may make them particularly vulnerable. They ensure that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching across the school is improving as a result of effective training and support. Observations of learning, scrutiny of pupils’ work and the school’s assessment information show that teaching is typically good. Where it is less strong, senior and middle leaders provide effective guidance and skilled support.
• Teachers have a secure understanding of the subjects they teach. They plan lessons that motivate and interest pupils. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 enjoyed learning about historical events in science by sequencing the events using a toilet roll. This amused and focused pupils on the chronological order of events. In another Year 5 and 6 lesson, the teacher skilfully stimulated the pupils in their learning by viewing and pausing well-chosen video clips. This enabled pupils to ask questions and engage in challenging discussions about evolution.
• Teachers and teaching assistants use questions well to reinforce learning and clarify misconceptions. Where questioning was most effective, it extended and deepened pupils’ understanding and knowledge by encouraging pupils to explain what they were learning. As a result, pupils make good gains in their learning.
• Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to stimulate good learning and behaviour. They provide timely intervention that gives pupils helpful guidance and support. Pupils move on well in their learning when teaching assistants actively encourage pupils to think for themselves and work on their own.
• As a result of a review of the teaching and learning of mathematics to raise standards, teachers plan mathematics lessons that are well structured and build on pupils’ prior learning. Pupils have regular opportunities to apply their knowledge to solve ‘bronze, silver and gold’ problems. They have frequent opportunities to use reasoning and explain what they have done and why. Consequently, pupils say they enjoy mathematics and relish the ‘trophy challenges’ that encourage them to think more deeply.
• Pupils receive good-quality phonics teaching, and this provides them with a secure base on which to build their wider reading skills. Pupils who read to inspectors were able to use their phonics knowledge to read unfamiliar words. Pupils also use their phonics knowledge well to support their spelling in their writing.
• Teachers encourage an enthusiasm for reading. They work well with parents to ensure that pupils read regularly to improve their skills. In addition, leaders regularly review the content of the school library so that pupils have access to a wider selection of books in order to broaden their knowledge. Teachers promote regular use of the school library at lunchtimes and through structured weekly visits.
• Teachers use good-quality texts, topics of interest to pupils and digital media to motivate and inspire pupils to write across a range of topics and genres. For example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 used a tweet from the astronaut Major Tim Peake as a stimulus to write a letter as part of their learning about ‘space’.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities receive effective, well-planned support. Teachers work closely with parents and colleagues to ensure that additional support meets pupils’ needs and is carefully targeted to move them on in their learning.
• Teachers do not consistently reinforce high expectations for the presentation of pupils’ work. As a result, the presentation of pupils’ work varies too much across different subjects, classes and year groups.
• Teachers do not consistently use the information they collect about pupils’ progress, particularly in writing, as effectively as they could. As a result, the most able pupils are not always challenged to do as well as they can.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. The school has a nurturing and friendly atmosphere where pupils enjoy learning.
• Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and caring. Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school and that staff help them with any worries or problems they might have. Pupils take care of each other. For example, school prefects help younger pupils with their lunch at lunchtimes.
• Pupils know how to keep safe in a variety of situations. They can explain the steps taken to look after them in school, including how to keep safe when using the internet. The vast majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, confirmed that the school keeps their child safe.
• Leaders have a good understanding of the local community and are aspirational for all pupils. The school values and motto of ‘Dream it, Learn it, Live it’ are promoted well through the curriculum and displays around the school.
• Pupils are encouraged to be confident and proud citizens through the school’s ‘essential life skills curriculum’. Pupils explained to inspectors how they receive constant reminders from staff about what ‘good character’ looks like. Inspectors observed pupils in class selecting labels that best described the characteristic they most wanted to display in their lesson. For example, one Year 6 pupil explained to an inspector that she had selected the word ‘concentrate’ because, ‘I find reading tricky, so I know I need to concentrate really hard to get it right.’
• Leaders effectively promote healthy lifestyles. Pupils were able to explain to inspectors how to stay healthy by eating well and exercising regularly. They highly value the range of clubs and activities provided by the school, including the variety of different sports clubs, theatrical performances and competitions. Pupils are very proud of their achievements. As one pupil told an inspector, ‘Winning the boccia final was the best thing ever!’
• Leaders ensure that the high number of pupils across the school with social, emotional and mental health needs receive timely and well-targeted support. Initiatives such as nurture group provision and one-to-one specialist psychotherapy sessions are securing pupils’ well-being, enabling them to access the curriculum and attend school regularly.
• The overwhelming majority of parents highly value the significant improvements to the school over the last two years. They appreciate the care and attention staff give to developing pupils as individuals. One parent explained, ‘The headteacher and his team have given my son confidence and a sincere appreciation of learning, as well as helping to mould him into a wonderful young man.’

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. They behave well in lessons and around the school. The school is a happy, calm and friendly place to learn. Pupils are noticeably polite and well-mannered to staff, each other and to visitors. For example, one little boy in the Reception Year greeted an inspector with a handshake and offered to show her around his classroom.
• Pupils are very clear about the expectations for behaviour, which are consistently and positively promoted by teachers and staff.
• Pupils understand the different forms that bullying can take. They say that incidents of bullying or poor behaviour are rare but, when they do occur, staff deal with them promptly and effectively.
• In lessons, pupils are often encouraged to work together. They collaborate very well and show mutual respect for each other. Relationships are positive. In some lessons, pupils lost focus only if their work was not well matched to their needs.
• Procedures for monitoring the attendance of pupils are robust. As a result, pupils’ attendance is improving. Previously high levels of persistent absence among certain groups, such as the pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, are now reducing.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Evidence seen in pupils’ books and in lessons, and information provided by the school indicate that the majority of current pupils are working at the standards expected for their age in a variety of subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics.
• From starting points that are often well below those expected for their age, most children make good progress and achieve well in the early years. The proportion of children who reach a good level of development is close to the national average.
• Leaders have rigorously monitored the quality of teaching and learning to ensure improving outcomes for pupils in key stage 2. As a result, in 2017, attainment for pupils leaving Year 6 improved from the previous year in reading, writing and English grammar, punctuation and spelling.
• By the end of Year 6, pupils’ progress is in line with the national average for reading and writing.
• Pupils’ attainment and progress in mathematics have not been strong over the last two years. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ progress in 2017 declined to below the national average. Strong leadership of mathematics and improved teaching are raising standards. It was clear from inspectors’ scrutiny of books, analysis of information provided by leaders and observations during lessons that the majority of current pupils across the school are making good progress and developing their mathematical skills well.
• In recent years, pupils leaving Belvoirdale have not been well prepared for their secondary schools. However, in 2017, greater proportions of pupils left the school with skills and knowledge that are essential for successful learners.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has fluctuated over recent years. Senior leaders have appointed a dedicated leader for the improvement of the teaching and learning of phonics. Current information shown to inspectors indicates that the majority of pupils in Year 1 are making good progress and are on track to attain the expected standard at the end of Year 1.
• The most able pupils have made good progress in reading by the end of Year 2. At the end of key stage 1, the proportion of pupils who attained above the expected standard was higher than the national average. Nevertheless, pupils’ attainment in writing declined in 2017. Inspector’s scrutiny of pupils’ books and observations during lessons showed that although current pupils are now making good progress in their writing across key stage 1, pupils, particularly the most able pupils, are not challenged as well as they could be in their writing to attain a greater depth of understanding in key stage 1 and key stage 2.
• The majority of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, pupils who speak English as an additional language and those who have SEN and/or disabilities, are currently making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. In some classes, their progress is less rapid in writing because pupils’ work is not well matched to their abilities. This is particularly true for the most able pupils.
• The presentation of pupils’ work varies across classes, particularly in writing.

Early years provision Good

• Leadership of the early years is good. The leader for the early years is knowledgeable and has high expectations for children’s learning. Provision across the Reception Year classes is well planned to ensure a range of stimulating activities that motivate and interest children in different areas of learning.
• The majority of children start the Reception Year with skills which are well below those typical for their age. Over the last two years, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development has improved significantly to be broadly in line with national expectations. Good teaching and nurturing relationships enable children to make good progress.
• The Reception Year classes are inclusive. Children who speak English as an additional language and those who have SEN and/or disabilities are supported well. Teachers provide extra adult support and adapt activities to make sure that they meet children’s needs. As a result, like the majority of children, those who speak English as an additional language and those who have SEN and/or disabilities thrive and are well prepared for Year 1.
• The Reception Year classes are motivating and safe places for children to learn. Activities indoors and outside provide children with opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding in different areas of the curriculum. Children are encouraged to investigate and to work things out for themselves. As a result, children are often absorbed in their learning. For example, children independently built an obstacle course for horses out of wooden blocks, planks, plastic guttering and wire posts. This was based on their learning about farm animals.
• Assessment of children’s progress is continuous. The leader for the early years ensures that teachers collect a range of evidence to show that children are making good progress across the early years curriculum. She regularly checks the accuracy of the assessments with colleagues working in other schools.
• Children’s reading and mathematics skills are developed well. They are provided with opportunities to practise their letter sounds daily in phonics lessons. This is rapidly improving their early reading skills. Children also develop their understanding of number by playing number games and solving problems in a variety of situations. For example, inspectors observed children creating number calculations, using chalks on the floor in the outside area, to solve problems based on a story they had read about a farmer mixing up his farm animals.
• Children’s achievements are regularly shared with parents. Teachers encourage parents to take part in ‘knowledge harvests’ and ‘fab finishes’ at the beginning and end of topics of learning. These have enabled parents to effectively share in their children’s learning journeys.
• Relationships between adults and children are positive. Well-structured routines and procedures mean that children move happily between classes. They cooperate with each other and behave well.
• Children have regular opportunities to practise their writing. However, leaders have identified that children do not always choose to write and are in the process of devising more effective ways to motivate children to write through the curriculum.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 119913 Leicestershire 10047420 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 299 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Helen Wardle Richard Dax 01530 832595 www.belvoirdale.org/ office@belvoirdale.leics.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 22–23 January 2014

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• A new headteacher has been appointed since the last inspection and following various interim arrangements.
• The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds or who speak English as an additional language is lower than the national average and is rising.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is in line with the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The school accesses support for school improvement from FWTSA.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching in all year groups, including joint observations with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. They observed the teaching of reading and listened to pupils reading. Inspectors talked to pupils about their school and looked at examples of pupils’ work.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and several middle leaders. The lead inspector held meetings with representatives of the governing body and had a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors spoke with parents informally at the start of the school day. They also took account of the 78 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire (Parent View).
• Inspectors considered the 21 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff. The two responses to the pupil survey were considered. Parent surveys carried out by the school were also considered.
• Inspectors looked at a range of documents, including: the school’s self-evaluation of current performance and plans for improvement; the school’s most recent information on the achievement and progress of pupils; information relating to the safeguarding of pupils; information about the behaviour management of pupils; information relating to the school’s use of the pupil premium funding; the school’s most recent information relating to the attendance of pupils; and minutes from a number of governing body meetings.

Inspection team

Stephanie Innes-Taylor, lead inspector Rob Cruise Caroline Stewart

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector