Blaby Stokes Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Blaby Stokes Church of England Primary School Queens Road, Blaby, Leicester, Leicestershire LE8 4EG

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

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The head of school is Rachel O’Hara. The school is part of Learn Academies 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), Jane Jones, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jeremy Benson. There is also an executive headteacher, Stephen Snelson, who is responsible for this school and two others. 8 and 9 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s three core values of respect, kindness and success embody its aspirations. Pupils strive to be invited to the ‘Always Club’ for showing these values.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ attitudes and conduct. They apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently. Classrooms are calm places where pupils can concentrate on their work. There are clear rules and routines to make sure that social times are safe and fun. In lessons, most pupils behave well and focus on their learning, trying their best and taking pride in their work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many leadership roles for pupils. They like having a say in school life. For example, the ‘rights respecting ambassadors’ set up a club for quiet, relaxing activities at lunchtime.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school ensures that pupils are safe. Staff carry out daily well-being checks to see how pupils are feeling. The school provides pupils with high-quality pastoral support. Pupils know they can share any worries with staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have improved many aspects of the school since the previous inspection. However, they have not addressed some key issues effectively enough. Too many pupils do not achieve what they should in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they reach the end of key stage 2.

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

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils. The school has designed it around key themes and to tell Blaby’s story. In history, for instance, pupils learn how Blaby contributed to the war effort in the 1940s.

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

Teachers model new concepts clearly. They revisit prior learning to help pupils remember important content. However, sometimes, staff do not check closely enough on how well pupils are learning the curriculum or provide tasks to deepen pupils’ understanding. These inconsistencies mean that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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

Pupils’ attainment in 2024 was low. The school’s response to these outcomes has been mixed. In writing, the school has identified the things that pupils find most difficult, and it has adapted its curriculum accordingly. There is now a much sharper focus on grammar and punctuation, for instance, which is enabling pupils to write ambitious and accurate sentences. However, the school has not approached pupils’ poor performance in reading and mathematics with the same degree of focus or success. Improvement plans do not address these critical areas well enough. This means that staff do not consistently focus on the actions that are needed to raise pupils’ attainment in these subjects.

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

Children in the early years benefit from being in an environment where communication and language are prioritised. Reception staff interact skilfully with children while they are playing to develop children’s vocabularies. Children begin to learn to read as soon as they 8 and 9 April 2025

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start at the school. Phonics is taught well by most staff. The school checks closely on pupils’ progress learning phonics. It provides support for any pupil who falls behind. However, the school has not ensured that the books given to pupils who find reading more difficult are matched to the letter sounds that they know. Some pupils cannot read their books accurately and fluently by themselves.

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The school identifies additional needs swiftly. It provides extra help and modified resources so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can access the curriculum successfully. Some pupils with SEND benefit from going to ‘The Nest’ in the mornings. These pupils receive individualised support for English and mathematics.

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The school has transformed the way it manages behaviour. Staff model and incentivise positive, respectful attitudes. They deal with any poor behaviour well. The school handles any allegations of bullying effectively.

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Pupils attend school well. High expectations and a robust attendance strategy have led to a significant reduction in absence. The school monitors attendance closely. It intervenes early when pupils have too much time off.

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The school’s personal, social and health education curriculum provides pupils with the knowledge they need to be well-rounded, open-minded citizens. Pupils know how to live healthy lifestyles and how to stay safe online. They understand the importance of British values. Pupils are knowledgeable about world faiths. They respect the differences between people. One pupil summed this up perfectly when they said, ‘People are treated as equals here.’

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Staff enjoy working at the school. They feel well supported in their roles and with their workloads. Staff praise the training they have been given, particularly in how to manage behaviour.

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Trustees and local governors know the school’s strengths, as well as its areas for further development. They recognise the improvements that have been made but understand there is more to do.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The quality of teaching is not consistently high in all subjects. Consequently, some pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 is too low. The 8 and 9 April 2025

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school must ensure that its curriculum is implemented effectively by staff so that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Some pupils’ reading books are too difficult for them. This prevents these pupils from reading their books successfully by themselves and developing their fluency. The school must ensure that all pupils in the early stages of learning to read have books that are matched to the letter sounds that they know.  The school’s strategic planning does not address some of the most important areas for development sufficiently. As a result, the quality of education in some areas of the curriculum has not been improved as well as it could have been. The school and the trust should ensure that their actions lead to improved outcomes for pupils across the curriculum.

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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). 8 and 9 April 2025

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School details

Headteacher Stephen Snelson (Executive headteacher) Rachel O’Hara (Head of school) Website www.blabystokes.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 and 29 June 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Learn Academies Trust.  The executive headteacher and the head of school took up their roles in April 2022.  This is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Leicester. The most recent section 48 inspection of Blaby Stokes Church of England Primary School took place in March 2018. This is an inspection of the school’s religious character.  The school does not make use of 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. 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 8 and 9 April 2025

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, history and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered pupils’ learning in English, science, and art and design.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the head of school, subject leaders, teachers and support staff. Inspectors also met with leaders who have responsibility for pupils with SEND, the early years, behaviour, attendance and personal development.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central

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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 examined a range of school documents relating to behaviour, attendance and governance, as well as the school’s self-evaluation and the school development plan.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils read with a familiar adult. Inspectors met with groups of pupils from different year groups.  The lead inspector met with leaders from Learn Academies Trust, including the CEO of the trust.  The lead inspector met with trustees and local governors, including the vice-chair of the board of trustees and the chair of the local governing body.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the results of Ofsted’s online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Shaun Carter, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Peter Johnston Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 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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