Blackfordby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 April 2026

Blackfordby St Margaret’s is a relatively small school with a strong family feel. Pupils are happy, behave positively and get on well with one another. Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and respectful. Pupils behave well. They are taught what positive behaviour looks like. They understand the importance of 'fantastic walking' and 'following instructions first time, every time, everywhere from everyone'. Pupils enjoy earning recognition points and are proud of the achievements celebrated in Friday celebration assemblies. They understand the consequences of poor behaviour. When behaviour is not good enough, adults deal with it quickly and effectively. Pupils work hard in lessons and show impressive concentration and determination. However, overall, pupils do not achieve as well as they should in mathematics. Outcomes in national assessments have been too low for too long. In addition, disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as well as their peers. Their outcomes have also been too low over time. Some of the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), although improving rapidly, is not as good as it should be. Pupils feel safe. They know who to speak to if they have a worry or concern. Pupils understand what bullying is and the different forms it can take. They say that bullying is exceptionally rare. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They have an age-appropriate understanding of fundamental British values and protected characteristics. They understand what discrimination is and are adamant that it cannot be tolerated. As one pupil summed up, ‘We treat people how we want to be treated.’

What the school should improve

• Leaders should continue their work to ensure that the plans for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are consistently specific and used to check how well these pupils achieve.
• Leaders should ensure that the pupil premium strategy sets out how the impact of the actions taken will be measured. They should ensure that all staff understand their role within the strategy.
• Leaders should continue to raise achievement in mathematics so that pupils do at least as well as pupils nationally.
• Leaders should ensure that the achievement of disadvantaged pupils improves so that it is not significantly different to that seen nationally.
• Leaders should continue to tackle absences so that attendance rates are closer to national averages.
• Leaders should continue to address, where appropriate, parental concerns about communication and how well they are included in the day-to-day life of the school.

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