Blackgates Primary Academy

Inspection of Blackgates Primary Academy Smithy Lane, Tingley, Wakefield WF3 1QQ

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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 Julie Coulson. This school is part of Leodis 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), Joanne Barton, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nicholas O’Donovan. 23 and 24 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming school. They benefit from positive relationships with adults who care deeply for them. The school’s strongly embedded, inclusive culture ensures that pupils have their individual needs met well. This is particularly the case for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). School is a place where pupils are happy and safe. The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and achievement. These expectations are met as pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Throughout the school, pupils’ behaviour is calm and sensible. At playtime and lunchtime, pupils enjoy socialising and playing games with each other. These times are often enhanced by the support of adults or pupil leaders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the opportunities they have to contribute to the school through leadership roles as school councillors and sports leaders. They take pride in these roles and know that they are making a positive difference to their school and for their peers. Through these opportunities, they develop important interpersonal and leadership skills. Pupils demonstrate the school’s inclusive values when they say that treating everyone with mutual respect ensures everyone is happy.

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

The school has developed a broad and ambitious curriculum. Pupils and their community are at the heart of the curriculum design. The school carefully develops pupils’ cultural understanding by embedding it within the curriculum. There is a strongly held belief that the curriculum should be enhanced by frequent memorable experiences. For example, every pupil makes an annual visit to the seaside. Visits to local museums and galleries are typical. These experiences broaden pupils’ horizons and deepen their understanding of life in Britain.

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

In some areas, the school’s published outcomes in 2024 were low. However, these outcomes do not fully reflect the quality of education the school provides for its pupils. The school has intensified its focus on reading, writing and mathematics. For example, there has been close attention on improving pupils’ fluency in mathematics and recall of multiplication tables facts. The school also provides timely, expert training for staff. These approaches are enabling current pupils to progress more effectively across the curriculum.

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

In all subjects, pupils follow a clear sequence of learning that starts in the early years. The school has identified the important knowledge pupils should learn and when they should learn it. Teachers make regular checks on pupils’ learning. Teachers help pupils embed knowledge in their long-term memory by regularly revisiting prior learning. The school ensures that teachers have secure subject knowledge.

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

Reading is prioritised and strongly promoted throughout the school. Wherever possible, learning relates to engaging books and texts that excite pupils’ interest. For example, children in early years explore, play and learn with oats whilst enjoying a story about a magic porridge pot. Children learn the basics of reading and writing from staff with the 23 and 24 April 2025

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skills and expertise to deliver the phonics programme effectively. When pupils fall behind with their reading they are identified quickly. They receive effective additional support to become fluent and confident readers. Some pupils, however, do not develop early writing skills as effectively as they could. When they form letters incorrectly, this is not addressed sufficiently well. Sometimes staff do not ensure pupils’ understanding is secure before moving on and so they are sometimes given tasks that are too difficult for them. In addition, errors in written accuracy are not consistently addressed and this limits how well some pupils express themselves in writing.

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The school has particular expertise in relation to SEND. The school swiftly identifies the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff provide expert support and well-considered adaptations to the curriculum. For example, pupils are supported to construct sentences through pictorial resources. The school works closely with parents and carers, and external agencies, to ensure pupils with SEND receive the best possible support. Consequently, pupils with SEND achieve well.

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The early years is a place of joy and discovery. Children get off to an excellent start to their education in a vibrant, supportive environment. They quickly develop independence. They interact well with their peers, playing and learning with cheerfulness and cooperation. Adult interactions with children are purposeful and focused on developing language and communication. Staff use familiar songs and rhymes well to support learning. Children make excellent use of the well-considered environment.

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Pupils respond well to the high expectations the school has for their behaviour. Their attitudes are typically respectful and inclusive. The school prepares pupils well for life in British society. They have a sound understanding of fundamental British values such as democracy, mutual respect and tolerance. In personal, social and health education (PSHE), pupils consider stereotypes by examining images of boys and girls in the media. They learn to eat healthily and lead healthy lifestyles.

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Governance is a strength of the school. Trustees and members of the local governance committee fulfil their roles with passion and commitment. Staff appreciate the investment in their ongoing professional development. They know that decisions are taken with their workload and wellbeing in mind.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasions, some pupils undertake writing tasks that are too difficult when they have not secured the necessary foundational knowledge in writing to complete these tasks successfully. In addition, for some pupils, accuracy with spelling and punctuation is not developed well enough. The school should ensure that staff identify where pupils have 23 and 24 April 2025

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gaps in foundational knowledge in writing and that these are addressed before pupils undertake more complex tasks. The school should also take further action to improve pupils’ accuracy in spelling and punctuation.

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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). 23 and 24 April 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 January 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Blackgates Primary Academy is part of Leodis Academies Trust.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.  The school provides breakfast clubs and an after-school club for its pupils.

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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. 23 and 24 April 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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the principal and other leaders. They also met with representatives of the trust and Local Committee.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, physical education and science. 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.  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

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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 inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted’s online parent survey, Parent View, including the free-text responses, the pupil survey and the staff survey. The inspectors also spoke to some parents at the end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Dughall McCormick, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Stu Mills Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 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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