BFC School

Inspection of BFC School Seasiders Way, Blackpool, Lancashire FY1 6JJ

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Inspection dates: 26 to 28 November 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Good

Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this school. They are polite and kind. Pupils are proud to act out the positive behaviours that they see from staff. They make a strong contribution to the calm and respectful atmosphere that exists at the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to the high expectations that the school has for their achievement. They build up a portfolio of qualifications, which sets them up well for further study. Pupils benefit from a carefully considered induction programme. This ensures that they settle in quickly. The school helps pupils to succeed in areas where they may have struggled in the past.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides pupils with access to opportunities that help them to develop their talents and interests, for example football, golf, boxing, electronic sports and horse riding. Pupils are well prepared for adulthood. For instance, they learn to cook a range of healthy meals.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about the importance of kindness and community through a range of charitable activities. They volunteer at a local foodbank, act as buddy readers to children in local schools, deliver presents as part of a Christmas appeal and provide support to people who may have recently arrived from other parts of the world.

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better?

The proprietor has established an environment in which everyone is valued at the school. It has worked effectively with the school’s steering group and leaders at all levels to assure itself about the quality of education that pupils receive. The proprietor ensures that the school meets its statutory responsibilities under schedule 10 of the Equality Act 2010. It maintains a robust oversight of the independent school standards (‘the standards’) to ensure that they are met consistently.

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better?

The school provides pupils with a well-designed and broad curriculum. In most subjects, it has thought carefully about the important knowledge that pupils should acquire. Pupils move on to meaningful destinations that include further education, apprenticeships or employment with training.

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better?

In a small number of subjects, the school has not identified the essential knowledge that pupils should learn. At times, this means that staff are not as clear as they could be about what content they should teach and when they should teach it. As a result, some pupils do not develop the depth of knowledge that they could in these subjects.

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better?

Typically, staff use their subject knowledge to make regular checks on what pupils know and remember. Most staff use this information well to design activities that help pupils to address any misunderstandings they may have about their learning. This helps most pupils to build their knowledge and skills securely over time. However, a small number of staff do not have sufficient knowledge of the school’s 26 to 28 November 2024 curriculum. At times, this means that they do not provide the level of support that some pupils need. When this happens, these pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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better?

The school accurately identifies the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It provides staff with comprehensive information about pupils’ additional needs. Staff appreciate the information that they receive from the school that helps them to provide these pupils with experiences that enable them to learn successfully alongside their peers. The clarity of this information supports the workload of staff.

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better?

Staff work with precision to help pupils to become confident and fluent readers. The school swiftly identifies pupils’ reading needs as soon as they start at the school in Year 10. It ensures that pupils catch up quickly by closing any gaps that they have in their phonics knowledge.

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better?

Pupils read books that support their wider understanding of the world. For example, pupils learn about healthy relationships, how to care for their mental health and the many differences that exist between people.

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better?

The school provides well considered support to a small number of pupils who need help to manage their own behaviour. Most pupils respond well to this help. Typically, pupils are well motivated and they engage positively with staff about the work that they are given. Staff expertly address the barriers that have prevented pupils from attending school regularly in the past. This has helped to increase the rate of attendance for the majority of pupils.

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better?

The school’s programme that supports pupils’ personal development is at the heart of its provision for all pupils. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They know how to keep themselves safe and healthy. The school has designed an appropriate impartial careers information, education, advice and guidance programme. For example, pupils enjoy work experience that is tailored to their interests and aspirations. This helps them to become confident and resilient young people.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 In a few subjects, the school has not identified precisely what it wants pupils to know and remember. As a result, some pupils do not develop the breadth and depth of knowledge and understanding that they should. The school should identify the key knowledge that pupils should learn in these remaining subjects so that they are well prepared for the next stage of their education. 26 to 28 November 2024  Some staff do not have sufficient knowledge of the school curriculum. At times, this means that they are not able to provide some pupils with the support that they need to build their knowledge securely over time. The school should ensure that staff have the necessary expertise so that they can provide pupils with the help that they need to achieve as well as they should.

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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. 26 to 28 November 2024

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School details

Unique reference number 148646 DfE registration number 890/6011

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School details

Inspection number 10342180 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Proprietor Blackpool Football Club Community Trust

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £14,000 to £30,000

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School details

Website www.bfcct.co.uk/programme/bfcschool

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School details

Email address gemma.trickett@bfcct.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 to 15 September 2022 26 to 28 November 2024

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Information about this school

 The school is situated in the north stand area of Blackpool Football Club, Seasiders Way, Blackpool, Lancashire FY1 6JJ.  The school provides for pupils who may have been absent from education for a significant period or may be at risk of permanent exclusion. The school is registered to admit up to 32 pupils.  Some of the pupils who attend the school have an education, health and care plan. The school caters for pupils who have a range of needs, which includes autism and social, emotional and mental health needs.  The previous standard inspection was 13 to 15 September 2022.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and the school’s curriculum leader.  Inspectors held meetings with the chair of the proprietor body, the chief executive officer and the chair of the school’s steering group.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: English, mathematics and personal, social, health and economic education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also reviewed the curriculum plans for a range of other subjects, including sport and project-based learning.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with leaders to discuss SEND, the curriculum, assessment, pupils’ behaviour and the provision for pupils’ wider development.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View and Ofsted’s online survey for staff. Inspectors gathered the views of parents and carers, staff and pupils throughout the inspection. 26 to 28 November 2024  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector made a tour of the school premises to check the suitability of the premises and accommodation against the relevant standards.  Inspectors viewed a range of documentation, including those relating to the standards, which was provided by the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spoke with pupils about their experiences of school life. They observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktime and lunchtime.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being.

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Inspection team

Andy Cunningham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Amanda Downing His Majesty’s Inspector 26 to 28 November 2024 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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