Blackrod Anglican/Methodist Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Blackrod Anglican/Methodist Primary School Vicarage Road West, Blackrod, Bolton, Lancashire BL6 5DE

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 January 2023

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Outcome

Blackrod Anglican/Methodist Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including children in the early years, are eager to attend school. They come through the school gates smiling at the start of the school day. They bubble with enthusiasm. Warm relationships between pupils and staff permeate the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations that pupils will always be ready to learn. Pupils rise to these expectations. They like to work hard and achieve well. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. Pupils behave well in lessons and at playtimes. They look after each other and form caring friendships. Bullying rarely happens in this school. Staff take swift action if there are any early signs of unkind behaviour. Pupils have a range of people to talk to if they are worried. They know that staff will listen to them and, as a result, feel happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking on extra responsibilities in school. They relish their roles as community change makers and as members of peace patrol. They understand the importance of responsibility. For example, older pupils said that they enjoy helping younger pupils, including children in the early years, to settle in well. Pupils enjoy clubs and activities where they can develop their interests, for example WHAM (warm hearts and active minds), dodgeball, choir, and eco-club.

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

Leaders have put in place a well-designed, ambitious curriculum. They have carefully considered what pupils should learn from the early years to Year 6. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), follow the same curriculum. Leaders have designed the curriculum to ensure that learning builds on what pupils already know and can do. It provides pupils with the knowledge and skills that they need to achieve well, both academically and socially. Teachers have good subject knowledge. They are skilled in selecting the best ways to present new learning and making best use of the high-quality resources available. Despite these strengths, 25 and 26 January 2023

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sometimes teachers do not identify and address misconceptions as well as they should before moving the learning on.

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Reading is of high importance in the school. Following external examination results last year, leaders took effective action to ensure that pupils in key stage 2 have the resilience to approach external examinations with vigour. The teaching of phonics is consistent., Teachers ensure that the books pupils read are well matched to the sounds and letters they know. They introduce children to the sounds that letters make in the Reception class. They have regular and appropriate training in phonics. Leaders check to make sure that teachers deliver the phonics curriculum in the way that they intend. They ensure that any pupils who fall behind receive appropriate support, so that they can catch up quickly. Pupils enjoy reading. They enjoy their visits to the local library. They talk with enthusiasm about their favourite authors and genres and the books they are reading in school and at home.

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Pupils behave very well. Staff have established a very positive climate for learning. Learning is not interrupted by lapses in pupils’ behaviour. As a result, classrooms are calm and purposeful. Pupils show kindness and compassion in class and at social times.

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Pupils with SEND are exceptionally well supported. Staff know how to make adjustments to ensure that they can follow the same curriculum as their peers. Staff quickly identify pupils’ needs and put in place appropriate support. Pupils enjoy attending the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. At the heart of the provision is a real commitment to get it right for every child. Staff are very caring and supportive. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Staff work hard to ensure that pupils with complex needs are fully supported and included in school life.

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Leaders have ensured that there is an appropriate curriculum to enhance pupils’ personal development. Pupils have opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as being school- council members. They value diversity, both within their own school and in the wider world.

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Governors know the school well. They understand its strengths and those aspects that leaders are keen to develop further. Staff feel well supported. They appreciate leaders’ unswerving consideration of their workload and well-being.

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Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive of the provision on offer by the school and of the care given to their children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. They make sure that all staff are well trained. Staff are vigilant to the risks that pupils face. They report concerns promptly. Leaders work with other professionals to ensure that pupils and families receive the help they need. 25 and 26 January 2023

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The curriculum teaches pupils how to stay safe, both in and out of school. They know how to keep themselves safe when online. Pupils learn about how to be a good friend and how to have healthy relationships with others.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teachers do not check thoroughly enough what pupils have remembered. This means that they do not always know what subject content pupils need to revisit and practise. Leaders should continue to work with teachers on checking pupils’ learning to uncover gaps in knowledge and close them before moving on.

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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 an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 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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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. 25 and 26 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10204414 School category Voluntary controlled

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 October 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Manchester and the Methodist Circuit in Wigan of the Methodist Church. The last section 48 inspection took place in September 2016.  Leaders do not make any use of alternative provision for pupils.  There is specially resourced provision for up to six pupils with SEND. The specially resourced provision base is sited in the main body of the school and supports pupils with autism spectrum disorder.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and took this into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the executive headteacher, other leaders and members of staff. She also spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector looked at a range of leaders’ documentation, including self-evaluation and safeguarding documents. She spoke with leaders about the school’s safeguarding procedures. 25 and 26 January 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and physical education. She talked with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at examples of children’s and pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with children and pupils. She also observed some pupils reading to trusted staff.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in class and as they moved around the school. She also observed pupils playing at breaktimes.  The inspector spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. She also met with parents before school to find out their views of the school.  There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils or staff.

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Inspection team

Rebecca Sharples, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 25 and 26 January 2023

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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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