Blackshaw Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

The school provides pupils with a good quality of education and an excellent start in the Early Years Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception).

The school has improved in the last three years. It has maintained good standards in pupils' personal development, their behaviour and their attendance. The quality of teaching and the use of assessment to support learning have improved and are now good.

The curriculum has also improved and is good with an outstanding range of opportunities in music. The good work of the senior leadership team is now bearing fruit in pupils' better progress in learning. Pupils' attainment in the end of Key Stage 2 tests in 2010 was broadly average, though better in ma...thematics than English.

The proportion of pupils reaching an above-average standard for their age lagged behind the national figure in Key Stages 1 and 2, particularly in writing, and the boys' attainment was weaker than that of the girls. Pupils coming through the school now are benefiting from better teaching. Consequently, they are making good progress in both key stages and standards are rising.

Attainment in writing, however, is behind reading and spelling and handwriting lets many pupils down. The senior staff have a clear and accurate picture of the school's effectiveness and are determined to continue improving its provision and pupils' achievement. Their good plans for this, the extent of improvement, and the recent strengthening of the senior team show there is good capacity to sustain improvement.

Information about the school

Blackshaw is of average size for a primary school. It has an average proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. Few pupils are from minority ethnic groups and almost all speak English.

The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than average but many of these pupils have significant or complex learning difficulties. The school is designated by the local authority as inclusive provision for pupils with severe or multiple and profound learning difficulties but has had very few such pupils in recent years. A number of staff, including the deputy headteacher, have been promoted or joined the school since the previous inspection.

Childcare is provided before-and after-school and in school holidays by a private provider on the school premises. This provision was inspected separately by Ofsted. Its inspection reports can be found on the Ofsted website www.

Ofsted.gov.uk.

Also at this postcode