Blackwell Community Primary and Nursery School

Overview

The report describes Blackwell Community Primary and Nursery School as providing a “happy and safe learning environment” where pupils “enjoy learning” and are “well prepared for the next stage in their education.” Inspectors found that the school meets the “expected standard” across all key areas, including achievement, attendance, behaviour, curriculum, and leadership.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well from their starting points, with outcomes in national tests “in line with national averages,” including for disadvantaged pupils.
• The curriculum is “broad and balanced,” with teachers delivering it “with skill” and adapting learning to support pupils with special educational needs.
• Attendance is “in line with national averages” due to leaders tracking concerns closely and offering timely support.
• The learning environment is “calm and purposeful,” with pupils showing respect and understanding that bullying is wrong.
• Leaders have established a “positive culture of inclusion,” and staff benefit from training that supports their professional development.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should ensure staff routinely correct pupils’ errors when using phonics knowledge to sound out words, to develop greater reading fluency.
• Leaders should ensure the handwriting policy is implemented consistently, so pupils form letters accurately and write with increasing fluency.
• Leaders should ensure staff use a wider range of strategies to involve all pupils in class discussions, so they engage more fully in learning.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing an “open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility” and concerns actively identified and managed.