Blackpool Gateway Academy

Inspection of Blackpool Gateway Academy Seymour Road, Blackpool FY1 6JH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 24 and 25 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Blackpool Gateway Academy is a caring and supportive school. Pupils, including those in the early years, are happy and they feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious and meets the needs of pupils. Pupils live up to the high expectations that leaders have of them. They achieve well across a range of subjects, including reading.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have developed a clear and consistent approach to managing pupils’ behaviour across the school. As a result, most pupils behave well, particularly in the early years and key stage 1. Pupils share warm and caring relationships with staff. They are polite and well mannered, and they move around the school in an orderly manner. Pupils are confident that should bullying occur, staff will sort it out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are provided with a wide range of opportunities beyond the academic curriculum that help to develop their interests and talents. They told inspectors that they enjoy attending clubs, such as rugby, yoga and netball, and watching films with their friends.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents and carers are happy with many aspects of the school.

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better?

Leaders want the best for all pupils at this school, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and children in the early years. To this end, leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. In most subjects, they have considered the knowledge and skills that pupils must learn from the early years to Year 6 and the order in which it should be taught. However, leaders are still developing the curriculum in some curriculums. The essential knowledge which leaders want pupils to learn is not always clear in these subjects. Leaders have ensured that teachers have access to appropriate subject-specific training to help them to deliver the subject curriculums in most subjects. Subject leaders closely monitor their areas of responsibility to ensure that the intended curriculums are being delivered in practice. For example, teachers use assessment strategies well to ensure that pupils have learned and remembered earlier

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better?

curriculum content. There is a clear focus on ensuring that pupils become confident and fluent readers. Staff describe reading as ‘running through the centre of everything like Blackpool rock’. As soon as children enter the early years, staff take every opportunity to develop and extend children’s language skills. There is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics which begins as soon as children start in the Reception class. Well-trained 24 and 25 May 2022

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staff deliver the school’s phonics programme effectively. Pupils read books that are closely matched to the sounds that they have learned. Effective use is made of assessment information to ensure that pupils who are struggling to read get the support they need to help them catch up quickly. By the end of key stage 1, almost all pupils can read confidently and fluently. Most pupils listen well in class and are keen to learn. In the early years and key stage 1, the nurturing approach adopted by staff helps pupils to self-regulate their own behaviour appropriately. However, from time to time, some older pupils in key stage 2 disrupt the learning for others in their class. Leaders have introduced clear and effective systems to support staff to manage the behaviour of these pupils. Leaders provide an array of extra-curricular opportunities to broaden pupils’ experiences. For example, pupils enjoy attending a varied range of after-school

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clubs that reflect their interests. Leaders also ensure that opportunities are available for pupils to develop their talents, for example in music. Pupils have a secure understanding of fundamental British values. For example, from the early years, staff have ensured that gender stereotypes are challenged appropriately and that children learn to value diversity. Staff are trained appropriately to identify pupils with SEND, including children in the early years. This ensures that these pupils receive the support they need to learn successfully. Pupils with SEND are also included in all aspects of school life. Staff work well together and morale is high. They feel valued and well supported by senior leaders. This is also the case for those teachers who are new to the profession. Governors have an informed and accurate understanding of the school. They provide the headteacher with support and challenge in equal measure.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong safeguarding culture. They have a secure understanding of the potential safeguarding risks that pupils may face, including within the local community.

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Safeguarding

Staff have received appropriate safeguarding training. They have a clear understanding of the indicators of abuse and neglect. Leaders and staff work well with outside agencies to ensure that families facing challenging circumstances get the help that they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. For instance, they are taught how to use the internet safely. Pupils are aware of what to do and who to tell if they have a concern when they are online. 24 and 25 May 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers are not clear enough about the knowledge and skills that leaders want pupils to learn. This hinders teachers in their efforts to design learning and pupils’ progress as they move through these curriculums. Leaders should finalise their curriculum thinking to ensure that teachers are sufficiently clear about the knowledge that they want pupils to learn.  Some staff do not apply leaders’ systems to manage pupils’ behaviour consistently well. As a result, the learning of some older pupils is, from time to time, disrupted by the behaviour of some of their peers. Leaders should ensure that staff apply behaviour systems as intended so that older pupils are supported well to improve their conduct.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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 .

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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. 24 and 25 May 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10226177 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 and 28 June 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in September 2020.  Leaders do not place any pupils in alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, history and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, discussed the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors observed pupils read with a familiar adult. 24 and 25 May 2022

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 Inspectors evaluated parents’ and carers’ responses, including free-text comments, to Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils and staff.  The lead inspector met with governors and with representatives of the trust.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour as they moved around the school, in class and in the outdoor play area.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leaders and checked how leaders record and respond to safeguarding concerns. Inspectors checked the safeguarding policies and leaders’ records of checks on the suitability of staff to work with pupils. Inspectors spoke to the headteacher, leaders and other staff about safeguarding procedures and training. Inspectors also spoke to staff about their workload and well-being.

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Inspection team

Iain Sim, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Price Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 May 2022

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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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