Blackshaw Moor CofE First School Review 2026: Small-school ambition, rooted in Christian values

As a first school serving children up to Year 4, the usual end of primary Key Stage 2 results that parents often compare across Year 6 are not the key metric here. Instead, the best evidence in the public domain comes from curriculum design and how well pupils learn and remember the intended knowledge as they move from Nursery through to Year 4. Ofsted’s latest report describes high expectations, pupils learning well, and most pupils quickly acquiring the important knowledge they need.

If you are comparing local schools, FindMySchool’s rankings and national-positioning measures are not available for this school so the most reliable way to judge academic strength is to read the inspection detail alongside the curriculum information the school publishes.

The academic story here is primarily about coherent sequencing across a small, mixed-age setting. Ofsted notes that curriculum maps set out what pupils need to learn within and across year groups and that the curriculum is designed to build understanding from Nursery to Year 4.

Reading is positioned as a high priority from the earliest stage. Inspectors describe early phonics-related learning beginning in Nursery, including structured attention to sounds in words. That said, the improvement points are worth taking seriously. Ofsted highlights that, for some pupils, reading can be too focused on decoding rather than also building vocabulary and understanding what has been read.

SEND support is described as ambitious and responsive, with staff quick to identify when pupils need more help and evidence of collaboration with services such as educational psychology for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. The inspection also flags a development area around sharpening assessment of need for some pupils so provision is matched precisely enough to remove barriers quickly.

Because the school serves pupils up to Year 4, the main transition step is into a middle school or a primary that includes upper primary, depending on local organisation. Staffordshire’s admissions guidance explicitly references that children in Year 4 at a first school may need to apply for a place at a middle or primary school for the next phase.

Practically, that means families should plan early for the Year 5 move and treat it as a meaningful transition. A sensible approach is to shortlist likely next-step schools and speak to the school about transition arrangements and typical onward destinations for recent cohorts, particularly if you are moving into the area or considering Nursery entry with the intention to stay through Year 4.

Reception and in-year places

The school states it follows Staffordshire County Council’s admissions policy for primary admissions, and directs families to the council for the latest process and details.

For September 2026 entry, Staffordshire’s published primary admissions timeline sets out the key dates clearly:

• Application system opens 1 November 2025

• Applications close 15 January 2026

• National Offer Day is 16 April 2026

Demand, even at a small school, looks tight in the latest available Reception entry data. With 20 applications and 11 offers, the limiting factor is simply the number of places relative to local demand.

Nursery admissions

Nursery entry operates differently from Reception. The school indicates Nursery can start from age 3, and hours can be built using funded entitlement plus additional paid hours via extended provision.

Families considering Nursery should also align expectations with Staffordshire’s term-based start rules for funded hours, which depend on the child’s birthday and the term funding begins.

Open events

Staffordshire notes that for open days or evenings at first, infant, junior or primary schools, families should contact the schools directly.

The headteacher’s welcome also invites prospective families to visit and references Year 4 School Ambassadors showing families around.

The strongest evidence here is the combination of inspection statements about care and the school’s own published behaviour and safeguarding commitments. Inspectors describe attentive staff who respond quickly when pupils need help, positive behaviour in lessons and around school, and a culture of care.

On the safeguarding baseline, the latest inspection states safeguarding arrangements are effective. The school also publishes a clear child-protection stance, describing procedures to ensure staff and volunteers are suitable to work with children and that staff have appropriate safeguarding training.

For a small school, enrichment is unusually concrete and well documented. Ofsted highlights clubs including cooking, computing, and young farmers, plus trips such as visits to the seaside or the zoo, and structured pupil roles such as school council, worship council, and ambassador roles.

Wraparound provision is a key part of the offer, and it doubles as the gateway to clubs. Superstars Kids Club runs a weekly pattern that includes Computer Club on Mondays, Lego and Loom Bands on Tuesdays, Cookery Club on Wednesdays, and Multi-sports on Thursdays. This is a practical advantage for working families because it builds activities into childcare hours rather than requiring separate pick-ups.

There are also whole-school performance moments. The school states it holds two concerts a year where all pupils have opportunities to act and sing. For older pupils, the Year 4 residential is a distinctive rite of passage, described as a three-day residential visit to an outdoor education centre at Standon Bowers.

The published school day timing is clear:

• School opens 8:45am

• Registration 9:00am

• Home time 3:30pm

• Total hours available: 32.5 per week

Wraparound care is offered through Superstars Kids Club. Breakfast Club runs 8:00am to 8:45am Monday to Friday, and after-school care runs 3:30pm to 5:30pm Monday to Thursday, and 3:30pm to 4:30pm Fridays. The club lists fees at £5.00 per hour or £1.25 per 15 minutes, with an additional £1 for breakfast if taken.

Lunch is cooked on site, with meals priced at £2.90 per day, and milk is available at 20p per day (free for nursery and reception children).

On setting and surroundings, Superstars references “the beautiful view of The Roaches”, which underlines the rural Staffordshire Moorlands feel and is relevant for families thinking about travel routines and weather-ready kit.

• A small school means fewer peers per year group. That can be reassuring for some children, but families who want a larger friendship pool or multiple parallel classes may prefer a bigger setting.

• Reading approach is strong, but vocabulary and comprehension are a stated next step for some pupils. If your child needs extra support to move from decoding to deeper understanding, ask how vocabulary is taught and how reading discussions are structured.

• SEND assessment systems are still being refined for some pupils. The school is described as ambitious and responsive, but the inspection notes that assessment of need is not always precise enough for provision to remove barriers quickly.

• Transition planning matters because the school finishes at Year 4. Families should think ahead to the Year 5 move and how that fits with siblings, transport, and longer-term schooling preferences.

Blackshaw Moor CofE First School stands out for the clarity of its values-led culture, stable leadership, and a surprisingly rich enrichment offer for a small setting, with wraparound care that doubles as structured clubs. Academic ambition is evident in the curriculum story from Nursery to Year 4, and the latest inspection confirms a secure baseline with safeguarding effective.

Who it suits: families who want a small Church of England first school where community values, strong routines, and practical wraparound care are central, and who are happy to plan ahead for the Year 5 transition.