Beechwood Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 16 July 2024

There is a real togetherness that runs through this school. The school's vision and values of trust, justice, friendship, forgiveness, endurance and compassion underpin much of the work that takes place. Staff have an unwavering commitment to ensure that all pupils, regardless of their background, succeed both socially and academically. Pupils behave well and attend school regularly. There are clear routines and classroom expectations that pupils follow willingly. At social times, pupils play together happily. When incidents of bullying occur, leaders take swift and decisive action to ensure this does not continue. Pupils feel safe in school and know who to talk to if they have any worries. There have been several noticeable improvements to the curriculum. The school ensures that pupils learn to read quickly and make good progress in their phonics. Alongside this, pupils also learn to write with confidence and develop secure mathematical skills. This is helping current pupils make better progress. There are many ways that the school extends pupils' learning beyond the classroom. This year, for example, pupils in Years 1 and 2 have visited a local museum. For older pupils, there has been a residential trip to a Somerset farm. Pupils also enjoy attending after-school clubs, such as football, dance, tennis and cricket.

What the school should improve

• The key knowledge that pupils need to learn in some subjects is not as clearly defined as it could be. This means that some pupils are not secure in what they know and understand and how their learning connects. The school should ensure that the key knowledge that pupils need to know and remember in each subject is clear. It should also ensure that teachers check that pupils remember this knowledge to help pupils make stronger progress in their learning.
• The school is still in the process of developing teachers' subject-specific teaching knowledge. This means that, across some areas of the wider curriculum, staff have not had the opportunity to fully develop their teaching practice. The school should ensure that teachers develop their subject-specific pedagogical knowledge to enhance the teaching of the wider curriculum.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)