Belvidere Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff welcome pupils with a smile every day. They are well-cared for by staff who know them very well, and they like to look after each other too.

Pupils are part of a community where everyone wants them to be successful.

The school is ambitious for every pupil. Pupils achieve well.

This prepares them well for the next stage of their education. Pupils enjoy celebrating their achievements with their friends and teachers.

Pupils enjoy their learning because exciting opportunities await them every day.

This means they have positive attitudes to their learning. They share their opinions, ask questions about what they are learning and feel valued.... Pupils follow school rules and show that good behaviour makes their school a better place.

There are many activities planned for children to celebrate their talents. This includes participating in musical activities, performing arts clubs, sports competitions and robotics. They benefit from exciting events such as a whole-school visit to Chester Zoo.

Pupils recognise their importance in the wider world by raising money for a local hospice. Peer mentors, prefects and team captains carry out their roles in school with pride. Older pupils support younger children by listening to them read.

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

Reading is a high priority. Pupils receive a high-quality phonics programme, which begins in the early years. Staff carefully select books to ensure that pupils experience a rich reading diet.

This means most pupils read well by the end of key stage 1. If pupils need extra support learning to read, well-trained staff provide this. By the time pupils leave school, they read fluently and accurately.

The school has designed the curriculum so it is meaningful to pupils. Staff have the information and training they need to deliver the curriculum well. High-quality interactions in the Nursery provide children with a strong start.

The environment and activities are appealing to children. They learn how to persevere and are eager to know more. Well-established routines are embedded from the Nursery Year.

These support children to foster positive attitudes towards learning. However, on occasion, staff do not provide children in the early years with activities that match their needs or the planned curriculum.

In most subjects, teachers check effectively how well pupils learn the curriculum.

They use this information to make changes so pupils do not have gaps in their knowledge and understanding. Most pupils develop the knowledge and skills they need by the time they leave school. However, sometimes staff do not move pupils on readily when they have mastered key concepts.

This slows pupils' learning as they do not have sufficient opportunities to extend their learning.

Staff identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. Staff provide additional support without delay to those who need it.

Skilled staff work with pupils with SEND to support them in their learning. They do this by making small changes to tasks which make a big impact. This means pupils with SEND achieve well.

The school prioritises pupils' personal development. They benefit from a wide range of experiences that enrich the curriculum. This includes exciting trips such as a visit to London.

There are many different clubs providing something for everyone. The school makes links with different schools to broaden pupils' knowledge of the world around them. There is a focus on diversity and fundamental British values.

This helps pupils to understand what makes a good citizen. Pupils demonstrate this through the many pupil leadership opportunities they have. Pupils use this knowledge to make Belvidere a place where everyone is welcome.

Pupils know what it means to be 'ready, respectful and safe'. Kindness is something they naturally show to everyone. Staff in school are role models to children and pupils in their interactions.

As a result, children and pupils are polite and courteous during lessons and when playing together.

The school has successfully raised pupils' attendance and punctuality. Staff provide the right help at the right time, and this makes a real difference in helping children be in school.

The governing body is effective and takes pride in its work. Members know the school well and are keen to support its improvement. They are considerate of staff's well-being and workload.

All staff feel valued and enjoy working at this school. Parents and carers appreciate the difference the school makes to pupils' lives.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In the early years, some staff do not consistently provide children with activities that match their needs or the intended curriculum. As a result, some children do not develop their learning across the curriculum as well as they should. The school should ensure that children in the early years are provided with activities that closely match children's stage of learning and the intended curriculum.

• At times, some teachers do not identify when pupils are ready to learn more complex content. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could, and they find the work too easy. The school should ensure that teachers are well equipped to spot when to extend pupils' learning so they achieve their full potential.