Blackminster Middle School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 19 March 2024

Many pupils are happy at Blackminster Middle School as the school's values of 'community, aspiration, respect and excellence' infuse much of the life of the school. This means pupils feel safe in school, and they know that any concerns they have will be taken seriously by staff. At social times, pupils play respectfully and in a calm way. They know that difference is tolerated and report that discrimination or bullying would be challenged should it occur. Although the school has high expectations for pupils' achievement, these are not consistently realised. This means some pupils, especially those in Years 7 and 8, do not achieve as well as they should in some subjects. Some pupils disengage from the work given to them in class, which limits what they achieve. Most pupils behave well and understand the school's expectations of them. They recognise the increasing consistency with which staff respond to inappropriate behaviour. There are too many pupils who do not attend regularly enough. This means they do not benefit from the learning in school. Pupils especially appreciate the extra-curricular opportunities, clubs and trips which leaders organise for them. These especially focus on sport, but there are other opportunities too, including languages clubs, a dance club and multi-cultural celebrations.

What the school should improve

• Some pupils' absence rates remain too high, particularly those who are disadvantaged or those with SEND. These pupils miss too much school and learning. The school needs to work closely with parents and external agencies to instil the importance of regular attendance, especially for these more vulnerable pupils.
• The school has not ensured that assessment is used effectively to identify and close gaps in pupils' learning. As a result, there are too many pupils in Years 7 and 8 who have gaps in their understanding and they struggle to engage with the more complex work in the curriculum they are currently studying. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment effectively to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge, and pupils are then supported to learn the core knowledge which will enable them to engage with the current curriculum.
• In some subjects, there remain inconsistencies in the design of the curriculum. This means that sometimes key knowledge is not taught, or there is variance in the key knowledge that is taught within the same subject. Leaders should ensure that curricular design in all subjects covers the necessary key knowledge, and that all teachers are clear about what this means in practice.
• The school's monitoring has not been sufficiently rigorous or incisive. As a result, some aspects of the provision remain inconsistent. The school should ensure that the impact of improvement work at all levels is evaluated regularly to judge its effectiveness, and rapid actions follow to ensure increased consistency and improvements across the school.

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