Blidworth Oaks Primary School

Inspection of Blidworth Oaks Primary School Haywood Avenue, Blidworth, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG21 0RE

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Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Good

The executive headteacher of this school is Shaun Walker. This school is part of East Midlands Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the interim chief executive officer (CEO), Lisa Walton, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ann Witheford. The executive headteacher is responsible for this school and two others. 1 and 2 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to this warm and welcoming village school. The school is determined that all pupils will achieve well. While published outcomes at the end of key stage 2 in 2024 were below national expectations, the school does provide an effective education for pupils. Pupils are catching up more quickly than previously because of the effectiveness of the school’s revised curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are high expectations for behaviour. Right from the Nursery Year, children learn to cooperate, take turns, play purposefully with each other and be responsible. Pupils conduct themselves very well. They are polite, kind and respectful towards others. Younger pupils benefit from the excellent role models that older pupils provide in following the school’s well-established routines. This helps to make the school a safe and happy place for everyone.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values of ‘aspiration, inspiration, responsibility, resilience, inclusion and respect’ link to every aspect of school life. Pupils know these values and are proud to earn values points when they demonstrate them in school. They speak with confidence about the importance of inclusion. Pupils benefit from a wide range of after-school clubs in the ‘BOPZone’ to nurture their talents and interests. They make good use of these.

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

The school has undertaken a review of the curriculum and the way in which this is taught. The curriculum has been designed carefully to include the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn. Consequently, many pupils are now achieving well. However, these improvements have not been in place for long enough to be reflected fully in the published outcomes at the end of key stage 2. Children get off to a flying start in the early years. Children are very well cared for. They access a high-quality curriculum that is delivered expertly by staff. As a result, children in the early years make good gains in their development.

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

In some subjects, the school’s checks on learning effectively identify how well pupils have learned key knowledge. However, in some other subjects, these checks focus on recent learning and do not enable staff to determine how securely pupils remember knowledge in the longer term. This makes it difficult for the school to ensure pupils develop a depth of knowledge over time.

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

The school quickly identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff take the time to understand these individual needs and make appropriate adaptations, such as the use of physical resources where needed. Consequently, pupils with SEND successfully access the same curriculum as their peers.

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

The school prioritises reading. Children in the early years enjoy a curriculum that is rich in songs and rhymes. Staff role play and retell familiar tales to foster children’s love of stories from the very start. Pupils who are learning to read benefit from high-quality phonics teaching. Regular checks on the sounds pupils have been taught identify any 1 and 2 April 2025

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pupils who fall behind. These pupils are quickly given the help they need to catch up. Consequently, published outcomes for phonics are strong. Staff teach pupils the skills they need to be fluent readers. There is variation in how well handwriting is taught. This means that some pupils do not secure foundational skills in handwriting, such as accurate letter formation, well enough.

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Pupils demonstrate a willingness to work hard and engage eagerly in their learning. They show high levels of focus during lesson time and do not disrupt the learning of others. They move around the classroom and the school quietly and calmly. The school has a sharp eye on any pupil absences. It works with families to make sure that pupils attend regularly. This means that pupils do not miss out on their education.

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Pupils benefit from a broad personal development offer. They develop an age-appropriate understanding of relationships and how to keep healthy. They enjoy trips to enrich the curriculum, such as to a nearby wildlife park and to London. These increase pupils’ awareness of the world around them. Pupils have an excellent range of opportunities to develop their leadership skills. For example, eco captains, sports captains and house captains. These encourage and develop pupils’ organisation skills and sense of responsibility.

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The trust and local governing body have strong oversight of the school’s work. The trust uses its knowledge effectively to provide appropriate support and challenge. School leaders make decisions in the best interests of pupils. Staff appreciate the strategies in place to reduce their workload and support their well-being. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about 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 subjects, the school’s assessment systems do not enable staff to check that pupils have remembered key knowledge over time. This makes it difficult for the school to determine how securely pupils remember knowledge in the longer term and to evaluate the impact of the curriculum in the longer term. The school and trust should ensure that assessment systems are effective in checking that pupils are developing a depth of knowledge over time across the curriculum.  There is variation in how well handwriting is taught. This means that some pupils do not secure foundational skills in handwriting, such as accurate letter formation, well enough. The school and trust should work with staff to improve teaching in this area so that all pupils can write well. 1 and 2 April 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). 1 and 2 April 2025

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Headteacher Shaun Walker (executive headteacher) Website www.blidworthoaks.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This school is part of the East Midlands Education Trust.  Blidworth Oaks Primary School converted to become an academy in August 2022. When its predecessor school, Blidworth Oaks Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  The executive headteacher took up their post in January 2023.  The school runs before- and after-school care which is managed by the governing body.  There is provision for two-year-olds.  The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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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.

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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.  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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and music. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work where available.

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 To explore the wider curriculum, inspectors also discussed the curriculum in two other subjects with curriculum leaders and looked at pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, senior leaders, and curriculum leaders.  Inspectors met with pupils to discuss their views.  Inspectors observed social times, including breaktime, lunchtime and snack-time routines. Inspectors also observed the after-school care provided by the school.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body and trust.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents and records linked to attendance and behaviour, as well as school improvement documentation and minutes of governing body meetings.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including the free-text comments. Inspectors also held discussions with parents and considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Anne Maingay, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Davies Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 April 2025

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Jeremy Spencer Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 April 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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