Blackfield Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Blackfield is a welcoming and happy school where staff and pupils take pride in their community.

Its 'INSPIRE' values run through every aspect of the life of the school. Pupils live up to leaders' high expectations and aspire to achieve the school's 'VIP' status for the day, by showing these values in action.

Pupils look forward to the regular trips and 'hook' activities that teachers and leaders arrange to capture their interest in new areas of study.

These range from trips to the zoo and Stonehenge to welly walks for the early years.

Pupils feel safe because they know that adults listen to them and care about them. Around the school and at breaktim...es, pupils are kind and considerate.

Pupils understand and follow the school rules: 'be safe, be kind, do your best'.

The school offers a wide variety of clubs ranging from futsal to rock band and the opportunity to be part of the onsite radio station. These are very popular and allow all pupils to develop their talents and interests.

At breaktimes, pupils are active. Pupil play leaders organise a range of games and support their peers to have fun together.

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

Leaders are clear that learning to read and reading well are vital for the future success of all pupils.

As a result, staff are skilled in teaching phonics right from the start of the early years. Pupils use their phonics knowledge to read and spell unfamiliar words. Pupils quickly build their confidence with reading, as books are well matched to the sounds they are learning.

Those pupils who take longer to secure their phonics knowledge have highly tailored support. This means they develop their skills and love of reading. Pupils enjoy reading a range of carefully chosen texts in lessons.

They are encouraged to develop a love of reading by visiting the range of libraries in the school. These include the 'knight' bus on the playground and the 'Gryffindor' common room in the Year 6 area.

Since the last inspection, leaders have developed the school's integrated learning units so that all pupils learn all aspects of the national curriculum.

Subject leaders have thought carefully about the knowledge and skills that pupils need to know and remember. They organise this content so that from early years onwards all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), gain a wide and rich education. Staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND quickly and accurately.

Leaders help teachers to adapt the curriculum to meet the wide-ranging needs of pupils with SEND. However, sometimes staff do not adapt learning activities well enough to help all pupils readily understand new curriculum content.

Relationships between staff and pupils are strong across the school.

This is particularly successful in early years. Carefully planned transition from home to Reception, which starts in the summer term, means that children can make a good start in September.

Leaders promote pupils' personal development well.

For example, the newly formed eco warriors group came as a direct result of the elected school council. Pupils are proud to serve each other in a range of ways, most notably in the Year 6 pupil leadership team. Each year this team visits the Houses of Parliament with the local Member of Parliament to learn more about democracy.

Leaders have created a positive and united school community. Leaders take care of staff. Staff feel valued and are well supported.

They are committed to the values of the school. Staff appreciate the research-based coaching and mentoring that is at the core of the approach to staff training. In some foundation subjects some teachers' subject-specific knowledge is more limited and this makes it harder for them to put carefully crafted plans into action.

The academy council and trustees work together to establish the school's vision and values. They have the expertise which enables them to hold leaders to account. They undertake their statutory duties with confidence.

They are ambitious for all pupils to have a high-quality education. They are focusing on the right priorities. Teachers, including those new to the profession, feel supported and say that leaders consider their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders, academy councillors, trustees and staff have created a strong culture of safeguarding. They are alert for any signs that pupils may be at risk of harm.

Leaders provide staff with regular training. Staff understand how to report their concerns. Records show that leaders respond quickly.

They work with external agencies to check that pupils are safe. Pupils learn how to keep safe through the school's personal, social and health curriculum. They understand how to stay safe when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Staff do not always adapt learning activities well enough to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This means that sometimes pupils find it difficult to understand new concepts and curriculum content. Leaders should provide training for staff to address these few inconsistencies.

• Teachers' subject knowledge is not as strong in some foundation subjects. Therefore, the teachers do not implement some of the curriculum in some subjects as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that all teachers have strong subject knowledge in all subjects.

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