Blacon High School, A Specialist Sports College

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 12 May 2026

Pupils are safe and happy at Blacon High School. They enjoy the community feel. Leaders know pupils well. Pupils are proactively educated on local risks and trends. For example, local experts visit the school to educate pupils on the dangers of drugs and knife crime. This prepares pupils well to tackle risks outside of school. Pupils respect each other and live the values of the school. They build positive relationships with peers and staff. Leaders have further raised expectations of pupils' behaviour and embedded effective routines. This has helped create a calm culture. Bullying is rare and is dealt with effectively by leaders when it happens. Pupils do not attend school as often as they should. This results in gaps in their learning. However, leaders' relentless focus on attendance is resulting in gradual improvement. Pupils display positive attitudes to learning and respond well to teachers. Low-level behaviour incidents are few. Pupils benefit from effective routines at the beginning of lessons. However, classroom routines designed to extend pupils' thinking are not consistently embedded. As a result, pupils do not develop a depth of knowledge in some areas of the curriculum. They do not achieve as well as they should. Leaders' actions to remove any barriers to pupils' learning are not as effective as they should be. This contributes to gaps in pupils' learning. However, pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs are supported well. When required, external partners are used to provide further support for these pupils. For example, mental health practitioners and counsellors share strategies to reduce barriers to pupils' wellbeing. Pupils have access to a wide range of extra-curricular activities and experiences. These include international trips and participation in whole-school productions. Pupils enjoy sporting opportunities. When pupils struggle to engage with the school's personal development offer, leaders work effectively to help them overcome any barriers.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that the adaptations that are put in place to reduce any barriers to learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are effective so that these pupils can access the curriculum successfully.
• Leaders should further develop their strategies to close gaps in pupils' writing and spelling so that pupils secure the important building blocks that they need for future learning.
• Leaders should ensure that improvements to teaching, including the checks made on what pupils know and remember, are embedded across all subjects and lead to positive trends in pupils' achievement.
• Leaders should continue to implement their strategy to reduce absence so that the number of pupils who attend school regularly continues to rise.
• Leaders should ensure that any aspect of provision that falls below the expected standard is dealt with quickly and effectively so that pupils benefit from a high-quality education.

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