Belle Vue Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 July 2025

Pupils enjoy attending Belle Vue Primary School. They take great pride in being part of the school community. Each day, pupils try hard to live the school values of 'establish, nurture, grow.' The school sets high expectations for pupil achievement and conduct. However, variability in the delivery of the curriculum means the school's ambitious vision is not consistently met. This impacts on pupils' achievement, particularly in reading, writing, and mathematics. Pupils are less motivated to learn when staff do not mirror the school's high expectations. When this happens, attitudes to learning wane. This is particularly so for some pupils who need support to manage their behaviour. Pupils know the school's 'ready, respectful, safe' rules. They are aware of the consequences of not following them. Pupils enjoy spending time with friends at social times. Playground pals and staff are on hand to support as needed. Pupils enjoy opportunities to develop their talents and interests. These include football, choir and dodgeball. Older pupils develop teamwork and independence skills during an outdoor residential experience. Visits and visitors to school help pupils to understand the curriculum better, for example, a museum trip and a Viking experience in school.

What the school should improve

• There are inconsistencies in the delivery of the curriculum, particularly in writing and mathematics. This impacts on how well pupils learn and remember more of the curriculum and limits their opportunities to apply new learning when working independently. The school should ensure teachers have the expertise to deliver the curriculum effectively, to provide a high-quality education to all pupils.
• Assessment is not used effectively to check for understanding and inform teaching. This means gaps in curriculum knowledge and misconceptions are not identified accurately and addressed. The school should ensure teachers and leaders use assessment effectively to check how well the curriculum is being taught and to help pupils to understand and embed their knowledge fluently, including in the early years.
• There is too much variability in the teaching of reading, particularly for those at the early stages of reading, including phonics. This means some pupils do not learn to read with confidence and accuracy. Some fall behind and do not get the help they need to catch up quickly. The school needs to ensure that the reading curriculum is taught consistently well, so that all pupils learn to read with the fluency and accuracy expected for their age.
• The additional needs of some pupils with SEND are not identified and met quickly enough. These pupils do not get the support they need to be successful in school. The school should ensure pupils with SEND are swiftly identified and get timely help and support to be successful in school, including in the early years.
• The school does not use the information about behaviour incidents well enough to identify patterns or trends. As a result, opportunities to respond to emerging issues and improve behaviour further are missed. The school should use this information more effectively to detect patterns and determine the actions needed to improve pupils' behaviour.
• Some aspects of the school's personal development offer are not coherently planned. This results in variability in pupil opportunities and experiences, particularly character development and diversity. The school should strengthen its offer so the pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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