Orion Blenheim

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Blenheim Primary School Blenheim Road, Orpington, Kent BR6 9BH

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Outcome

Blenheim Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Ruth De Graft Incoom. This school is part of the Orion Education 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), Simon Garrill, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by James Toop.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the moment you enter the school, it is clear that this is a nurturing place to learn where pupils thrive and flourish. Pupils know that teachers care deeply about their well- being. They explain how teachers notice if they are feeling sad or have a worry and are quick to help them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have high expectations of pupils. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) work very hard and achieve well. Pupils take pride in discussing their learning. For example, Year 6 pupils confidently describe actions to prevent deforestation. The school places a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ resilience. Pupils behave extremely well during lessons and social times. They are incredibly respectful towards others. This makes the school a happy, harmonious place for pupils and staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a range of opportunities for pupils to take on roles of responsibility. Some Year 6 pupils help younger children play at lunchtime. They do this because the school teaches pupils the importance of helping others. Pupils have opportunities to practise democracy. They vote for their classmates to be school councillors. Pupils learn the importance of attending school regularly and on time. The school council collaborated with school leaders to establish class rewards which successfully promote good attendance. 5 and 6 March 2025

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

Reading is a priority here. Children begin to learn to read as soon as they join the Reception Year. Staff read aloud to pupils regularly, and authors visit the school to share books with pupils. These experiences develop a love of reading.

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

There is a consistent approach to the teaching of reading, as a result of effective training for staff. Teachers model the pronunciation of sounds accurately. Teachers give pupils regular opportunities to practise sounds that they have been taught. They match books to the sounds and letters that pupils know. This helps pupils to read with increasing fluency and enthusiasm. If any pupils fall behind, they quickly get the right support to catch up.

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

The school has put in place an ambitious curriculum. It has identified the key knowledge for pupils to learn from the Reception Year onwards. Teachers present new content in a logical order. For example, in the Reception Year, children can partition numbers because they have already learnt what each number is made up of. Pupils in Year 5, confidently explain the stages of the human life cycle. They use what they have learnt to explain the physical changes humans experience as they grow.

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

The school identifies pupils with SEND as early as possible. Teaching staff are well trained. They make effective adaptations to their teaching approaches so that pupils with SEND learn successfully alongside their classmates.

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

Teachers typically have good subject knowledge. They explain concepts such as ‘evaporation’ and ‘precipitation’ clearly. Staff provide opportunities for pupils to practise and use new vocabulary such as that linked to capacity, such as ‘half full’, ‘empty’ and ‘nearly full’. However, sometimes the checking of what pupils know and remember is not effective enough. This means that, on occasions, staff do not pick up on mistakes and misconceptions as quickly as they might.

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

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very positive. This starts from the Reception Year, where children learn to follow routines, share and take turns. Teachers ensure that the curriculum is taught without interruption. Pupils who need support to manage their behaviour, receive appropriate and effective support.

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

The school has appropriate processes in place to maintain good attendance. The school works alongside parents and carers to identify barriers to attendance. Pupils attend regularly and on time because they do not want to miss important learning.

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

Pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils know how to stay mentally healthy. They learn about different types of families and healthy relationships. Pupils learn about fairness and the rights of others.

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

Pupils attend clubs which they value, such as choir, gymnastics and sign-language club. Members of the choir enjoy performing at the O2 and at a residential home for the elderly. These opportunities develop pupils’ talents and interests. 5 and 6 March 2025

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The trust and local governing body members understand the school’s strengths. They know the next steps to take to make the school even better. The trust has processes in place to check how well the school is doing. Staff feel extremely positive about how the trust and school leaders consider their workload and support their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, pupils’ misconceptions are not corrected and checks on what pupils know are not sharp enough. This means that some pupils have gaps in their learning and are not as well-prepared for learning new content as they could be. The school needs to ensure that assessment of what pupils know and remember is precise and any misconceptions are quickly addressed.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 predecessor school, Blenheim Primary School, the school to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2014.

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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. 5 and 6 March 2025

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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). 5 and 6 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast and after-school club daily.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school is part of the Orion Education Trust consisting of eight schools.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the senior leadership team.  The inspector met with representatives of the board of trustees, members of the central team and with the CEO.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered 5 and 6 March 2025

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector listened to some pupils in Years 2 and 3 read to a familiar adult.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  The inspector considered the responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Deborah Walters, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 March 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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