Beechwood Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Beechwood Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Beechwood Primary School love to learn.

They enjoy the many interesting learning opportunities they have. Pupils show a great deal of commitment to their education. As a result of this, and the high expectations of staff, pupils work hard and achieve well.

Staff expect pupils to behave well. Pupils do so because they know the school's straightforward routines and expectations. Older pupils serve as positive role models.

This encourages younger pupils to follow their example, and they usually do. Pupil...s learn how to manage their emotions and feelings. This helps them to become more resilient and better able to deal with any challenges.

Many older pupils have additional responsibilities that help to develop their interpersonal and leadership skills. They earn these roles by representing themselves well and by supporting others. Even the youngest children develop skills that help them to become responsible young people.

Pupils learn to be aspirational and look forward to an exciting future. They also learn to challenge gender stereotypes, for example by exploring non-traditional roles and jobs. In most subjects, pupils gain a wide range of knowledge and skills.

This prepares them well for the next stage of their education.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

In each subject, the school has identified the important knowledge and skills that pupils should learn throughout school. This helps teachers to know what to teach and when to teach it.

In many subjects, teachers have strong subject knowledge. They give clear explanations of new concepts. They also link new knowledge to what pupils have learned before.

As a result, pupils' knowledge generally develops well.

In the early years, staff develop children's language and communication skills well. Staff model appropriate vocabulary effectively, such as using words related to their current topics.

As a result, children use this language in their everyday conversations and build thinking skills. This prepares them well for their learning in Year 1. In most subjects, staff teach pupils to know and use subject-specific vocabulary well.

However, in a few subjects, this focus is not as strong. Sometimes, teachers are not clear about which key vocabulary to focus on. As a result, pupils are not able to use the correct vocabulary to explain their thinking.

This makes consolidating their understanding of new concepts in these subjects harder and slows their progress through the curriculum.

The 2024 phonics screening check results fell short of the school's expectations. A swift analysis identified the gaps in pupils' understanding.

Targeted, effective, and ongoing support has addressed this. The school now identifies pupils who have speech, language, and communication needs at an earlier stage. This enables specialist teachers to provide tailored support, as these needs can slow pupils' reading progress.

Additionally, teachers check pupils' reading skills accurately and regularly. This allows them to provide timely keep-up sessions. Pupils in key stage 2 who are not fluent readers receive extra phonics teaching for as long as it is needed.

As a result, pupils learn to be confident readers.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified effectively. Parents and carers, staff and pupils collaborate to create supportive plans.

These specify the adjustments needed for most pupils with SEND to learn successfully. Some pupils who need extra support learn a tailored curriculum. This fills gaps in pupils' understanding, supports their individual needs and is ambitous for them.

During lessons, pupils behave well. They are keen to ask and answer questions. They listen attentively to each other and the teachers.

At social times, pupils get along well with one another. They are friendly and caring. Many children in the early years have learned key listening skills.

They also know how to share with their peers.

Pupils learn to be good friends by being honest and kind. They understand other religions and eagerly share what they know about various cultures, including their own.

They learn about topics such as discrimination and equality through the personal, social and health education curriculum. Pupils learn to be tolerant and understanding, creating a harmonious school community.

The school and governors work well together to provide pupils with a broad education.

Governors understand the strengths and priorities of the school and complete all of their statutory duties. They also help to understand the needs of the local community. Parents are positive about the education their children receive.

The school consistently supports staff in developing their teaching skills. Staff also value the efforts made to ease their workload and support their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, teachers are unsure which key vocabulary to concentrate on and incorporate into their lessons. This makes it harder for pupils to use the correct vocabulary to express their thoughts, and this affects their ability to retain new knowledge. The school should ensure that the key vocabulary pupils should learn in each subject is identified clearly to ensure that pupils learn and consolidate their understanding of subject-specific vocabulary across all subjects.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in September 2019.

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