Belmont Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that leaders:
  • take further action to increase the number of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, attaining the highest standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2.
• Improve the effectiveness of teaching, learning and assessment and improve outcomes by ensuring that teachers:
  • plan activities that are better matched to the abilities of the most able pupils, so they make the progress they should, particularly in mathematics
  • develop pupils’ abilities to check their work so they can correct spelling mistakes in writing and make sure that calculations in mathematics are accurate.
• Improve the effectiveness of the early years by ensuring that:
  • leaders and staff have high expectations of what children can achieve so more are able to access tasks that will enable them to attain a good level of development.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders have taken effective action to successfully address many of the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils in key stages 1 and 2. The quality of education pupils receive is consistently good in these key stages.
• Leaders know the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They put effective plans in place and carefully monitor the impact of actions. They provide high-quality training and support for staff. As a result, teaching and learning in key stages 1 and 2 continue to improve and the quality of current pupils’ work is of a high standard.
• Leaders have established a culture of teamwork and high aspirations. Staff and pupils identify themselves as being part of ‘Team Belmont’. Values, such as respect, resilience and reflectiveness, resonate throughout the school. Staff morale is high.
• Leaders ensure that parents and carers are included in school life and involved in their children’s learning. Many parents value the inclusivity of the school and the contributions staff and pupils make to the wider community. As one parent said, ‘This school is my family.’
• The leadership of English and mathematics has significantly improved since the last inspection. Leaders are knowledgeable and have taken decisive action to improve teaching in these areas. For example, leaders have redesigned the mathematics curriculum to ensure that pupils are taught how to problem solve and reason. They have enhanced the teaching methods used in English to improve pupils’ language and vocabulary.
• Leaders, supported by staff, ensure that pupils receive a broad, rich and engaging curriculum. Pupils are taught about a wide range of interesting topics, such as ‘Ancient Greece’, ‘The Holocaust’ and ‘Refugees’. Leaders ensure that pupils have a deep understanding of different times and events in our world. Through these topics, pupils develop high levels of tolerance, empathy and respect for others. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders ensure that pupil premium funding for disadvantaged pupils is used effectively in key stages 1 and 2. Leaders carefully monitor the progress these pupils make. They quickly identify barriers to learning and provide timely support. For example, disadvantaged pupils receive one-to-one mathematics tuition, additional support from adults in lessons or tailored interventions to address gaps in their learning.
• Leaders use additional funding for pupils with SEND effectively in key stages 1 and 2. Teaching assistants are used to provide bespoke support for pupils with SEND. This support is of a good quality and addresses individual pupils’ needs while ensuring that they can access the curriculum alongside their peers.
• The primary physical education (PE) and sport premium funding is used to provide a wide range of sporting opportunities for pupils, including football, tag rugby, swimming and athletics. Leaders ensure that individual pupils’ levels of physical and sporting activity are tracked and monitored using the school’s ‘heat map’. Consequently, leaders plan sporting activities that are well matched to pupils’ interests and ensure that pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, can participate in events and become more physically active.
• The development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. Leaders ensure that pupils have many opportunities to learn about a range of cultures, faiths and the arts. For example, pupils make regular visits to places of worship, such as mosques. Pupils learn how to play instruments, such as the cello, guitar and ukulele. The school supports many charities and pupils have recently been involved in work with the Refugee Council.
• Leaders continue to improve outcomes for the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils. However, some actions taken have not been effective or have been implemented too slowly. Too few of the most able pupils attain the highest standards in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Leaders are not improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in the early years as quickly as they are in key stages 1 and 2. Leaders do not have high enough expectations of what children can achieve. Some children do not achieve a good level of development and are not prepared for Year 1.

Governance of the school

• Governors know the school well. They understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school’s performance. They receive detailed reports from leaders about the impact of actions taken to improve pupils’ outcomes.
• The governing body carefully audits the skills of governors. Some governors attend training to improve their effectiveness. Consequently, governors can interpret a range of school performance information and ask challenging questions of leaders.
• Some governors make regular visits to the school. This ensures that governors can check the impact of actions taken by leaders and the progress towards addressing school development priorities. The governing body is effective in holding leaders to account.
• The governing body ensures that leaders use additional funding effectively. Governors have a good understanding of how these funds improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. They have a comprehensive understanding of how the PE and sport funding increases pupils’ access to sport and provides good value for money.
• The governing body fulfils its statutory safeguarding duties and ensures that leaders have effective systems in place for keeping pupils safe in school. The safeguarding governor is well trained and makes regular checks of the school’s recruitment and vetting procedures.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong safeguarding culture within the school. Staff are well trained, and their knowledge is regularly updated. Staff know pupils very well. Consequently, staff are vigilant and aware of the signs of abuse and how to access help for pupils.
• Staff prioritise pupils’ safety and well-being. They are tenacious in seeking, and providing, support for families at the earliest possible stage. Leaders work well with a wide range of external agencies, such as multi-agency support teams and social workers. Leaders contribute effectively to plans to support pupils who are on the child protection register or children looked after.
• Pupils are safe in school. Pupils say they can speak to any adult about their concerns during ‘thoughts and feelings’ sessions or by writing down their worries in the ‘worry box’, knowing an adult will help them. Pupils are taught how to stay safe and can effectively identify and respond to a wide range of potential dangers, such as when online or near a road. Parents agree that the school is a safe place for their children.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers’ subject knowledge is good across all subjects. They use this knowledge to plan effective lessons that are well sequenced and build upon what pupils have previously learned. Most pupils make good gains in their knowledge and understanding in a range of subjects, particularly in writing and mathematics.
• Teachers know pupils well. They have a secure understanding of what pupils need to improve in their learning. Work is well matched to most pupils’ abilities, particularly for those with SEND. As a result, pupils engage quickly in learning and make good progress.
• Teachers use effective strategies to improve pupils’ language and vocabulary throughout many subjects. For example, when discussing their learning in geography, pupils could describe the feelings of refugees as they fled their homeland as ‘despairing’ and ‘melancholy’.
• Teachers use questioning effectively to deepen pupils’ thinking. For example, in one mathematics lesson, pupils who could quickly calculate the answers to complex word problems using multiplication were asked, ‘Can you show me another way?’ Pupils were then able to use addition, subtraction and division to generate different ways of getting the answer.
• The teaching of reading and phonics is effective. Most pupils in key stage 1 can successfully read words using their phonics knowledge and pupils in key stage 2 have a growing comprehension of what they read. Pupils in both key stages read widely and fluently. Teachers promote an enjoyment of reading throughout school. As one pupil said: ‘I didn’t like reading. I went to book club last term and now I have a love of reading.’
• Teachers explain learning clearly. They use a range of different teaching methods to model ideas and concepts. For example, in one writing lesson, teachers used pictures, sounds and interesting objects to develop pupils’ understanding of how suspense can be created in stories to engage the reader.
• Teaching assistants are effectively deployed in key stages 1 and 2. They are highly skilled and respond well to the needs of pupils. They provide targeted support for pupils who require help to access learning or additional challenge for those pupils who are quick to grasp learning.
• Subjects other than English and mathematics are taught well. Pupils have a deep understanding of what they learn and can apply the knowledge they acquire in different contexts. For example, pupils can make insightful comparisons between the democracies of Ancient Greece and of the United Kingdom in the 1900s by discussing inequalities, such as women’s right to vote, in each period of history.
• Sometimes, teachers do not ensure that work matches the abilities of the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, particularly in mathematics. When this happens, these pupils do not make the progress they are capable of.
• Some pupils do not spot errors in their work. Teachers do not teach pupils effective strategies so they can check and proofread work. As a result, some pupils do not address simple errors in spelling and do not correct mistakes to answers in mathematics.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils enjoy coming to school and are proud to be part of ‘Team Belmont’. They are kind and polite. Pupils care for each other and take on the role of ‘equality ambassadors’ at breaktimes, making sure everyone has a friend to play with.
• Pupils are reflective and recognise the responsibilities they have. For example, pupils understand the need to treat people fairly and make the right choices.
• Pupils make effective contributions to school. For example, groups of pupils help to run the breakfast club each morning. They prepare food, serve pupils and wash the breakfast dishes.
• Pupils relish challenging work. They have positive attitudes to learning and show high levels of resilience and perseverance. As one pupil said, ‘We never give up.’
• Pupils enjoy being together. They are tolerant and respectful. For example, in one assembly, pupils sang together harmoniously and learned all about different types of family.
• Pupils are taught about the importance of exercise and healthy eating. They participate in ‘15 minutes of fitness’ each day and enjoy buying healthy snacks from the ‘snack bar’.
• Pupils are taught how to stay safe and have a good understanding of different types of bullying, including cyber bullying. Parents agree that their children are safe in school and are well cared for.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. They apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently and regularly remind pupils of the school rules. As a result, pupils behave well.
• Pupils are well mannered and friendly. They conduct themselves well in lessons and at breaktimes. Groups of pupils have been trained to be ‘mini police’ on the playground. They support pupils to help them resolve minor disagreements. Pupils play together well.
• Staff receive training in ‘emotional coaching’. They use de-escalation strategies to identify triggers for poor behaviour in some pupils. Because of this, staff are quick to spot the signs of negative behaviour and address it before it arises.
• Pupils enjoy earning ‘golden stars’ for demonstrating good behaviour. They are proud to receive ‘conduct ambassador awards’ for consistently modelling the school values and acting as role models for younger pupils.
• Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, attend school regularly and are punctual. The school’s attendance figure is now above the national average. Leaders, along with the learning mentor, work hard to support pupils, and their families, who do not attend regularly. The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is below the national average and declining.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Since the last inspection, pupils, including those with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, have not always made the progress they should in reading and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. However, current pupils’ work in these subjects shows that more pupils are making the good progress the school expects than has previously been the case.
• Pupils in key stage 2 make good progress in writing from their starting points. Over the past three years, progress has been in line with the national average.
• The proportions of key stage 2 pupils reaching the expected standards in reading and mathematics are below the national averages. However, these figures are improving over time. Current pupils’ work shows that more pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are working at the standard expected for their age.
• The proportion of key stage 2 pupils reaching the expected standard in writing is broadly in line with the national average. The attainment of disadvantaged pupils is improving over time. Current pupils’ work shows a good standard of writing in all classes.
• The proportions of key stage 1 pupils reaching the expected standards in reading and writing are broadly in line with the national averages. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics is above the national average. Pupils in key stage 1 make good progress in these subjects from their starting points at the end of the early years.
• A large majority of pupils attain the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. The effective teaching of phonics ensures that pupils can accurately decode words.
• Pupils make good progress in subjects other than English and mathematics. The standard of key stage 1 and 2 pupils’ work is high in these subjects. Pupils have a deep and secure understanding and can quickly recall knowledge they have been taught.
• Too few of the most able pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, attain the highest possible standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders’ actions to date have not been fully effective in ensuring that the most able pupils receive work that is suitably challenging.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• The early years requires improvement. Leaders’ actions to improve the quality of teaching and learning in the early years have not been fully effective. While outcomes in key stages 1 and 2 are improving, the number of children attaining a good level of development in the early years has declined since the last inspection. Some children are not well prepared for Year 1.
• Children enter the early years with a wide variety of abilities. Some children possess knowledge and skills that are higher than those typical for their age, whereas for other children, the opposite is the case. Some children do not make the progress they are capable of and do not attain a good level of development by the time they leave the early years.
• Staff assessments of what children know, understand and can do are not always accurate. Some activities are not well matched to children’s abilities or interests. Consequently, the expectations of what some children can achieve are too low.
• Teaching assistants are not deployed effectively. Sometimes, they do not explain learning clearly or use questions to check or extend children’s knowledge and understanding. As a result, some children do not understand the tasks set.
• Leaders do not fully know the impact of additional funding for disadvantaged children and for children with SEND. They use funding to provide additional adult support in the classroom and to provide some interventions. As yet, this is not improving outcomes for these pupils.
• Staff establish routines and model high expectations for behaviour. Children listen and concentrate well. As a result, children are calm, well behaved and ready to learn.
• Staff work hard to promote children’s personal, social and emotional development. Children play well together. They can take turns, share toys and cooperate well.
• Staff are well trained. They receive training in safeguarding and designated staff receive paediatric first aid training. Staff are knowledgeable about procedures to keep children safe from harm.
• Staff draw upon the expertise of external agencies when needed, such as educational psychologists, speech and language therapists and physiotherapists, to provide timely support for children with SEND.
• The partnership between staff and parents is effective. An online tool is used successfully to allow parents to fully contribute to their children’s learning and assessment. Parents are positive about their children’s experiences of the early years.

School details

Unique reference number 120401 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 10057649 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 202 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Horan Headteacher Matthew Davidson Telephone number 01476 567939 Website www.belmontprimary.com Email address head@belmont.lincs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 6–7 October 2016

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.
• The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and of pupils who speak English as an additional language are below those seen nationally.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in all classes. Three observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher. Inspectors listened to pupils read in Years 1, 4 and 6. Inspectors met with groups of pupils to talk about their learning and experiences in school. Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work with the leaders for English and mathematics. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at playtimes and lunchtimes and observed one assembly.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, leader of the early years, middle leaders and members of the governing body. The lead inspector also held a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.
• A wide range of documents was scrutinised, including those relating to safeguarding, behaviour, pupils’ performance and attendance, and records of the school’s monitoring and evaluation of the quality of education. Inspectors also examined the school’s plans for improvement, plans for the use of, and impact of, additional funding, minutes from governing body meetings and information available on the school’s website.
• Inspectors spoke with parents informally at the start of the day. There were also 31 responses to Parent View (Ofsted’s online questionnaire). Inspectors took account of the one response to the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

Inspection team

Steve Varnam, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Donna Moulds Ofsted Inspector