The Bluecoat School

Inspection of The Bluecoat School Green Lane, The Bluecoat School, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 1HE

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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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

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The principal of this school is Emma Houlton. This school is part of Meridian Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Mark Woods, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Shirley Jamieson. There is also an executive principal, Shelley Flynn, who is responsible for this school. 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this school. They enjoy playing and learning together with their friends. Pupils feel safe and know that there are trusted adults they can talk to if they have any worries. When the occasional ‘fall outs’ happen, they know that they will be sorted out, so they are friends again. Pupils strive to model the school’s values of ‘responsibility, independence and resilience’ throughout the school day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all its pupils. School and trust leaders work closely together to identify ways to ensure pupils succeed in all areas of school life. Pupils typically achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the range of extra-curricular opportunities on offer. They talk enthusiastically about the range of clubs they attend and looking after the school’s animals, including Jim, the therapy dog. All pupils benefit from outdoor learning in the school’s different areas.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a central part of the local community. Building positive relationships with parents and carers is a high priority for the school. Events, such as a family stargazing evening and using the community allotment, help to bring parents into the school and support learning.

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

The school has undergone numerous changes since the last inspection. Staff benefit from expert guidance and support from leaders and the trust. Most staff said that that their workload is manageable and that their well-being is always considered.

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

The school has recently implemented an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum. It precisely identifies the key knowledge that pupils need to learn from the early years through to Year 6. However, the impact of these changes is still being realised. Not all pupils can yet explain what they have learned with confidence.

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

Rigorous systems identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Carefully adapted resources ensure that pupils with SEND access the curriculum with their peers. Additional support is provided when needed, including support from professionals outside of school.

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

Reading is prioritised across the school. Pupils in the early years and key stage 1 are taught the school’s phonics programme by well-trained staff. Pupils learn the sounds that letters represent. Ongoing checks on pupils’ learning ensure that when gaps are identified, the curriculum is adapted to ensure that the pupils are given the specific knowledge that they need to succeed. This means that pupils acquire the knowledge and develop the skills they need to read fluently. They are motivated to pick up a book and many pupils know that ‘if you can read a book, you can read anything’. Vocabulary is a key focus across all areas of the curriculum. 25 and 26 February 2025

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The personal development offer is a strength of the school. Pupils learn to stay safe in their community and online. Recent parent workshops on the dangers of pupils using different mobile apps have strengthened this further. Staff provide opportunities for pupils to respect and celebrate diversity. For example, providing pupils with wheelchair basketball and boccia lessons to experience inclusive sports. They have also been inspired by a visit from a Paralympian. Pupils know that discrimination of any kind is wrong and the importance of respect. As one pupil said, ‘It is only right to treat everyone the same.’ As a result, this is a highly inclusive school, where difference is respected and celebrated.

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Pupils behave well during lessons and around school. Low-level disruption is rare. Pupils understand their emotions using a school ‘check in on emotions’ system. School staff step in quickly when pupils need to regulate their emotions. Playground leaders help everyone to play together well at breaktimes. Children in the early years quickly learn the school routines. They settle to learning quickly in a bright and welcoming environment. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Most pupils attend school consistently and regularly. Leaders, supported by the school’s pastoral and safeguarding team, are working to improve the attendance of those pupils who miss too much school. While they have had some success with new strategies, there remains too many pupils who do not attend school as often as they should.

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The majority of parents hold the school in high regard. They value the support that they give to the children and that ‘everybody knows everybody and treats them as individuals’.

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Trustees and academy councillors share a relentless ambition with leaders for every pupil to succeed. They challenge and support leaders and, alongside the trust, ensure that staff of all levels have the resources they need for the school’s vision to be realised.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculums in a few subjects have not yet shown their full impact. Pupils cannot explain some detailed knowledge in these subjects. The school should continue to strengthen its approach to checking and closing gaps in knowledge in these subjects and ensure that pupils are given regular opportunities to practise and deepen their knowledge.  The school has struggled to ensure regular attendance for some pupils. Too many pupils do not attend school as often as they should. This prevents pupils from learning. Leaders should continue to prioritise the work that they have already started and ensure that pupils’ absence is reduced even further. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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’ 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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 to 31 March 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Meridian Trust.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school operates a breakfast club and after-school provision.  The school has a provision for two-year-olds in the early years.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  The inspectors met with the principal, the executive principal and the assistant principal of the school. The inspectors also met with several teaching staff and central trust team representatives.  The lead inspector met with the chair of trustees, the CEO of the trust, the chair of the academy council and a group of trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following 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. Inspectors also discussed the school’s

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work in some other curriculum areas.  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.  An inspector visited the school’s breakfast club and spoke to parents at the start of the school day.  Inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  To evaluate pupils’ behaviour, inspectors visited lessons, analysed behaviour and attendance records, met with groups of pupils and observed their play at breaktime and lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Jon Brown, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sally Wicken Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 February 2025

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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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