Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School

Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School is performing securely overall. Inspectors found the school meets expected standards in achievement, curriculum and teaching, early years, inclusion, leadership and governance, and personal development and wellbeing, with safeguarding standards met. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, generally achieve well and are well prepared for the next stage. Reading attainment is above the national average, the disadvantaged attainment gap has narrowed considerably, and pupils with SEND make the progress they should. The curriculum is broad and thoughtfully designed, staff adapt teaching skilfully, early years provision is ambitious and nurturing, and inclusion is central to the school’s work. Pupils are happy, courteous and calm, behaviour is well managed, and personal development and enrichment are strong. Governance and trust support are effective, and parents are complimentary. The main area needing attention is attendance. Rates are improving but remain below national averages, and some pupils are absent too often, missing out on positive experiences. Published attainment in writing and mathematics is below average, although current achievement is better than the published data suggests. Handwriting and spelling are not taught consistently well, and a new scheme has not yet had time to improve pupils’ work consistently. The school is part of the Kingfisher Learning Trust, and inspectors found that trust support has helped create an open, collaborative culture with effective governance and staff development. This was a full section 5 inspection in September 2026.

Strengths

• Broad, thoughtfully designed curriculum with clear core concepts in each subject
• Leaders have an accurate view of curriculum and teaching strengths and have made decisive improvements
• Reading attainment at the end of key stage 2 is above the national average
• The attainment gap between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils has narrowed considerably
• Pupils with SEND make the progress they should from their starting points
• Strong early years provision with an ambitious curriculum, nurturing relationships and expert phonics teaching
• Inclusion is central, with quick identification of needs and effective support for vulnerable pupils
• Staff adapt lessons skilfully and check pupils’ understanding well
• Calm, supportive behaviour culture with positive relationships and effective handling of bullying
• Comprehensive personal development programme covering health, safety and fundamental British values
• Wide enrichment offer including music, sport, clubs and pupil leadership roles
• Effective governance and trust support, with staff feeling valued and parents complimentary
• Safeguarding standards are met

Areas for Improvement

• Attendance remains below national rates, and some pupils are absent too often
• Published attainment in writing and mathematics is below the national average
• Handwriting and spelling are not taught consistently well, and pupils’ basic skills remain variable
• The new handwriting and spelling scheme has not yet had time to impact consistently on pupils’ work

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School attended 94.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.0% of pupils at Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School had 30.3 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 64.2% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 16.5% of pupils at Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 2.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School received £7,243 and spent £7,791 for each of its 188 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £248,000 (-£1,320 per pupil).

Across all 7 schools of Kingfisher Learning Trust, income was £14,454 and spending £14,223 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Oldham · Oldham local authority: places and applications

Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School is part of Kingfisher Learning Trust, which runs 7 schools. The nearest others:

• Littlemoor Primary School Oldham
• Kingfisher Special School Oldham
• Medlock Valley Primary School Oldham
• Halcyon Way School Oldham Ol9 9Qe
• Cromwell High School Dukinfield
• Oakdale School Dukinfield

What is Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School is Needs attention, from an inspection in October 2026.

When was Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School last inspected by Ofsted?

Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School was last inspected in October 2026.

How many pupils does Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School have?

Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School has 176 pupils on roll.

What age range does Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School cover?

Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School?

Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School is at Blackshaw Lane, Heyside, Royton, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL2 6NT.