Beauclerc Infant and Nursery School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching by ensuring that:
  • all teachers plan work that builds on what pupils can already do
  • all pupils understand what they are expected to learn
  • teachers record and retain secure evidence to demonstrate how well pupils learn over time, particularly in mathematics.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• Staff have a real sense of pride in their school and this is largely due to the clear vision and direction established by leaders and governors. The school’s ambitious ethos, ‘Successful Learners, Confident Individuals, Responsible Citizens’, underpins all aspects of the school’s work. This is reflected in the comment by one parent who wrote, ‘This is an extremely caring school, a wonderful place for a child to start on their educational journey.’
• Leaders at all levels have high expectations for staff, pupils and themselves. They are reflective and constantly looking for new ways to develop and improve on what they already do well. Leaders have an excellent understanding of their strengths and they have ambitious plans for the future. Pupils’ personal development, as well as their academic development, is at the heart of the work of the school.
• All staff are involved in plans to shape the future of the school and consequently they share leaders’ ambitions. There is a collaborative approach to school improvement and teamwork is strong.
• Leaders visit classrooms formally as well as informally. They have a clear understanding of the strengths of teaching and what needs to be improved further. They use this information to improve teaching and learning. For example, they have put in place a rigorous training programme to help staff, including support staff, to develop their skills. Systems to manage the performance of staff are used effectively to support staff and challenge them to improve.
• School improvement teams have been established to lead the curriculum and other aspects of the school’s work. This has led to a shared accountability for leadership of individual subjects and this has strengthened the curriculum. Subjects, including writing and mathematics, are taught through themes or topics so that pupils develop a deep understanding of what they are learning. The curriculum is enriched by a wide range of educational visits that contribute to pupils’ enjoyment of school.
• Leaders place a strong emphasis on promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Through the implementation of ‘rights and responsibilities’, pupils are taught values such as respect for others, regardless of background. Pupils say that they are all treated equally and that nobody is ever left out. Fundamental British values, such as tolerance and respect, are integral to all aspects of school life and so pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Pupils thoroughly enjoy various sporting activities. The sport funding has been used to provide specialist coaches to work alongside teachers to develop their skills in teaching aspects of sports in which they are less confident. This ensures that pupils have a wide range of experiences that keep them fit and healthy.
• Pupil premium funding is used very effectively to support the small number of eligible pupils. Leaders carefully check that disadvantaged pupils receive the right support to help them to achieve as well as other pupils.
• The funding to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is thoughtfully used to provide specialist support for those pupils who need extra help. The school’s special needs leader is highly skilled and ensures that these pupils receive the right support in a timely way. The strong climate of inclusion ensures that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve as well as other pupils. Leaders are adamant that ‘no child is left behind’.
• The large majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, or who spoke to inspectors agreed that the school is led and managed well. One parent reflected the views of many through her comment, ‘I am immensely impressed by all aspects of the school, from the friendly and helpful reception staff to the way in which the teachers approach my children’s learning and development. I have nothing but praise and am happy we chose Beauclerc.’

Governance of the school

• Governors are very professional and provide a highly effective level of support and challenge to school leaders. They visit school regularly to check for themselves that what leaders say is accurate. Governors seek evidence from various sources to check and challenge school leaders. Their knowledge and understanding of the school place them in an excellent position to contribute to the strategic development of the school.
• Governors share leaders’ high expectations and they know that, despite the level of training provided to staff, there are still a few issues in the quality of teaching that remain to be addressed. Governors know that pupils achieve well but are not complacent. They check that arrangements to manage the performance of teachers are robust, and they hold leaders securely to account for the quality of education provided by the school.
• Relationships between the staff and governors are very positive, creating a strong climate of trust and respect. Governors have an excellent knowledge of the various projects that staff implement, and they routinely check to ensure that these provide value for money to the school. Governors manage finances carefully and monitor spending decisions. They are reflective and they recently reviewed the way in which they work to enable all of them to make an effective contribution to the leadership of the school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Safeguarding is given very high priority by leaders and governors. All adults who visit the school are carefully checked and robust procedures are in place to ensure that all new staff have the necessary checks made prior to their employment. All staff have received the appropriate training and the safeguarding of pupils is always on the agenda at both staff and governors’ meetings. Throughout the year, staff receive regular updates to keep them abreast of the different ways in which they may help to keep pupils safe.
• Staff are vigilant at spotting the signs that a child may be in need of help. The good relationships that exist with external agencies mean that pupils are provided with the help they need in a timely way. A culture of safeguarding is promoted widely across the school and all staff know exactly what action to take should they believe a child is at risk of harm.
• Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe during assemblies and through the curriculum. They learn how to stay safe when using new technologies.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Good relationships between staff and pupils underpin the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Pupils have very positive attitudes towards learning and they are keen to take part in all activities. They listen to teachers and they follow instructions, and so they learn well.
• Teaching assistants play an effective role in supporting pupils’ learning. They ensure that pupils know what they are expected to do and they ask questions that help pupils to understand their work. Teaching assistants provide effective support for those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities because they have been highly trained.
• In classrooms, talk is a key feature of learning. Pupils have ‘talk partners’ so that they can rehearse their ideas and share their thoughts. Teachers encourage pupils to take risks and have a go. This gives pupils the confidence to know that they can learn from mistakes. Pupils are encouraged to develop independence by choosing how to record their work, and so this helps them to build their stamina for learning.
• There are good procedures in place for assessing pupils’ learning throughout lessons. This means that teachers can quickly address pupils’ misunderstanding at an early stage. Teachers frequently ask pupils questions to assess their understanding so that they can move pupils on when they are ready. However, in most lessons, pupils record their work on small whiteboards and so there is not a full range of evidence for teachers to refer to when making judgements about pupils’ learning and progress.
• The teaching of phonics is highly effective. Pupils are grouped according to ability and they work in small groups to develop their phonics skills at their own level. The system is flexible so that pupils change groups when they have demonstrated that they have learned particular skills. This has been especially effective in helping pupils to develop reading skills rapidly.
• Teachers make effective use of practical resources to support pupils’ learning. Classroom displays relating to language and mathematics remind pupils of basic spelling, number bonds and letter formation. In some classes, information technology is used to stimulate pupils’ imaginations, and this helps pupils to achieve well.
• There are times when teachers do not take into account the different learning needs of pupils and they do not provide work that is at the right level. Sometimes the most able pupils do not have work that is hard enough, and so they do not progress as quickly as they could.
• Most lessons have a clear purpose but there are times when the purpose of the lesson is not clear. As a result, pupils do not know what they are expected to learn or to do, and this slows their progress.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. Staff provide a very high quality of care for pupils so that they feel safe and secure in school. Pupils like their teachers and they say that teachers make learning fun. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning and they rarely miss school.
• Pupils get on very well together regardless of background. They are kind to each other and go out of the way to help if someone is upset or has a problem. They are polite and helpful both to each other and to adults.
• Pupils say they feel safe in school because adults are always on hand to help. They learn about staying safe when using computers and tablets, and know that they should not provide any personal information when using these devices.
• The playground is bright and attractive with an excellent range of equipment to encourage pupils to keep fit and healthy. There is a trim trail for pupils to climb and swing on, as well as smaller equipment to allow pupils to play games supervised and independently.
• The breakfast club provides pupils with a calm and nutritious start to the school day.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils behave exceptionally well in class and around the school. They listen to teachers and they respond quickly to instructions. Pupils know about different forms of bullying but say it rarely happens. They say that occasionally pupils may fall out with each other but that they quickly make up.
• Pupils are very polite, friendly and helpful. They are courteous and treat each other and adults with respect. They get on very well together in classrooms and the playground. They have a very well-developed understanding of right and wrong, and they respond quickly to instructions from staff.
• All staff implement the school’s behaviour management policy and so pupils are fully aware of what is expected.
• School records show very few incidents of poor behaviour and there have been no recent exclusions.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. They make good progress to reach standards that are above average in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2. Pupils’ attainment in reading is higher than in writing and mathematics. There are too few disadvantaged pupils to make any statistically reliable judgements about their progress in comparison to that of other pupils.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. This is because they are provided with help to meet their particular learning needs. Sometimes they receive help in lessons from skilled teaching assistants, and this helps them to overcome specific difficulties. Where their difficulties are more complicated, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are provided with specialist help so that they progress as well as other pupils.
• Pupils thoroughly enjoy reading. By Year 2, they have mastered a range of skills including phonics that they use to read fluently, confidently and with enjoyment. They comment well on what they read and answer questions about the text by referring to what they have read.
• Although published information shows that pupils attain well in writing, pupils do not routinely write at length across the curriculum. Much of their writing is completed in short bursts on small whiteboards that they then erase. This means that they are unable to look back at their work to see their own progress as a matter of routine, and so they do not always know how well they are doing.
• In some classes, pupils do not make as much progress in mathematics as they could. This is because teachers do not always plan work that is at the right level for them. There are times when all pupils have to complete similar work, regardless of ability. Consequently, the work is sometimes too easy for some pupils and too hard for others.
• Pupils make good progress in other subjects, especially art, and this makes a good contribution to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The quality of art in their folders, and that seen on display around the school, shows that they have developed their skills of drawing and painting from direct observations. Pupils also enjoy a range of physical activities, including dance. These activities help to keep them fit and healthy.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Children get off to an excellent start in the Nursery and Reception. Staff have established an exciting environment in which children develop their curiosity and imagination and a love of learning. Both the indoor and outside areas are bright and attractive, and filled with resources and equipment that allow children to learn and develop, personally as well as academically.
• Staff have an excellent understanding of the needs of young children and they provide activities that are exactly at the right level. They observe children carefully, noting their next steps in learning. Much of this is recorded through new technologies so that parents have a visual picture of how well their children are doing.
• Children are very safe in the early years. All staff are mindful of their welfare and they provide a very high quality of care. Consequently, children develop confidence and resilience. They settle very quickly into the routines established by staff. They get on very well together and show kindness and consideration towards each other.
• Children make good and often better progress in the early years because the teaching is typically outstanding in this part of the school. Teachers’ planning is flexible and so they can very quickly adapt activities to meet the learning needs of children. Children are given plenty of opportunities to experiment and to try out their ideas. Staff make resources available so that children can use their imaginations and develop their ideas.
• The early years staff have an excellent understanding of where the practice is strong and they have well-thought-out plans for further development. They are well placed to continue the trajectory of improvement.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 125096 Surrey 10036890 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Infant School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3 to 7 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 158 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher/ Telephone number Website Email address Tirzah Bagnulo Sue Jackson 01932 780 672

www.beauclerc.surrey.sch.uk admin@beauclerc.surrey.sch.uk

Date of previous inspection 13 July 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is federated with a nearby primary school. They share the leadership and the governing body.
• The school is smaller than most infant schools and some pupils are taught in mixed- age classes.
• There is provision for children in the early years in the Nursery and Reception.
• The majority of pupils are White British. Other pupils come from a range of different ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is broadly average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils working in 14 lessons or parts of lessons. They looked at pupils’ work and they listened to pupils reading in Year 2. Pupils’ behaviour was observed in classrooms, the playground and as they moved around the school. One inspector attended a harvest assembly.
• Inspectors held meetings with school leaders, with pupils and with three governors, including the chair of the governing body. The lead inspector met with a representative from the local authority.
• Among the documents scrutinised were school development plans, information about pupils’ learning and progress, and minutes from governors’ meetings. Inspectors also looked at documentation to show how the school keeps pupils safe, as well as information regarding pupils’ attendance and behaviour.
• The views of parents were taken into account by analysing the 50 responses to Parent View, as well as by taking into account views expressed by parents on free text. The lead inspector also spoke informally to parents at the start of the inspection. The views of staff were considered by analysing the 10 responses to the staff survey.

Inspection team

Joy Considine, lead inspector Felix Rayner Barbara Carr

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector