Blackshaw Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 October 2024

Pupils are proud and happy to be part of the welcoming community at this warm and friendly school. They told inspectors that they support everyone in their school. Pupils have mature attitudes towards differences between themselves and others. For example, they explained that 'everyone is different in their own way, which makes them special.' The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils share in these expectations, for themselves and for their classmates. Most achieve well. Pupils value acknowledgement for their efforts, including through certificates and recognition during celebration assemblies. Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning. They know that demonstrating the school's many values helps them to learn well. For example, pupils explained why it is important to persevere during lessons and how being curious helps them to develop their intellect. In following these shared characteristics, pupils behave well across the school. The school provides pupils with a variety of rich experiences. For instance, pupils attend clubs in sports, science and gardening. They can also join the choir. Pupils' learning is enriched through trips, including residentials and visits to museums and zoos. Pupils spoke fondly of opportunities to spend time caring for the school's resident therapy dog.

What the school should improve

• In a small number of subjects, the school has not determined precisely enough the knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which teachers should introduce it. This limits some pupils in developing a secure understanding in these subjects, as teachers do not consistently build on pupils' prior learning. The school should ensure that teachers are clear about the information that pupils should learn, to help them to build a deep and rich body of subject knowledge.
• At times, there is some variability in how well some staff deliver the curriculum, including how persistent they are in checking pupils' understanding of new concepts and ideas. This hinders some pupils in learning as well as they could. The school should support staff in implementing the curriculum as intended and checking that pupils know and remember more of the curriculum.

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