Blakeney Primary School

Inspection of Blakeney Primary School High Street, Blakeney, Gloucestershire GL15 4EB

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 2 and 3 July 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Blakeney Primary School is a happy community where pupils and staff embrace the ethos of ‘All different, All equal’. Pupils have warm trusting relationships with adults and feel safe in the school. The well-being ambassadors are proud to be role models. Pupils are keen to earn gems for demonstrating the school’s values, such as tolerance. This culture of personal responsibility is understood by pupils. This means that the school is a calm place to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Despite this positive culture, the quality of education that pupils receive is not good. Leaders have set out the intention for an ambitious curriculum but, in some subjects, this is not implemented effectively. In these subjects, pupils are not able to recall their learning or make links to previous knowledge. At times pupils are not sufficiently challenged to learn as well as they could. In subjects which have higher expectations the quality of work produced by pupils is notably higher.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school seeks to be part of the wider community. For example, parents attend workshops about how to support their child with reading. Leaders recognise that parents are keen to hear more about changes at the school.

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better?

This school values reading. Leaders have made significant improvements to how the school supports pupils during the early stages of learning to read. Pupils from Reception onwards now follow a phonics scheme that increases their confidence and fluency with reading. Well trained adults effectively support pupils to catch up and keep up with their peers. The books pupils read are closely matched to the sounds they know. Adults read to all pupils regularly. Pupils enjoy a range of texts to develop both their vocabulary and their awareness of the world. Pupils are keen to share their favourite stories, poems and songs.

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better?

Pupils study a broad curriculum. Subject areas are beginning to set out the most important knowledge they want pupils to learn and remember. For example, the important principles of scientific experiments. When this is explicit and revisited pupils recall their learning confidently.

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better?

Some subjects have agreed the most effective ways to teach the curriculum. Other subjects have either not done so, or do not implement them consistently. For example, where pupils use the agreed approach to developing their artwork, the final pieces are of significantly higher quality than when they do not. At times the activities pupils complete do not match the planned curriculum or develop their communication skills. Consequently, pupils and children in the early years do not learn as well as they might.

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better?

Assessment strategies do not help adults to accurately check pupils’ knowledge and understanding. This means that the curriculum is not adapted in response to pupils’ prior knowledge or skills. For some pupils their misconceptions are not addressed, 2 and 3 July 2024

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hindering future learning. While other pupils are not moved onto more challenging content swiftly enough.

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The school has recently reviewed its approach to identifying and supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There are now tighter systems in place to support the early identification of need and closer monitoring of pupils’ progress through the curriculum. The school is now focused on adapting the curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils within the classroom. However, the very recent nature of this work means that pupils are not yet fully benefiting from the changes.

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Children in early years develop positive attitudes towards school. They take on responsibilities such as distributing breaktime refreshments. Older pupils read to younger pupils and sports ambassadors help to run school competitions. Pupils learn how to look after their mental and physical health. Respect underpins pupils’ knowledge of healthy relationships. Pupils are prepared for their next stage of education.

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There have been significant changes in leadership since the last inspection. Leaders and those responsible for governance now understand what the school does well and what it needs to do to improve. They have worked proactively with the local authority and external advisors to make improvements. In some areas, such as reading and behaviour, the impact of this work is already evident. In other areas, such as with the wider curriculum development, the pace of change has, until recently, been too slow. Leaders do not check if the improvements to the curriculum are being implemented as intended. Therefore, some strategies are not having the level of positive impact that they could.

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Leaders have recognised that periods of change place additional demands on staff. They have been considerate of workload and well-being when prioritising actions. Staff are positive about working at the school. They share leaders’ desire to improve the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subject areas the key knowledge that pupils should learn has not been defined. As a result, the curriculum is not enabling pupils to gain knowledge and understanding effectively. The school should ensure that every subject has set out precisely what knowledge and skills pupils will gain.  Assessment does not accurately identify pupils’ current knowledge and understanding. Consequently, some pupils are not supported to address gaps and 2 and 3 July 2024

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misconceptions, while others are not moved onto more challenging work swiftly enough. The school should ensure that assessment accurately checks pupils’ current knowledge and understanding and that adaptations to the curriculum are made in response.  In some subject areas the curriculum is not being delivered as intended. As a result, pupils are not equally benefiting from the improving curriculum. Leaders at all levels should ensure that they monitor the implementation and impact of the curriculum to secure rapid improvements for pupils.

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 2 and 3 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Kirsty Evans (executive headteacher) Gemma Ford (head of school)

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 13 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is federated with Walmore Hill Primary School and Pillowell School.  This school is a smaller-than-average primary school.  The executive headteacher and senior leadership team took up post in September 2023.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 2 and 3 July 2024

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 Inspectors held discussions with school leaders at all levels. Inspectors also spoke with teaching staff, support staff, governors and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. An inspector also discussed the curriculum in art, science and physical education with leaders and pupils.  The early years provision was considered through the deep dives as well as through additional visits during the inspection.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at lunchtime and breaktimes.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for pupils with SEND and considered the support provided to meet the needs of these pupils.

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 Inspectors viewed a range of school documentation, including the minutes of the governance meetings, the school’s self-evaluation documents and improvement plans.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, as well as responses to the staff survey and pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Sara Berry, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Lizzy Meadows Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 July 2024

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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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