Childwall Church of England Primary School

Childwall CE Primary School Woolton Road, Liverpool, Merseyside, L16 0JD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  ‘And the child grew’ is a most appropriate motto for this outstanding school where pupils flourish both emotionally and academically.  Attainment at the end of Year 6 in both English and mathematics has been consistently high for the past five years.  Pupils of all abilities make excellent progress in English and mathematics. Many pupils achieve much better progress than is expected nationally, especially in English.  The achievement of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is outstanding. These pupils certainly benefit from the outreach work provided by the South Central Consortium.  There is very little difference in attainment between pupils eligible for free school meals and other pupils. Both groups reach high standards.  Teaching is outstanding.  Lessons are well planned and provide high levels of challenge to all pupils.  Teachers are highly skilled in asking pupils

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

probing, open-ended questions which encourage them to think deeply about their learning.  However, teachers are not providing enough opportunities in mathematics for pupils to use the skills they have acquired in real-life, problem-solving activities.  Teaching assistants who work with pupils who need extra help make a highly effective contribution.  Exercise books show that pupils take great pride in their work. Marking is of a high quality and shows clearly how pupils can improve.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Very positive attitudes towards learning were observed in all lessons.  Attendance is high and pupils are punctual.  The school has in place excellent methods for raising the performance of all staff.  The governing body has a very precise understanding of how well the school is performing. Governors work extremely well with the headteacher and this collaboration has ensured very high standards for pupils over a

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

long period of time.  Parents are very positive about the school and appreciate that the hard work of staff is really making a difference to their children.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 26 lessons or parts of lessons taught by 14 teachers.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and looked at pupils’ exercise books.  Discussions were held with representatives of the governing body, a representative of the local authority, senior leaders and other staff, and pupils.  Inspectors looked at the school’s documentation to gain an accurate view of its performance, safeguarding information, the school development plan, minutes of governing body meetings, behaviour records and displays around school.  Inspectors looked at the ways in which the school checks the progress of pupils.  Inspectors evaluated responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the questionnaires returned by staff.

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Inspection team

Desmond Stubbs, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Bimla Kumari Additional Inspector Pamela Davenport Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Pupils are predominantly White British.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is well below the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (the pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children that are looked after by the local authority) is well below the national average. In this school the pupil premium almost entirely applies to pupils eligible for free school meals.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school is one of a group of schools which make up the South Central Consortium. These

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Information about this school

schools work together to provide support for each other and additional outreach support for pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Provide pupils with more opportunities in mathematics to apply the skills they have acquired in real-life, problem-solving activities.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Attainment at the end of Year 6 in both English and mathematics has been consistently high for the past five years. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education and they leave school with well developed skills in both English and mathematics.  Children enter school from many different pre-school settings at levels generally expected for this age. They quickly develop self-confidence and make outstanding progress. By the end of their first year children have very advanced skills for their age. Communication skills of younger pupils are particularly strong.  By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils are reaching standards in reading, writing and mathematics which are well above average. This has consistently been the case over a long period of time and standards still continue to rise.  The school allocates the pupil premium government funding very effectively, providing pupils eligible for a free school meal with additional support. There are only small numbers of these

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

pupils in each year. In some year groups free-school-meal pupils are actually doing better than non-free-school-meal pupils. Generally, however, free-school-meal pupils are about a term behind other pupils but they make good progress.  The achievement of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is outstanding. The deputy headteacher manages these pupils very effectively and is relentless in her pursuit for the best for these children. The specialist outreach work from the South Central Consortium has also made a significant impact on the achievement of these pupils.  Equality of opportunity is highly effective. All groups of pupils make rapid progress from their different starting points.  Achievement in many lessons is outstanding. Pupils work at much higher levels than expected for their age and they make excellent progress.  Achievement in reading is outstanding. Pupils talk enthusiastically about books they have read

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

and understand how reading helps them with other areas of their work.  In English and mathematics the number of pupils reaching the higher levels in the national tests at the end of Year 6 is well above average and many pupils achieve much better progress than is expected nationally.  Parents strongly agree that their children make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching is outstanding. All the evidence seen by inspectors would suggest that this has consistently been the case over a long period of time, leading to the high standards of the past five years.  Strong and open relationships in all classes are the foundations for high-quality teaching and learning.  The teaching of reading is at the heart of the curriculum and an outstanding feature of the school. Pupils talk enthusiastically about how reading can support their learning in other areas of the curriculum and demonstrate a love of books.  In mathematics teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to use the skills they have acquired in real-life, problem-solving activities.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is excellent. Teachers use very precise and correct mathematical vocabulary in lessons and this helps pupils deepen their understanding of more complex work.  Teachers are highly skilled in asking pupils probing, open-ended questions which not only make

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

the pupils think deeply about their learning but also help the teacher understand clearly what each pupil knows and what they need to learn next.  In all lessons teachers display high expectations and plan very challenging work for pupils of all abilities. Pupils respond to this with quite profound ideas, such as Year 4 pupils discussing breeding programmes for endangered species.  Additional resources are used effectively to engage pupils, stimulate their thinking and make complex ideas more accessible.  The school has teachers new to the profession and they have very successfully been introduced to the school’s teaching and learning policies. Their teaching is already good and some is outstanding.  Teaching assistants give highly effective support to pupils who find learning difficult. They work well with teachers to ensure high-quality learning takes place.  Exercise books show that pupils take great care and pride in their work. Marking celebrates what

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

is good and clearly identifies how work can be improved. Marking is particularly effective at Key Stage 1 and makes a significant impact on attainment.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy their lessons. One pupil explained how much he enjoyed grammar lessons as ‘they helped him use punctuation correctly when writing sentences’.  Parents agree that their children are taught well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding and very well managed by all staff. The school’s behaviour records show that serious incidents are very rare.  Pupils move around school showing great consideration for others (encouraged by the ‘corridor monitors’) as well as being very polite to staff, visitors and other pupils.  Pupils’ attitude towards their learning is exemplary. They are very enthusiastic about their lessons.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage the children learn and play in a kind and caring manner with each other. This was evident with children making patterns on the peg board or playing on the large apparatus.  Pupils have many opportunities to take responsibility. The School Council and ECO council are very active. Older pupils support the reading of younger pupils and also ensure that everybody has a friend to play with at lunchtime.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe. They are

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

knowledgeable about how to stay safe on the computer and they say that there is no bullying of any kind and issues are dealt with effectively.  Attendance is high and pupils are punctual.  All parents who responded to the online parent questionnaire agreed that their children feel safe in school and they strongly agree that the school makes sure that pupils are well behaved.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school’s very high standards over many years are a result of senior leaders creating a staff team where the school motto ‘And the child grew’ is embodied in everything the school does.  Central to the school’s outstanding achievement are the systems the school has in place to check the performance of teachers and all other aspects of the school’s work. Areas for improvement are clearly identified and appropriate action is quickly taken.  Teachers are reflective about their own practice and identify areas of training and support to continually improve. There is a strong culture of sharing best practice between teachers and this makes a significant impact on the quality of teaching and achievement.  Pupils learn and make outstanding progress because the curriculum is very well designed using cross-curricular themes, many of which are linked to pupils’ interests and their life experiences. The work seen in pupils’ topic books is of a very high standard, reflecting the high expectations

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The leadership and management are outstanding

of teachers and the exemplary attitudes of pupils. The curriculum is further enriched with a varied extra-curricular programme.  The school is highly effective in developing pupils’ spirituality which pervades the whole school. Pupils’ outstanding behaviour exemplifies their thorough understanding of right and wrong. They work and play well together. Cultural links are also strong.  Parents are overwhelmingly positive about all aspects of the school’s work. Parents of younger children particularly enjoy the opportunities to ‘stay and play’.  A representative from the local authority visits each term to support the work of the school leadership team. The local authority provides light-touch support only for this outstanding school.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is extremely well led. Governors are regular visitors to school and know

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The leadership and management are outstanding

its strengths and weakness. Each governor is linked to a class and its teacher and this relationship is very effective in helping governors understand how they can support and challenge the school more effectively. Governors have received training including an analysis of the data held by the school and, as a result, they are very clear about the progress of different groups of pupils. They are involved in managing the performance of teachers through the various committees, to which teachers are invited to come and talk about their work. The budget is well managed and governors have allocated the pupil premium funding in a well informed manner.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 104625 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 413204

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 407 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Canon Gary Renison Headteacher Mrs Diane Shaw Date of previous school inspection 8 January 2009 Telephone number 0151 722 1553 Fax number 0151 722 4989 Email address childwallp-ao@childwall-pri.liverpool.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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