Black Combe Junior School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 July 2024

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. Staff greet them warmly each morning. Pupils are keen to share their school values and show respect to one another. They listen carefully to each other and make sure everyone gets to have their turn. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement. Pupils strive to live up to these aspirations. They try their best during lessons. Pupils behave equally well during social times. They enjoy receiving certificates in assemblies to celebrate their hard work and kind behaviour. The school has recently overhauled the curriculum. However, the design and delivery of the curriculum is variable across subjects and classes. In addition, pupils who require help with their reading do not receive the support that they need to become confident readers. These pupils are not as well prepared for the next stage of their education as they should be. The school provides a variety of trips to help bring pupils' learning to life. These include residential trips to outdoor activity centres which help pupils to develop their teamwork skills. Pupils enjoy the clubs that they attend. These clubs range from choir to tag rugby.

What the school should improve

• The school does not make sure that pupils at the early stages of learning to read receive appropriate support to improve their reading knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not have the phonics knowledge that they need to read with confidence and fluency. The school should ensure that pupils receive the support that they need to overcome gaps in their knowledge and catch up quickly with their peers.
• In some subjects, the delivery of the curriculum is variable. The school has not checked how well staff are teaching subject content. This hampers the learning of some pupils, including those with SEND. It also means that teachers do not receive the help and development that they need to build their expertise. The school should develop a stronger oversight of how well the curriculum is taught so that staff receive the support that they need to deliver the curriculum consistently well.
• In some subjects, the school has not identified the knowledge that pupils should learn clearly enough. This hinders teachers in designing learning that supports pupils to build on their knowledge over time. In these subjects, leaders should ensure that staff are clear about what pupils should learn and when it should be taught.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)