Belmont Community Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 October 2024

Pupils enjoy attending Belmont Community Primary School. Parents are positive about the recent leadership changes at the school. One parent echoed the views of many when they stated, 'This is a supportive and friendly school.' The school regularly holds events for the local community to attend. Pupils feel safe. They know who to talk to if they have any worries or concerns. Older pupils support younger pupils by helping them in the dining hall and organising activities for them during social times. The school is ambitious for pupils. However, the quality of education is not good enough. Pupils do not always achieve their potential. Pupils do not make the progress through the curriculum they should because the curriculum is not always taught well. New leaders have identified areas for improvement but have not yet brought about the necessary changes. In lessons, some pupils find it difficult to concentrate due to disruption caused by a small number of pupils. Most pupils are polite and well mannered. They hold doors open for adults and show care towards each other. Pupils enjoy taking on leadership responsibilities. They are proud to represent the school at sporting events.

What the school should improve

• Teachers do not consistently check pupils' understanding. They do not always provide pupils with work that is matched to their existing understanding. As a result, pupils' achievement is limited as they are not always able to build their knowledge. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge and strategies they need to check pupils' understanding and provide them with work which enables them to build their knowledge.
• In subjects in which essential knowledge has not been identified precisely enough, teachers do not consistently explain important knowledge clearly. This means that pupils can develop gaps and misconceptions in their understanding. The school should ensure that the curriculum identifies the important knowledge that pupils should learn and that teachers have the subject and pedagogical knowledge they need to be able to share important knowledge clearly.
• The school does not have sufficient oversight of the provision for pupils with SEND. As a result, areas for development have not been identified and some pupils with SEND do not access a curriculum appropriate for their needs. The school should ensure that systems are in place to monitor the effectiveness of the support that pupils with SEND are accessing and that weaknesses can be identified and addressed.
• The new behaviour management system at the school is not yet being used consistently by all members of staff. This means that there is a lack of clarity regarding expectations for pupils. This leads to learning being disrupted by the behaviour of a small number of pupils. The school should ensure that all adults are clear on the policy and procedures related to behaviour management and that the policy is applied consistently and fairly by everyone at all times.

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