Blackpool Gateway Academy

Overview

Blackpool Gateway Academy is a school where leaders have established a culture of belonging and safety, with safeguarding standards met. While attendance and behaviour are improving through targeted support, and early years provision is well-considered, the curriculum is not yet taught consistently well. Inspectors note that while leaders are making rapid improvements, pupils’ historical achievement has been hampered by unaddressed gaps in knowledge.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an "open culture" where concerns are actively identified and managed.
• Leaders provide "considerable support for families" and swiftly remove barriers to attendance, leading to improving rates.
• Pupils behave well in a culture where bullying is "very rare" and discrimination is never tolerated.
• The early years curriculum is "consistently well taught," helping children rapidly acquire reading and writing skills.
• Leaders have established "highly effective working relationships with parents and carers," fostering a culture of welcome.

Areas to improve

• Teachers must check and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge "more precisely" so pupils secure important foundations.
• Leaders should ensure tasks selected for pupils are "precisely focused on the important knowledge that pupils need to acquire."
• Leaders must build on the successful start to writing in early years so it becomes "consistent from Year 1 onwards."

Safeguarding

The report states that "safeguarding standards are met," meaning leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and pupils are made safer and feel safe.