Beechwood Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The executive headteacher and senior leaders are successfully improving teaching, outcomes and attendance. Through accurate monitoring, they are well informed to build on strengths and tackle weaknesses across the school.

The multi-academy trust (MAT) provides good levels of support and challenge for senior leaders and staff. Key stage leaders are keen to make a difference, but their skills in using monitoring and assessment information are underdeveloped. Pupils enjoy the interesting range of topics and curriculum activities planned.

Trips, clubs and sporting activities add to pupils' enjoyment of school. Most teaching is good. Teachers ...use their secure subject knowledge to plan imaginative activities which build on pupils' prior learning.

Sometimes, teachers do not challenge pupils well enough, especially the most able. As a result, too few pupils reach the higher standards. Phonic teaching and assessment are not securely good in Year 1.

Home reading books are not matched correctly to some pupils' abilities. The use of whole-class, high-quality texts is contributing to improved outcomes in reading in key stage 2. Increased use of problem-solving and reasoning activities is also improving outcomes in mathematics.

On occasion, teachers provide too much support in writing activities and pupils do not use their own ideas. Pupils' grammar, punctuation and spelling skills are not secure. The contribution made by teaching assistants is variable.

Some staff provide good levels of support, but others lack the skills and knowledge to aid pupils' progress. Pupils behave well in class and around the school. Most show good levels of respect towards adults and their peers.

Pupils are making good progress. Attainment is rising rapidly across the school and moving closer to the national average in all subjects at the end of key stage 2. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress because they are supported well.

Children get off to a good start in the early years. They are happy and settled, and make good gains from their starting points.

Information about this school

Beechwood Primary is one of nine schools in drb Ignite multi-academy trust.

It joined the trust in July 2016. The executive headteacher was appointed in April 2018, having previously been head of school at Beechwood Primary School and another school within the trust, Jervois Primary School. The executive headteacher now oversees both schools.

The trust members of drb Ignite are the school's accountable body and are responsible for setting charitable and educational objectives, including the ethos of the trust. They delegate strategic responsibility to a trust board that oversees areas including finance and safeguarding. An executive governing group provides a community link for schools in the trust.

It also operates a trust improvement board to hold leaders to account for school improvement. This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Approximately a third of pupils are of White British heritage and a third are of Pakistani heritage.

Other pupils come from a range of different ethnic backgrounds. The number of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average. However, most pupils are fluent in English.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is above average. The proportion of pupils with education, health and care plans is below average.