Blackmoor Park Infants' SchoolOfsted report card, 22 Sept 2026

Blackmoor Park Infants' School

Address: 45 Leyfield Road, West Derby, Liverpool, Merseyside, L12 9EY Unique reference number (URN): 150202

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils make strong progress from their starting points. This begins in the early years, where children make suitable progress across all areas of learning. Pupils’ attainment in the Year 1 phonics screening check is in line with national averages. By the end of Year 2, pupils generally gain the knowledge and skills they need in reading, writing and mathematics. This means that pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are well prepared for junior school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils succeed across the curriculum. In a range of subjects, they can remember the important knowledge that they have been taught. For instance, they can confidently recall their knowledge of the countries, capital cities and surrounding seas of the United Kingdom. In some lessons, they produce high-quality written work. However, pupils’ handwriting accuracy varies. To address this, leaders have made recent changes to the teaching of handwriting and there are signs of improvement.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed an ambitious and well-structured curriculum. They have identified the important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils will learn. The curriculum is carefully sequenced so new learning builds on what pupils have learned before. This helps pupils to acquire knowledge securely across different subjects.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff have the expertise they need to teach the curriculum well. They give clear explanations and model the important vocabulary that they want pupils to learn. Staff generally choose appropriate activities and adapt them to meet pupils' needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. For example, pupils use a range of practical resources in mathematics lessons to support their understanding.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders ensure that the curriculum focuses on developing pupils' basic skills. For example, they prioritise the teaching of reading. Staff teach the school's phonics programme effectively and pupils read books that are well matched to the sounds that they know. Where pupils do not secure the important skills they need in reading, writing and mathematics, staff typically provide effective support.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have recently improved the teaching of handwriting. As a result, staff teach handwriting lessons effectively. However, in some other subjects, staff do not consistently plan activities that help pupils to secure fluent letter formation and handwriting.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have established a welcoming and well-organised early years provision. They work closely with parents and children’s previous settings to understand individual needs. Leaders use children's starting points to design an ambitious, focused curriculum. They place communication and language, early reading, early writing and early mathematics at the heart of learning. For instance, pupils have opportunities to develop the physical skills that they will need when learning to write. As a result, pupils make a positive start to school life.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff build positive relationships with children and their families. This means that children settle quickly and happily. Staff care for them very well. Early years classrooms are inclusive. Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities learn alongside their peers with effective adaptations to support them.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff interact purposefully with children. This develops children’s vocabulary and extends their participation in activities. Leaders and staff prioritise early reading. Children build secure phonics knowledge that supports them to become confident early readers.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff establish routines that enable children to develop the behaviours they need for future success. Children learn to share resources, sustain their attention and engage confidently in learning. As a result, most children make suitable progress and are ready for Year 1.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They have clear systems to identify pupils’ learning and pastoral needs, when they join the school. For instance, they work collaboratively with external specialists to develop a precise understanding of the barriers that pupils face. This helps leaders to plan effective support. Typically, pupils get the right support at the right time.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff make effective adaptations to lessons and experiences so that they are accessible to all. For example, pupils who need help to manage their emotions access appropriate provision when needed. As a result, pupils with SEND make the most of the opportunities leaders provide. Individual plans are appropriate and support pupils to succeed, including children in care. Leaders carefully monitor the impact of this support.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use additional funding effectively to provide high-quality staff training and targeted support for disadvantaged pupils. For example, leaders train staff to use intervention programmes to support pupils' speech and communication. This helps staff to reduce some of the barriers to learning that disadvantaged pupils may face.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders, including those responsible for governance, have a precise understanding of the school’s strengths and its areas for development. They are proud of the school's improvement journey. However, they remain ambitious. Leaders identify well-chosen improvement priorities and evaluate the impact of their work. Their actions to improve attendance and handwriting are appropriate, but these have not yet had their full impact. They make decisions in pupils' best interests.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Those responsible for governance provide effective strategic oversight and fulfil their statutory responsibilities, including safeguarding. They balance effective support with robust challenge to leaders. Leaders welcome this. This creates a culture where all leaders work together to pursue improvement. Leaders provide staff with a range of professional learning opportunities. These enhance their teaching and leadership skills. As a result, staff develop their expertise and feel valued. Staff appreciate leaders' effective communication and the consideration given to their workload and wellbeing. They enjoy working within a supportive team and know that their contributions to the school’s ongoing improvement are valued. As a result, staff are proud to work at the school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work with a wide range of community partners and build effective links with other schools. They engage positively with parents. For instance, leaders ask parents to tell staff about achievements that happen outside of school. They celebrate these accomplishments in the ‘Blackmoor Big Achievers’ section of the weekly newsletter. This helps pupils to feel that they belong. Leaders are visible at the start and end of the school day. Parents value this. They speak very positively about the communication they receive from the school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders place pupils’ personal development and wellbeing at the heart of the school’s work. They have designed a carefully planned programme that is increasingly well embedded across school life. This includes an effective taught curriculum for relationships and health education. The curriculum is adapted to the school’s context and prepares pupils for life beyond school. For example, pupils learn about healthy friendships and know how to stay safe near roads and around animals. They develop an age-appropriate understanding of online risks. For instance, they know that they should speak to a trusted adult if they see anything that worries them.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders provide effective pastoral support. Staff know pupils well and respond skilfully to their emotional and wellbeing needs. Leaders work closely with local family support services and charities to arrange additional help when it is needed. This support helps pupils to thrive.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders provide an extensive and growing programme of enrichment and wider opportunities. Pupils take part in extra-curricular clubs, play sports, go on regular visits, learn to play instruments, raise funds for charities and learn about important cultural festivals. They also take part in community events, such as ‘Song Fest’, the school’s music festival in the summer term. Some pupils join youth leadership groups, including the Little Leadership Team and Eco-Council. These pupils are very proud of the work that they do to help others and to keep their school clean and tidy. These experiences broaden pupils' interests and support them to develop an appreciation of fundamental British values. Leaders track participation in these experiences and adjust their offer so more pupils take part. For example, leaders have recently launched a new life skills programme to further develop pupils’ independence, confidence and resilience. Leaders are ambitious and plan to

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

increase participation further, particularly among disadvantaged pupils.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Too many pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should. The number of pupils who are persistently absent from school remains high, particularly among disadvantaged pupils. Leaders are working diligently to address this. Leaders set high expectations for pupils’ attendance. They communicate these expectations clearly to parents. They analyse attendance data and patterns rigorously. They take appropriate action to encourage and improve attendance and punctuality. For example, leaders use parent agreements to instil positive attendance habits from the beginning of a child’s time in the early years. As a result, overall attendance is improving, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Pupils behave very well. Leaders set clear behaviour expectations that staff understand and implement consistently. This creates a calm and safe environment. Pupils listen carefully in lessons, walk calmly in corridors and line up patiently in the dining hall. They show positive attitudes to learning and speak enthusiastically about school life. Bullying and any form of discrimination or harassment are rare and dealt with effectively. Pupils who sometimes need additional support to meet leaders’ expectations receive tailored provision that helps them to make positive choices.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy attending this happy, inclusive school, where they ‘learn and achieve together’. Staff warmly welcome them, and they settle quickly at the start of the day. Classrooms are calm and orderly. At social times, pupils play happily together. They cherish their outdoor spaces. They enjoy climbing on the climbing frame, playing with the parachute and relaxing in the reading pods.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils feel safe and behave very well. They treat each other with respect and are kind. Bullying is rare. Pupils trust staff to help them if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils’ attendance at school is improving but some pupils do not attend as regularly as they should. Parents and carers speak very highly of the school. They say that staff are friendly and approachable. They appreciate the improvements that leaders have made.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy the wide range of experiences and opportunities that the school offers. They enjoy attending clubs, such as gardening club, coding club and craft club. They go on exciting visits, including to museums and a zoo. Pupils look forward to the residential visit to Delamere Forest, where they splash in rivers and make shelters. These experiences are an entitlement for all.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils achieve well across the curriculum. This is because lessons are well planned and engaging. For example, pupils enjoy learning about the characteristics of mammals, reptiles and amphibians in science. Pupils who face any barriers to learning are well supported. Wherever possible, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities participate in lessons alongside their peers. In the early years, children have a positive start to their

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Team inspectors:

Clare Baron, Ofsted Inspector Andrew Marlow, Ofsted Inspector education. They develop their spoken language and begin to master the basics in reading, writing and mathematics. They learn to cooperate with others and sustain their attention on a task. This sets them up for future success.

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Next steps

Leaders and trustees should ensure that their actions to improve attendance reduce persistent absence quickly, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently design and deliver activities that enable pupils to secure fluent and accurate handwriting. Leaders should continue their work to ensure that all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, benefit fully from the school’s extensive personal development programme.

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About this inspection

This school is part of The Three Saints Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Kirsty Tennyson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Amy Bradley.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

This inspection took place on Tuesday 22 September and Wednesday 23 September 2026.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with senior leaders, staff, parents and pupils during the inspection. The lead inspector also spoke with trust representatives, the chair of trustees and the chair of the local governing body.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school uses no alternative provision.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 22 September 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years. National average: 26.5%

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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