Blackpool Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Blackpool Church of England Primary School are polite and welcoming.

They, along with staff, are proud members of this school. Pupils value the opportunities and experiences on offer. For example, pupils can take on roles of responsibility, such as school council representatives, eco club, ethos club, play leaders and house captains.

They know the expectations of being a part of these groups and the impact that they have on their school community. Pupils enjoy the trips and visits to enrich the curriculum. Consequently, they feel well-prepared for their next stage.

Recent improvements to the curriculum design and implementation are supporting pupils... to know more and remember more. Children in Reception get off to a good start and are well prepared for key stage 1.

Pupils get along well.

They are inclusive in their respect and tolerance of each other's differences. Most of the time, pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to learning. Pupils know that staff have high expectations of them, and they work hard to meet these.

They know that some pupils can find this challenging. However, pupils trust in the school's ability to support them because staff know them well. As a result, pupils enjoy coming to school and attend well.

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

The school has come through a period of significant change. This has required a necessary shift in culture and practice. The school, along with trust support, has identified clear priorities to ensure that the quality of education that pupils receive continues to improve.

These are making a real difference across the school. However, the priorities are early in development. Some pupils experience too much variation from staff in response to their learning, social and emotional needs.

The trust has been instrumental in providing support for the school as it strengthens the quality of education. The school has appreciated this, and the balance of support and challenge it offers. However, there is a lack of strategy in some areas of the school's provision.

Sometimes the necessary level of information and detail, too much or too little, results in a lack of clarity for those leading in different areas. This means knowledge of the impact of actions and decisions is not accurate or as useful as it could be.

Pupils become increasingly fluent and accurate readers.

They share a love of reading because the school ensures they read high quality texts which are rich and varied in content. Children in Reception learn phonics from the moment they start school. Pupils get the help they need if they are not keeping up with the pace of the phonics programme.

Older pupils can describe the structure of their daily reading sessions and how this helps them to continue to get better at reading.

The school's curriculum is ambitious and, where it has undergone review, builds and connects pupils' knowledge effectively over time. Curriculum thinking begins in the early years, where children get a strong start to their education.

Each area of learning is well thought out. Staff are skilled in supporting and linking children's learning and language, both through play and adult-led activities. Children learn to play and interact successfully with one another.

As a result, children are ready for learning in Year 1.

Where the curriculum is most effective, for example in art and design and mathematics, thought has gone into the content and the order in which it is taught. Consideration is given to how it can be adapted to overcome barriers to learning faced by pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

This ensures that pupils have opportunities to revisit their learning and build on it further. However, there are some subjects where pupils do not learn as well as they could. In these subjects, some teachers do not have the expertise and skills they need.

Pupils can lack enthusiasm for their learning. The school recognises the need to strengthen teacher's subject knowledge in some subjects and increase teachers' understanding of how pupils learn to the best of their abilities.

The provision for pupils with SEND is a growing strength of the school.

The wide range of needs is well understood by some staff and the school is increasing staff expertise in this area. The Hive provides a focus for this good practice. This expertise is not limited to those working in the Hive.

The school has also developed staff's understanding across the school of what pupils need to be ready for learning and to prepare them for their next steps.

Pupils, staff and many parents and carers, recognise the changes that the school has gone through recently. Many acknowledge and praise the pivotal role that the new head of school has had in this and are excited by and have confidence in how the drive for school improvement will continue.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum in some subjects is newer or not as well developed as it is in others. In these subjects, some teachers do not have the expertise and skills they need to teach pupils so they learn as well as possible.

Additionally, this leads to pupils lacking enthusiasm for their learning. The trust must ensure that the school develops the curriculum in all subjects so that teachers have the necessary expertise to ensure pupils are motivated to learn and do so with increasing success. The significant changes the school has undergone recently are not fully embedded.

The changes are not established widely enough to make the intended impact. As a result, pupils experience too much variation in approaches from some staff to their learning and in meeting their wider development needs. The trust should continue in its support for the school to ensure those identified areas of priority are well embedded so that staff have a greater shared understanding of the changing school culture and can put this into practice.

• There is a lack of clarity and strategy in some aspects of the school's provision. Consequently, in these areas, the school does not have the most accurate and strategic view of the difference actions and decisions are having. The trust needs to ensure that those in roles of responsibility have the skills and expertise that they need so that they can be fully accountable for the development and impact of their role.

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