Our Lady's Bishop Eton Catholic Primary School

School report Our Lady's Bishop Eton Catholic Primary School Green Lane, Liverpool, Merseyside, L18 2EP

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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.  Pupils attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is well above the national average and has been consistently so over time. They make excellent progress overall and achieve exceptionally well.  Children get off to an excellent start in Reception because leadership and what is provided for them have improved significantly since the previous inspection.  Teaching is outstanding. Teachers expect hard work and high achievement and use their skills very effectively to maintain them. However, some untidy work from pupils is not addressed well enough in teachers’ marking.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary and they feel very safe in school. Attitudes to learning are excellent. Pupils enjoy school and their attendance is consistently above average.  Leadership and management of the school are outstanding and have improved since the previous inspection. Leaders focus relentlessly

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

on maintaining high quality in teaching and manage teachers’ performance exceptionally well.  The governing body is highly effective in challenging the school to move forward and helping school leaders to build on what has already been achieved.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 21 lessons and parts of lessons.  Meetings were held with senior leaders and other staff members, members of the governing body, pupils and a representative from the local authority.  Also taken into account were 94 responses from parents via the on-line questionnaire (Parent View).  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation including: national assessment data and the school’s own assessments; the school’s evaluation of its work; local authority reports; minutes from governors meetings; safeguarding information and samples of pupils’ work.

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Inspection team

Kevin Johnson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Gillian Hunter Additional Inspector Philip Choi Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is broadly average.  A below average proportion of pupils is supported by school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is very low. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and children that are looked after.)  The school meets the current floor standards, which are the minimum government expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  Before and after-school care is provided on site by the school.  Senior leaders support other schools by taking a leading role in training initiatives for the local authority and the National College for school Leadership.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise teachers’ expectations with regard to: - the consistency and impact of their marking - the presentation of pupils’ work.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage get off to an excellent start. By the end of the Reception Year, all children reach all of the expected targets for their age in all that they do. Their starting points are generally typical for their age although some are more advanced, especially in speaking skills and personal and social development.  First class planning and teaching in Reception and an exciting selection of activities in the classroom and outdoors gives children the chance to make independent choices, explore their own ideas and develop the skills they need confidently, in a safe environment.  The pace of learning and the high expectations set in Reception continue in Years 1 and 2. Attainment at the end of Year 2 has been well above average in reading, writing and mathematics for the past five years. Pupils’ current work shows that this trend is set to continue.  Rapid progress continues in Years 3 to 6 where attainment is consistently above or well above

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

the national average. An untypical dip in mathematics in 2012 has been quickly reversed in the current year due to the school’s very swift action to provide groups of pupils with extra support. School assessments and pupils’ current work show that virtually all pupils are on track to reach expected standards with significant proportions set to do better than expected by reaching Level 5 or the highest possible Level 6 in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils achieve particularly well in reading. Some exemplary teaching of phonics (letters and sounds) in Reception and Years 1 and 2 gives pupils the early boost they need to tackle reading and writing confidently. In Year 2 pupils use their knowledge of phonics very well to help them read unfamiliar words. They all know ‘how books work’ and can identify author, illustrator, contents and index if it is a non-fiction book. Pupils read enthusiastically and with a great deal of

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

confidence.  By the end of Year 6 pupils are fluent and accurate when they read, and use good expression. They select their reading from a wide range and the novels they choose for themselves are challenging and reflect their interest in reading well. Pupils have very good knowledge of past and current authors and show very good understanding of what they read.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make at least good and often rapid progress from their varying starting points. Their learning, and the additional help the school gives, are carefully matched to needs. Expectations are high and progress is checked regularly to make sure that their pace of learning is maintained.  There are currently two pupils in Year 6 known to be eligible for support via pupil premium funding, and no others throughout the rest of the school. There are no significant attainment gaps. Assessment records for the past year show that those known to be eligible for free school

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

meals did considerably better than others in the school by the end of Year 6.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers expect pupils to be independent and resourceful. This challenges pupils and brings the best out of them. In one class the rule ‘ask three before me’ encourages pupils not to rely on their teacher always, but to find out for themselves.  A further excellent example was seen in a mathematics lesson where Year 2 pupils were constructing block graphs using real sweets to show the different colours. When a pupil had more red sweets than squares in the column, the teacher challenged the pupil to work out what could be done. The pupil very resourcefully worked out that one square could represent more than one sweet so the vertical scale in the graph could change.  Both literacy and numeracy are taught exceptionally well. There are numerous opportunities for pupils to develop writing skills in different subjects and a strong focus on using mathematics to solve problems. In one lesson, for example, pupils had to think about the sequences of numbers

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

they used, make up some rules and test them to see if they always worked.  Teachers use time exceptionally well. Lesson planning is excellent and consistent throughout the school. Pupils always know what is expected of them in the lesson and they always get off to a prompt start.  A variety of learning resources and teaching methods keeps pupils on their toes. Lessons are very active. There are lots of opportunities for pupils to discuss their learning and test their ideas on each other. Teachers use electronic whiteboards particularly well to help pupils focus on their learning.  Teachers’ use of assessment has improved significantly since the previous inspection. Teachers know their pupils’ abilities extremely well and use what they know to plan lessons and drive progress. During lessons they question continually to check learning and move it on. Pupils have opportunities at the end of the lesson to say what they feel about their progress and what might

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

be their next steps.  Nevertheless, while some marking is good it is not consistently so across all subjects and classes. Often it has too little impact on pupils work and seldom challenges handwriting or presentation of other work in books in order to raise the overall quality. Consequently, some work is untidy and pupils do not always pick up on the errors that are pointed out.  Teaching assistants are a crucial part of the teaching team. They know the pupils well, provide very good learning support and deal sensitively with pupils’ particular needs.  Relationships in lessons are outstanding. Pupils know that their contribution to lessons is valued highly. As a result they are confident, extremely keen to learn more and achieve exceptionally well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding.  Pupils are invariably polite and well mannered. Attitudes to learning in lessons and behaviour around the school are exemplary. They show respect for each other and for adults and are always mindful of others especially when help is needed. Their behaviour and relationships admirably reflect the schools strong Christian values.  Pupils enjoy learning because of the exciting opportunities the curriculum provides. When asked what they would change in their school to make it better, a group of pupils replied, ‘Nothing!’  Pupils feel safe in school. They share trusting relationships with the adults who care for them. Parents agree wholeheartedly with the view that pupils are extremely well cared for. Additional care through the before- and after-school clubs is appreciated by many parents. This provision is managed well and gives pupils excellent opportunities to develop personally and socially.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are fully aware of the different forms that bullying can take including cyber-bullying. They know how to deal with it should it occur and are adamant that bullying and offensive name- calling are rare, if ever, in the school. Pupils have very sensible attitudes towards protecting themselves outside of school.  Attendance is consistently above average. It is checked rigorously by the school and any absences unaccounted for are quickly followed up.  Pupils contribute a great deal to the everyday life of the school. They are active on the school council or as play leaders and prefects, for example, and always willing to take on additional responsibilities when needed. They are true ambassadors for the school. Their academic success and the personal qualities they gain leaves them exceptionally well prepared for the next stages of their education.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Despite the school’s success there is no complacency. The headteacher has led the school from good to outstanding with vision and determination. She is ably supported by a highly effective deputy and senior leadership team who, with the governing body, have driven through important improvements since the previous inspection.  There is a common mindset in the school that things can always be better. With that in mind, all staff set the highest standards for themselves and work as a single team to give pupils the best possible start. Every staff member understands the part to be played in checking the school’s progress and contributing to an accurate picture of its work.  A main focus since the previous inspection has been to raise the quality of teaching. Management of teachers’ performance in the classrooms has been robust. Regular checking, well focused training to improve teachers’ skills, and support to iron out weaknesses have made

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The leadership and management are outstanding

their mark and lifted the quality to outstanding. Teaching quality is firmly underpinned by the Teachers’ Standards and teachers recognise how they are accountable for standards and pupils progress and that salary progression is linked to classroom performance.  The local authority recognises the school’s qualities and enlists its help as an example of excellent practice for others to emulate. The headteacher and deputy headteacher share their skills by leading national and local management training initiatives.  The curriculum is constantly changing and developing and the school is ‘ahead of the game’ in its preparation to bring in further changes. It adds richness and enjoyment to pupils’ learning and enables pupils to foster interests in music, sports and the arts exceptionally well. Pupils also benefit from a wide range of clubs and visits, including residential, that help them to develop personally.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  The governing body works extremely well with the school and offers all the support it needs in pursuing the drive for excellence. Governors know the school well and have the expertise, backed up by relevant training, to challenge the school strongly over aspects of its work. Recent checking of national data, for example, enabled governors to hold the school to account for a dip in the achievement of pupils in mathematics. With their support this was quickly and successfully remedied. Statutory duties are carried out smoothly and efficiently. All relevant policies are up to date and reviewed. There are no issues with financial management or with safeguarding, which fully meets all government requirements. The governing body has a clear overview of teaching performance and how this is linked to teachers’ salaries. It manages the headteacher’s performance very effectively. Governors are aware of how the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

small amount of pupil-premium funding is used and check this closely to ensure that it effectively supports equality of opportunity.

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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 104642 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 413179

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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 409 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Norma Polson Headteacher Deborah Bostock Date of previous school inspection 18 November 2009 Telephone number 0151 722 2982 Fax number 0151 737 2503 Email address bishopeton-ao@ourladysbishopeton.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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