The primary school where pupils ‘take on leadership roles’ and teachers ‘are proud to work’

An Oldham school has had a glowing Ofsted report for its "family-orientated and nurturing" environment, and its "ambitious" programme for students.

Beal Vale Primary School, in Shaw, achieved a ‘good’ rating following its first inspection since becoming an academy in 2019. 

Staff and pupils told inspectors they were "proud" to be a part of the school, where "everyone is welcome regardless of their ethnicity, gender or culture". 

Inspectors, who visited the school in February, praised the close-knit school community. Students were  described as polite and "made friends easily", they said, "because they genuinely care about each other". 

The school, run by Crompton House Trust, offers a "rich range of experiences beyond the academic curriculum", with weekly opportunities to learn life skills such as sewing, first aid and British Sign Language.

“Pupils take on leadership roles with pride, such as those of school councillors, librarians and health champions,” inspectors wrote.

“The school has developed links with the local community. This gives pupils a broader understanding of the different roles that people have in society.”

There is a "tolerant and respectful" culture, according to inspectors, and extra support is given to pupils who are struggling or falling behind.

They noted the way teachers "promptly" identified kids who needed SEND support, with teachers adapting their teaching styles to help SEND pupils to stay in their classes and keep learning alongside their friends. 

Teaching is "ambitious and well-organised".

“As soon as children start in the Reception class, they are immersed in stories, rhymes and poems that help to develop their language skills,” the inspectors wrote. 

They found that a few subjects were new and have "not been implemented fully", with teachers "not as confident" about the content. Some areas needed more structured assessment to identify pupils’ knowledge gaps. 

Parents were told the school is very proud of the Ofsted rating. Before turning into an academy, the school had two ‘good’ ratings in 2012 and 2015.