Primary school where pupils are 'harmonious' to attend rated good by Ofsted

A Blackburn primary school where pupils are 'proud, happy and harmonious to attend' has received a 'good' Ofsted rating.

St Gabriel's Church of England Primary School, on Wilworth Crescent, was inspected by Ofsted on April 24 and 25.

The report, published on June 10, described pupils 'learning and spending time with friends', and 'value opportunities to participate in clubs that extend their talents and interests'.

It said: "Pupils swiftly develop warm and trusting relationships with staff. They behave well, treating one another with kindness and respect.

"In the Reception class, children quickly adapt to the routines and expectations of school. They share, take turns and learn how to be a ‘fantastic friend’ to their peers.

"Pupils with special educational needs and disabilities thrive in the calm and welcoming atmosphere. The school fosters an ambitious yet supportive environment that is aspirational for the achievement of all.

"As a result, pupils achieve well. Pupils are active contributors to the school community. For example, in their roles as school councillors, pupils have a voice in how the school is run.

"Year 6 ‘gardeners’ take responsibility for a ‘seedling’ from the Reception class, acting as a positive role model and mentor. This helps children in the early years to quickly feel part of wider school life."

The school was last inspected in 2005 and was judged ‘outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework which reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections.

In this year's inspection, quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management were all rated as 'good', with early years provision rated as 'outstanding'.

To improve, staff should ensure more pupils are attending school and should not allow their attendance rates to drop.

The report continued: "A small number of pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should.

"They miss out on important learning. In some cases, the school has not acted swiftly enough to ascertain and address the barriers that hamper pupils’ regular attendance. This has hindered its efforts to reduce pupils’ absences."