Blenheim Primary School

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Blenheim Primary School School Way, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex SS9 4HX

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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 headteacher of this school is Amanda Wiley. This school is part of Learning in Harmony 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), Gary Wilkie, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ben Spinks.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils really enjoy school. The staff are incredibly caring and are always there to help pupils if needed. The wide range of clubs pupils attend helps them to develop their talents and interests. Sports clubs are incredibly popular. As well as keeping them fit and healthy, pupils love to work together during team games such as basketball and football.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy lessons that challenge them to think deeply and achieve highly. They are enthusiastic about learning new information, such as what life was like for peasants, servants, the gentry or monarchs in Tudor Britain. Pupils listen respectfully to others’ views and speak confidently about what they have learned. They take pride in producing high-quality work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour across the school is typically excellent. They understand the school’s high expectations and live up to them. They are kind, respectful and inclusive of others. If anyone feels upset or worried, staff deal with it quickly and with care.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take great pride in their roles of responsibility, such as stewardship, well-being or anti-bullying ambassadors. They understand the importance of contributing to their school and the wider community. For example, they have created a ‘bee corridor’ by growing flowers that attract and support pollinators. 1 and 2 April 2025

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

Leaders have embedded an ambitious curriculum. Teachers deliver this with skill and precision. They explain new learning clearly and check pupils’ understanding through effective questioning. Before pupils begin independent tasks, teachers model examples and explain key concepts. They monitor pupils’ learning closely and respond swiftly when pupils need more help. Teachers provide useful feedback, and pupils act on this to improve their work. Staff identify pupils at risk of falling behind in their learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and provide timely and effective support. As a result of this consistently high-quality provision, pupils achieve very well across the curriculum.

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

Teachers enrich the curriculum with meaningful experiences. For example, Year 3 pupils visit the beach to apply their learning about grid references. These opportunities deepen pupils’ knowledge and support their wider development.

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

The school prioritises reading. Staff deliver the phonics programme with expertise and consistency. As a result, pupils develop the knowledge they need to read fluently. Any pupil who needs help receives targeted support to catch up. Pupils really enjoy reading and speak positively about the books they read independently.

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

The specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision) and a diagnosis of autism meets the needs of a small number of pupils with education, health and care plans (EHC plans). Staff build warm, trusting relationships with pupils and know their needs well. Most pupils progress well through the curriculum. The school continues to refine this provision, so it meets the changing and diverse needs of all learners.

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

Children in early years are happy and safe. They settle quickly, build positive relationships with staff and each other and play well together. In the Nursery Year, staff are skilled in developing children’s early language and number skills. They encourage rich interactions and make strong use of the environment to promote play and exploration. This helps children build confidence, independence and motor skills.

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

In the Reception Year, the curriculum is sometimes not implemented consistently well. Sometimes, activities do not align closely enough with children’s interests or what they already know and can do. As a result, some children do not make the progress they could, particularly in early reading, writing and mathematics. The school is taking appropriate steps to address this.

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

Pupils are highly motivated and work very well with peers and independently. At lunchtimes, pupils enjoy purposeful and creative play such as gardening and games. A small number of pupils occasionally struggle to manage their emotions, and staff use effective strategies to support them back into learning.

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

The programme to support pupils’ personal development is exceptional. Pupils develop meaningful leadership skills through roles such as Blenheim Cabinet ambassadors. They 1 and 2 April 2025

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plan trips, volunteer and welcome visits from their local Member of Parliament. They learn how to be safe and demonstrate a deep understanding of their responsibilities to others and the wider world.

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Leaders, the trust and the local governing body have a strong understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for continued development. They are addressing concerns around the need to improve communication, which was raised by a minority of staff, parents and carers. Staff are proud to work at 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 Reception, staff do not always match activities closely enough to children’s interests or what they already know or can do. As a result, some children do not make the progress they could, including in early reading, writing and mathematics. The school needs to ensure that all staff are skilled at adapting the learning activities for children, so they are consistently well prepared for Year 1.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged outstanding for its overall effectiveness.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in January 2020. 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

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher has been appointed.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. It currently provides six local authority funded places for pupils with autism. The school also places some other pupils in the provision, depending on their individual needs. All pupils have an EHC plan or are in the process of being assessed for one.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the CEO of the trust. They also met with the headteacher, the 1 and 2 April 2025

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deputy headteachers and senior staff, including those with responsibility for pupils with SEND.  Inspector met with trustees and governors, including the chair of trustees and chair of the local governing body.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors scrutinised documents relating to curriculum, school improvement and governance, attendance, personal development and pupils with SEND. They also held meetings with staff with responsibilities in these 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.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They

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also spoke to groups of pupils and took into consideration the online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Bessie Owen, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Shadbolt 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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