Blackmountain Primary School

Overview

This sustaining improvement inspection was conducted during industrial action, with most teachers refusing to co-operate with inspectors. Consequently, the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) was unable to fully evaluate the school’s capacity for improvement or assure stakeholders of the overall quality of education. The inspection focused primarily on the nurture provision, which was accessible for review.

Strengths

• The nurture classroom provides "excellent learning experiences" with a focus on helping children "discuss their feelings and make good choices."
• Children participate positively in activities that develop literacy, numeracy, and wider skills such as "resilience and perseverance."
• There is an established "ethos of care and respect" within the nurture setting.
• Children contribute meaningfully to setting personal targets, which helps develop their "self-esteem and confidence."

Areas to improve

• The ETI was unable to evaluate progress on the 2014 recommendation for short-term planning to be "matched more closely to the range of ability in the classes."
• The inspection could not assess the school’s capacity to effect improvement through self-evaluation due to the industrial action.

Safeguarding

The school provided evidence that safeguarding arrangements are satisfactory, and children reported they feel safe and know who to talk to, though the ETI could not fully evaluate the outworking of these arrangements due to the ongoing action short of strike.