Blackthorns Community Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school Pupils thrive at this school because their needs are met extremely well. They live up to adults' very high expectations and succeed as a result.

Leaders have a deep understanding of their school. They reflect accurately on its many strengths and address weaknesses promptly and successfully. Leaders' high expectations pervade the school.

Governance is very effective. The local board and wider trust work very well together to ensure that legal duties are met. Their collective rigorous challenge to leaders ensures that standards in the school are high.

In lessons, pupils engage enthusiastically with their work and are keen t...o do well. Teachers plan learning activities carefully so that they match pupils' needs closely. Pupils' thirst for learning is evident.

Pupils understand very clearly how to improve their work. They set about this with determination as a matter of routine. This supports their strong progress.

Pupils attain highly, especially in reading. Above-average proportions of pupils reach the higher standard in reading by the end of key stage 2. Leaders are determined for similar proportions to attain the same standard in writing and mathematics in the future.

Their actions to achieve this are already under way. Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities make very strong progress. Leaders ensure that staff support pupils' specific needs.

They seek extra help tenaciously for this group of pupils. Pupils in The Alps specialist resource base are supported extremely well. Staff understand their needs and meet them sensitively.

Consequently, pupils make very good progress, academically and in other ways. Pupils learn very well across a broad range of topics that are both relevant and interesting to them. They use their literacy and numeracy skills effectively in other subjects, working at similarly high standards.

Leaders make creative use of resources to enrich pupils' learning beyond English and mathematics. This stimulates pupils' interest in learning about the world around them. Pupils demonstrate very positive attitudes towards school.

They attend regularly and are proud of what they achieve. Their behaviour is exemplary. Provision in the early years is highly effective.

Children engage confidently in their stimulating environment, which leaders adapt skilfully to meet their needs. Consequently, children are very well equipped for future learning.

Information about this school

Blackthorns Community Primary Academy is an average-sized school for pupils aged 4 to 11.

It opened in April 2015, when the predecessor school converted to be an academy. It is part of the University of Brighton Academies Trust. The board of trustees has overall responsibility for governance, but delegates some of these responsibilities to a local board.

The school has a single-form intake, except for in Year 6 where there are two classes. It also incorporates an eight-place specialist resource base called The Alps, which is funded by the local authority. This base is specifically for pupils in key stage 2 who have an education, health and care plan for additional or speech and language needs.

Sometimes these pupils arrive at the school during the latter part of key stage 2. There are currently three pupils placed in The Alps by the local authority. They do some of their learning in the specialist resource base and join their peers for other parts of their curriculum.

The percentage of pupils who receive support for a special educational need is below the national average. In contrast, an above-average proportion of pupils have an education, health and care plan. A very small percentage of pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, compared with other schools nationally.

Almost all these pupils either are currently or have previously been in care. Almost all pupils are of White British origin. Very few are believed to speak English as an additional language.

The school was first inspected by Ofsted in March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act. At this time, the school demonstrated strong practice and marked improvement in certain areas that may have indicated the school was improving towards becoming outstanding. The lead inspector therefore recommended that the school's next inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act.

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