Intack Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Intack Primary School Whitebirk Road, Blackburn, Lancashire BB1 3HY

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Outcome

Intack Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to Intack Primary School. They are proud of their school and embrace the school motto ‘proud to belong’. New pupils are welcomed into the school and quickly make friends. Staff build positive relationships with pupils and know them well. This helps pupils to feel safe. Leaders have high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils enjoy learning and most achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils listen to staff and follow their instructions. Children in the early years and pupils in the rest of the school follow clear routines. They move sensibly around the school and are considerate of each other. At breaktimes, pupils play nicely together and interact positively with each other and with staff. Pupils told the inspector that when they have a concern about behaviour or bullying, they trust staff to deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children and pupils take part in regular outdoor learning. The eco-committee help to look after the school grounds by keeping it free from litter. Some pupils have had recent success in an eco-conference competition. They designed and made a skirt from recycled plastic milk bottles and showcased it in the ‘trashion’ show. These experiences help pupils to appreciate the environment and to become active and responsible citizens.

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

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. All pupils, including those with SEND, access the full curriculum. Leaders quickly identify any additional needs that pupils may have and ensure they are supported effectively. In most subjects, leaders have identified the important knowledge that pupils need to learn and when they should learn it. This means that pupils build knowledge in a logical way. In a minority of subjects, leaders have not identified the essential knowledge they want pupils to learn. Consequently, there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge in these subjects. 29 and 30 June 2022

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Leaders provide training for teachers so they can further develop their subject knowledge and expertise. Teachers work together in teams to ensure there is consistency in the activities they choose for pupils and the resources they use. Teachers check pupils’ understanding and build on their prior learning. This helps pupils to progress well through the curriculum in most subjects.

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Leaders have prioritised reading across the school. Teachers read to pupils every day. Pupils enjoy listening to their teachers read. Some pupils told the inspector that it helps them to learn new words and expands their imagination. Leaders have introduced a new phonics curriculum. Children begin to learn this as soon as they start in the early years. There is a sharp focus on early reading. The books children and pupils take home to read match the sounds they are learning. Those children and pupils who require support to keep up with the phonics curriculum are supported well. Most pupils gain the knowledge they need to become fluent and confident readers.

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Pupils mainly behave well in their lessons. They are focussed and keen to learn. This expectation is established in the early years where pupils learn how to take turns and listen to each other. Pupils are able to concentrate on learning as their lessons are rarely interrupted. Pupils told the inspector that if there is some disruption to their learning, staff deal with this effectively. Leaders have established a nurture team and a safe space for pupils who are not ready to learn. This supports pupils to talk about their worries and allows others to learn without disruption.

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Leaders have provided opportunities for pupils to learn beyond the academic curriculum. Pupils value the opportunity to be on the school council or be ambassadors for sport and science. This helps them to develop decision-making and teamwork skills. Pupils enjoy visits to a university and a local football club. This gives them the opportunity to meet pupils from other schools and raises their aspirations. Pupils are respectful of diversity and understand the importance of treating everyone equally. They learn about other faiths and cultures and visit different places of worship. Leaders ensure that there is a rich and diverse curriculum which represents all pupils in the school.

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The school is well led and managed. Governors and leaders have a clear understanding of the actions to take to further develop the school. Staff feel appreciated. They value the steps leaders have taken to prioritise their well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that staff have safeguarding training to help them identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. Leaders have clear systems in place for staff to report and record any concerns they may have. Leaders respond in a timely and appropriate way to any concerns. Staff value the regular supervision offered by leaders.

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Safeguarding

Leaders secure help for vulnerable pupils. For example, there is a nurture team and access to specialist support in school. Leaders also work closely with a number of other agencies to secure help for pupils and their families. 29 and 30 June 2022

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online. For example, the police visited older pupils in school to discuss knife crime.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of subjects, leaders have not clearly identified the essential knowledge that pupils should learn. This means that there are sometimes gaps in pupils’ learning. Leaders should clearly identify the key knowledge for pupils to learn from the early years to Year 6 to ensure that pupils know and remember more of their learning.

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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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2012.

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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 .

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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. 29 and 30 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10226214 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Mohammed Ali Malik

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 April 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders use a registered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  During this inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and other leaders. She also spoke with a range of staff.  The inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body. She also spoke to a representative of the local authority and the headteacher of the alternative provider.  The inspector spoke with parents and carers at the beginning of the school day.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. She also considered responses from staff to the Ofsted survey. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey. 29 and 30 June 2022

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 The inspector examined a range of safeguarding documentation. She checked how leaders ensure that safer recruitment procedures are in place. The inspector checked records of staff’s safeguarding training. She spoke with staff to check how well they understood safeguarding procedures.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at playtimes, in lessons and around school. She also spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. She met with subject leaders and teachers and visited a sample of lessons. The inspector spoke with pupils and looked at examples of their work. She also observed pupils reading to trusted adults.

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Inspection team

Sally Timmons, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 29 and 30 June 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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