The Blake Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: The Blake Church of England Primary School Cogges Hill Road, Cogges, Witney, Oxfordshire OX28 3FR

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Outcome

The Blake Church of England 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 Tim Edwards-Grundy. This school is part of the Oxford Diocesan Schools 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), Anne Dellar, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Kathy Winrow MBE.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to this nurturing and welcoming school. Strong, respectful relationships permeate throughout. Staff know pupils as individuals. Pupils feel safe and well looked after. They trust adults completely to help them with their learning and to provide pastoral support. Pupils understand and uphold their school values deeply and appreciate individual differences. As a result, all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), thrive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve well. They are supported to be successful by well-trained staff who want the best for all the pupils in their care. Pupils behave sensibly around the school and rise to the high expectations and challenges set for them by staff. They care for one another and look forward to supporting younger children with their play and interactions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school equips pupils with the skills to become successful citizens. Pupils are effusive about the range of clubs and trips, especially the residentials, that happen. They take part in many community events such as performing at the local care home or fundraising for a range of charities. The school also provides many well-considered opportunities to take pupils’ learning beyond the classroom, such as forest school or religious education and art week in the church nearby. 24 and 25 June 2025

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

Aspirations for what pupils can learn and achieve are high at this school. For the very youngest children in the early years and key stage 1, there is a clear emphasis on developing pupils’ knowledge and skills in reading, communication, writing and mathematics securely. This gives pupils the necessary tools on which to build their subsequent learning. The school is highly inclusive. Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported effectively to access learning successfully. Where pupils fall behind or miss learning, staff act swiftly to address any gaps in learning that may occur. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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

The school’s curriculum is well structured and interesting. It considers the essential knowledge and skills pupils should learn. Staff ensure that pupils develop a strong understanding of technical vocabulary. Older pupils have a deep understanding of cause and effect in some subjects such as history. For example, they can confidently talk about how the events of the First World War could have led to the Second World War. Where this is strong, such as in subjects like mathematics, pupils have regular opportunities to practise skills and recall prior learning. Nevertheless, in a small number of subjects, the school is strengthening the ways in which staff check pupils’ prior learning to ensure that they remember more of the key learning over time.

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

Reading is the cornerstone of the curriculum. The school promotes pupils’ love of reading highly effectively. Adults read books that capture pupils’ imagination. Pupils relish visiting the school library to choose new reads from the diverse range of texts available. The school’s phonics programme is taught with precision. Well-trained staff support all pupils to become fluent readers. Pupils who find learning to read difficult have personalised help to ensure they catch up quickly.

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

Children in the early years make a positive start to their education. Adults create an engaging, purposeful and interesting environment. Children learn through a well- considered mix of adult-led activities and play. They quickly learn how to use the resources available to them. Children are well prepared for their learning in key stage 1.

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

Pupils behave well. The school has established strong routines in all areas. Staff and pupils follow these with high levels of consistency. In lessons, pupils focus well, work hard and show positive attitudes to learning. A few pupils’ attendance is below expectations. When this happens, the school takes swift and supportive action to help parents and carers address any barriers effectively.

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

The school’s provision for pupils’ personal development is a significant strength. Pupils develop positive character traits through learning about values such as kindness, hope and perseverance. Pupils told the inspector that everyone is welcome at their school. Pupils learn age-appropriate knowledge about healthy relationships and consent. In addition, they are encouraged to keep physically and mentally fit. 24 and 25 June 2025

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Since the last inspection, the school has taken effective action to maintain standards. School leaders have worked well to continue developing staff expertise through a considered and supportive approach. As a result, leadership at all levels is strong, and staff work collaboratively to support each other. Staff value the training that is offered to them by the trust and school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teachers do not identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This means that pupils are not able to build their knowledge as well as they could. The school should ensure that systems to check pupils’ learning are used across all subjects consistently so that pupils build on their prior learning successfully.

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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 to be good 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 good for overall effectiveness in March 2020.

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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 24 and 25 June 2025

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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). 24 and 25 June 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 March 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust.  The school is a Church of England primary school in the Oxford diocese. Its last section 48 inspection was in March 2023. The school is due its next section 48 inspection in 2028/29.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school club.  The school currently uses three unregistered alternative provisions.

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Information about this inspection

 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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 24 and 25 June 2025

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 The inspector met with the headteacher, the assistant headteachers and other senior staff, including the office manager and the special educational needs coordinator.  The inspector met with members of the trust and local governing body. He also met with the CEO.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector spoke with groups of pupils and observed behaviour at lunchtime.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; took into account 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.  The inspector took account of a range of other information, including the school’s own self-evaluation, the school development plan, school policies and minutes from the

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trust and governing boards.  The inspector took account of the views expressed through the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. He also took into account consideration of the online Ofsted pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Simon Woodbridge, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 24 and 25 June 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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