A primary school in Beckenham where staff greet children “warmly with a smile” and behaviour is “exceptional” has been rated as outstanding by Ofsted.

Harris Primary Academy Beckenham Green was most recently inspected on March 12 and 13.

The report was then published on April 25, 2024.

It was rated as outstanding in every area: Quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management and early years provision.

At its previous inspection back in January 2022, the school was rated as good.

Inspectors found that pupils “flourish” at the school where the values of being “ready, respectful and safe” can be seen in all aspects of school life.

Ofsted reported that staff greet pupils “warmly with a smile each morning” which makes the start of each day “welcoming” for children.

Pupils are described as “well-mannered” and behaviour as “exceptional”.

If pupils have a worry, they told Ofsted that they are “confident” they can tell an adult who will help them.

This makes them feel “safe and happy”.

Pupils told inspectors that they behave well because they “have been taught how to behave because they want the best for themselves”.

Staff were found to have “high expectations” for pupils which leads to children working hard and achieving highly.

The school aims for pupils to be “well-rounded citizens who impact positively on their community”, for example by reading to residents in a local care home and litter picking.

Ofsted described the curriculum as being “very well-designed”, precisely setting out the skills, knowledge and vocabulary children need to learn and remember.

Reading is reportedly at “the heart of the curriculum” and there are multiple approaches in place to “ensure that pupils develop a love for reading”.

Inspectors found that the attitude of pupils toward reading is “excellent” and they are “motivated” to learn.

It was reported that pupils are taught how to manage their feelings, for example, children is Reception use language such as “confused”, “angry” and “delighted” when matching “worry monsters” to their different emotions.

Personal development is a “given priority” here and pupils speak with sensitivity when talking about “protected characteristics”, Ofsted reported.

They are taught that families look different and that family relationships should be built on “love and trust”.

Staff were “extremely positive” when speaking to inspectors about the range of initiatives in place to manage their workload and support their wellbeing.

The News Shopper has contacted Harris Primary Academy Beckenham Green for comment.