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Blakedown CofE Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.
What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils understand the school's values of respect, peace, forgiveness, trust and perseverance. They know why these values are important, both in school and for later life.
For example, pupils said that to persevere means to keep trying when they find work difficult. They spoke of being resilient and not giving up. The school has high expectations for all pupils' academic achievement.
Pupils respond positively to these expectations and achieve well.
The school's desire for each pupil to be the best that they... can be is reflected in the breadth of its programme for personal development. Pupils learn how to stay safe both on and offline and how to communicate effectively.
They know how to make and maintain friendships. Pupils understand that with rights come responsibilities. They carry out their responsibilities, through councils and roles around the school, with care and pride.
Pupils respond well to the school's high expectations for behaviour. Relationships are extremely positive. Pupils are considerate of one another.
They share ideas with partners in class and take turns and share equipment during breaktimes. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and highly respectful. Pupils feel safe and staff work hard to make sure that this is the case.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
The school is determined that all pupils will benefit from a broad and ambitious curriculum. This has led to improvements to the curriculum since the school was last inspected. Staff have been trained to deliver the new phonics scheme effectively and standards in reading have risen.
Those who find it difficult to keep up benefit from extra sessions, which help them to catch up quickly.The school has prioritised the development of vocabulary. This begins in the Reception Year and is consistently taught across the school.
Pupils learn new words, then use them in their lessons to improve their written work as well as their verbal contributions. Pupils enjoy learning, and using, these new words.
Teachers explain new learning clearly and confidently.
High-quality training has enabled them to improve their subject knowledge. Teachers skilfully question pupils to clarify misconceptions or deepen their thinking. However, on occasion, while some pupils need to revisit previous learning before moving on to something new, others do not and they are not provided with further challenge to develop their learning further.
This means that some pupils complete work that they already know and understand. This limits the time available for them to deepen or apply their learning. Consequently, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.
The school identifies effectively the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils are appropriately supported and achieve well.
Children who enter the Reception class settle well.
They begin to learn rules and routines. They listen carefully, so their learning gets off to a positive start. Children are confident to learn new skills and then to practise them in other activities.
They are proud of their achievements and enjoy sharing their successes with adults.
Behaviour is managed consistently, and well. Pupils know what is expected of them and they respond appropriately.
A minority of pupils find it difficult to manage their own emotions and behaviour. The school uses an established approach to support these pupils. They are able to explain how the strategies that they have learned help them to improve their behaviour.
The school has developed a detailed approach to pupils' personal development. Pupils learn how to manage money and begin to understand the risks of modern life. Pupils learn about other faiths and cultures, but some do not have a strong recall of different religions.
Despite this, the school's strong focus on personal values means that pupils know that everyone has the right to be treated equally. Pupils demonstrate tolerance and acceptance of all, regardless of race, religion or culture. Pupils enjoy taking on positions of responsibility.
The school has begun to provide pupils with more opportunities to play an active role in school and their wider community through these roles.
The school takes a well-informed approach to school improvement, which has ensured the ongoing improvements in the school. Governors appropriately challenge leaders to assure themselves that the right actions are being taken to improve the school.
Staff appreciate the training they have received to improve their practice and value the support of the school's skilled and knowledgeable subject leaders. The school has also provided a variety of online resources so that parents can help their children with their learning at home.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
What does the school need to do to improve?
(Information for the school and appropriate authority)
• The school has not ensured that assessment is used precisely enough to identify when some pupils are ready to move on in their learning, to enable them to build on what they securely know and can do. This limits the progress that some pupils make. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment to check when pupils are ready to further enhance and deepen their learning to enable them to achieve as highly as possible.
Background
Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.
This school was, before September 2024, judged good for its overall effectiveness.
We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.
We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.
Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.
This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2018.
