Blackmoor Park Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Blackmoor Park Junior School Leyfield Road, Liverpool, Merseyside, L12 9HB

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 September 2021

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Outcome

Blackmoor Park Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. They are happy and eager to learn. Pupils strive to be the best that they can be. They work cooperatively with their friends and value many additional roles and responsibilities. These include receiving the weekly ‘kindness cup’ and becoming a ‘reading ambassador’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well around school. They learn about bullying and how it can happen online. Pupils say that bullying is rare. When it does happen, they know that their teachers will help them to put things right.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They also learn how to stay safe outside of school. For example, they learn how to cross roads and play online games safely.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a wide range of clubs, such as photography, choir and chess. They enjoy the many trips and visits that leaders provide. These include visits to a local mosque or to musical performances. These opportunities allow pupils to develop tolerance of others, an understanding of different faiths and backgrounds, and an appreciation of the wider world.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Governors and staff share leaders’ high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They are ambitious for all pupils and know the school well.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have designed an engaging, ambitious and well-thought-out curriculum. Teachers use curriculum plans to introduce pupils to increasingly complex knowledge over time. This ensures that pupils’ knowledge builds on what they already know and can do. For example, in Spanish, pupils in Year 3 learn simple vocabulary and grammar well. This helps them to learn more complex grammar as they move through the school. 21–22 September 2021

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Leaders help pupils to develop a love of reading. Teachers read high-quality texts to pupils. These texts have been carefully selected to encourage and inspire pupils to read more widely. Pupils can recall stories that their teachers have read to them in the past with fondness and they recall a wide range of authors. Over time, pupils become confident, fluent readers.

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Leaders have invested in a new phonics curriculum. Leaders check pupils’ reading progress often. Pupils who need additional support, including those with SEND, are identified well. They usually get the help that they need to catch up. However, leaders have not made sure that these pupils always read books that are carefully matched to their reading ability. At times, some pupils encounter words that they cannot easily read. This knocks their confidence and hinders their progress. This is especially true for pupils who are at an early stage of reading.

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Leaders have planned an effective mathematics curriculum. Teachers regularly check if pupils have any gaps in their knowledge. Teachers adapt their plans so that pupils have a secure understanding before moving on to more complex tasks. Pupils build on their past learning. This helps them to learn more. Pupils, including those with SEND, can become ‘maths stars’. These pupils help to raise the profile of mathematics across the school.

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Leaders have established ways to check how well pupils are learning across the curriculum. Teachers use this information well in English and mathematics. However, checks in some other subjects are not as effective. They do not give teachers as much information to shape future teaching. This means that in a minority of subjects, pupils’ learning does not always build on what they already know.

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Leaders and staff provide a wide range of opportunities for pupils to enhance the curriculum. For example, pupils enjoy opportunities to take part in sporting activities, cultural trips and educational visits. Leaders ensure that pupils learn about respect and diversity. As a result, pupils have a strong understanding of different disabilities, cultures and families. Pupils say that the school is a welcome place for everyone.

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Pupils behave well in class. Any low-level disruption is dealt with quickly. This ensures that poor behaviour does not distract pupils from their learning.

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Staff say that leaders are approachable. Parents value how leaders and staff are visible at the start and end of the school day. Staff appreciate how leaders act to ensure that they have a positive work-life balance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Keeping pupils safe is a top priority for everyone. There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Well-trained staff quickly refer any concerns to the designated safeguarding leader. Leaders keep detailed records of any concerns and work closely with external agencies. This gets pupils the help that they need. 21–22 September 2021

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Leaders and staff understand local safeguarding risks, such as county lines and radicalisation. Leaders provide pupils with appropriate opportunities to recognise and understand these risks. Older pupils are taught to recognise grooming and scams. Pupils have a good understanding of online safety.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils’ reading books are not well matched to their phonics knowledge. This means that some pupils, including those who need help to catch up, do not make as much progress as they could. Leaders should ensure that pupils’ reading books are well matched to the sounds that they are learning. This will help to ensure that all pupils become confident and fluent readers.  Assessment in a minority of subjects is not fully developed. This means that in these subjects, teachers do not have precise information about how well pupils have remembered important knowledge. Leaders should ensure that assessment is further refined in these subjects. This will allow teachers to plan appropriate next steps in learning, so pupils can know more and remember more across the curriculum.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 21 and 24 June 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 21–22 September 2021

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 21–22 September 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10199871 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 and 24 June 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been some changes to staffing in the school since the previous inspection. This includes the appointment of a new headteacher.  The school uses alternative provision at New Heights School.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector completed deep dives in these subjects: reading, Spanish and mathematics. He met with subject leaders, visited lessons, reviewed pupils’ work and spoke to teachers and pupils. The inspector also listened to pupils reading.  The inspector also considered geography, physical education and science. He met with subject leaders, reviewed pupils’ work and evaluated curriculum plans in these subjects.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documentation. He held regular conversations with the headteacher and deputy headteacher throughout the inspection. The inspector held 21–22 September 2021

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a meeting with members of the governing body. He met with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector held meetings with the staff responsible for safeguarding and the single central record. He considered leaders’ safeguarding processes and questioned staff’s understanding of these procedures. The inspector observed pupils during playtimes, lunchtimes and at the breakfast and after-school clubs. He also discussed safeguarding with pupils.  The inspector considered 46 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including 21 free-text comments. He also considered seven responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Adam Sproston, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector 21–22 September 2021

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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