Blackmarston School, located in Hereford, Herefordshire, underwent an inspection on June 20 and 21, 2023, which resulted in an overall effectiveness rating of inadequate. The quality of education, behavior and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management were all rated as requiring improvement, while early years provision also fell into the requires improvement category. This marked a significant decline from the previous inspection in March 2017, where the school was rated as good.
Pupils at Blackmarston School are described as happy and well cared for, but they do not receive a sufficiently high quality of education. The report highlights that school leadership has been inconsistent over the past year, with governors failing to ensure that leaders have the necessary time and capacity to drive improvements. Consequently, many areas of the school's operations have not progressed as quickly as needed.
Communication difficulties are common among pupils, and leaders have implemented various strategies to support effective communication. Staff demonstrate a strong understanding of their pupils and focus on teaching social skills and positive relationships. Activities such as trips to the supermarket and swimming lessons are designed to help pupils navigate the outside world with confidence. However, the report indicates that while leaders are developing plans for enriching opportunities, the implementation of these plans has not been consistent.
The acting headteacher possesses a clear understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement. However, a lack of clarity regarding leadership roles has hindered progress. Governors have not acted swiftly enough to establish a stable leadership structure, resulting in insufficient time for leaders to fulfill their responsibilities effectively. This has led to a lack of stability and insufficient progress in improving the school's operations.
The curriculum is designed to meet the needs of pupils, promoting independence and self-understanding through priority learning targets. However, staff have not received adequate training in all subjects, which affects the quality of teaching and learning. Assessment practices are not effectively utilized to identify the specific learning needs of pupils, further hindering their progress.
Leaders are committed to ensuring that all pupils learn to read and have collaborated with speech and language therapists to develop a reading curriculum. While this initiative has been successful for some pupils, inconsistent training for staff in delivering the phonics program has resulted in uneven teaching quality.
Personal, social, and health education is integrated into the curriculum, helping pupils learn to manage their behavior and identify their feelings. The early years environment is engaging and encourages curiosity and independence among children. However, there are inconsistencies in behavior management among staff, leading to varying levels of support for pupils' behavioral needs.
Governors have not fulfilled their responsibilities adequately, particularly in overseeing safeguarding procedures and ensuring that school policies align with practices. This has resulted in some important areas of the school's work being insecure.
To improve, governors must enhance their understanding of their roles and responsibilities, ensuring that all leaders have the necessary time and expertise to perform effectively. The curriculum needs to be implemented consistently, with staff receiving the training required to support pupil progress. Additionally, leaders must ensure that the phonics curriculum is delivered consistently and that reading materials align with pupils' learning stages.
Overall, while Blackmarston School has some positive aspects, significant improvements are necessary to provide a high-quality education for all pupils.
