Fazakerley High School

Inspection of Fazakerley High School Sherwoods Lane, Fazakerley, Liverpool, Merseyside L10 1LB

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

The quality of education Inadequate Behaviour and attitudes Inadequate Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Inadequate Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 8–9 October 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils do not get a good deal at this school. Leaders have failed to make sure that pupils are ready for the next stage of their education, employment or training. Many pupils do not learn well enough in a wide range of subjects. Some teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low. Over time, pupils’ examination results are far lower than those of other pupils nationally.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Too many pupils do not attend school often enough. That said, when they are in school, most of them are keen to learn. They are polite and kind. Many pupils try their best to behave well, although there is some boisterous behaviour around the school building. Staff are usually at hand to calm things down.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told us that they are well cared for and they feel safe. They are clear who they would turn to if they have concerns. They said that staff support them well. They say that bullying is rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like the extra-curricular activities offered. Pupils benefit from volunteering in the community and supporting charities. Every pupil in the current Year 10 has been registered for and completed activities towards the Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award.

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better?

Leaders at all levels, including governors, have made too little difference to the quality of education that pupils experience. While a small number of subject areas, such as art, make a difference to pupils’ learning in key stage 3, this is overshadowed by poor quality elsewhere. This contributes to the weak examination results of far too many pupils across almost all subjects. This is especially true for disadvantaged pupils, who do not achieve well.

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better?

In many subjects, leaders have not developed the curriculum well enough. This leads to teaching which does not build on what pupils know or help pupils to learn new knowledge. Pupils have large gaps in their learning. They do not remember what has been taught and they are not ready for the new learning that is presented to them. They struggle to take on challenging ideas because they do not have the building blocks in place to extend their understanding.

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better?

Too many staff do not take account of pupils’ prior learning, particularly of what they have learned in primary school. In Year 7, curriculum plans lack ambition in too many subjects. Pupils say the work is too easy or repeats what they have learned previously. Sometimes, pupils become bored by the work. Only occasionally, such as in mathematics, are more pupils excited by their learning. This is because the curriculum in these subjects at key stage 3 is well planned and helps pupils to succeed.

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better?

Leaders, including governors, have allowed the curriculum to be narrowed for some 8–9 October 2019

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pupils in key stage 3. This is especially, but not only, the case for a large proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and lower-ability pupils. These pupils have only half of the time provided to other pupils to study some subjects, such as modern foreign languages and humanities. Leaders and governors do not ensure equality of opportunity for younger pupils. Their expectations of this group of pupils are low.

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Leaders have reviewed the examination courses offered at key stage 4, with the intention of meeting the interests and needs of pupils. Around two thirds of pupils follow an academic English Baccalaureate pathway. However, the GCSE outcomes in these academic subjects often fall far short of what pupils are actually capable of. This is because of the weak, ill-designed curriculum at key stage 3, which does not get any better during key stage 4.

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Pupils with SEND do not do well at this school. Their needs are not met because teachers lack the expertise to offer the support that is required. Recently, there have been changes to the leadership of this area but it is too soon to see the difference this is making.

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Most pupils behave well and try hard to make the most of their time in lessons. Some pupils lose concentration when the curriculum is not ambitious enough. Most pupils respect one another and any differences of religion, race or sexuality. The few bullying incidents have mostly been on mobile devices. Leaders have taken positive steps to make sure that pupils know how to reduce the risk of this happening to them. Staff keep a close eye on pupils at break and lunchtimes and take effective action, when required, to maintain order.

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Leaders’ efforts to improve pupils’ attendance since the last inspection have not been successful. Senior leaders and governors have made changes to leadership of this area very recently, with the hope of improving pupils’ attendance. To date, these changes have made no noticeable difference.

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A significant number of pupils leave the school before the end of Year 11. Leaders do not check the reasons for this pupil movement well enough. This means that leaders are at a loss as to what they need to do to better support such pupils before they take the decision to leave.

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Pupils value the support of staff and other professionals to help them think about careers and what they will do once they complete Year 11. Leaders plan opportunities for pupils to develop positive values in lessons, attend clubs and activities, and enjoy new experiences. Even so, there are weaknesses in how the taught programme for developing pupils’ personal development is delivered, especially in tutor times.

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A restructuring of leadership roles, and some fresh ideas from new leaders to the school, have not hit the mark. Governors now ask some challenging questions of senior leaders but they do not take enough notice of how well the school’s curriculum helps pupils to learn. 8–9 October 2019

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff know how to keep pupils safe. Staff take the time to know pupils well, are vigilant and know what to do if they have a concern. Regular training means that staff know what to look out for if pupils are at risk. Pupils are confident to talk to staff if they are worried or unhappy. Leaders consult parents and carers and refer cases to social care or the police, when necessary. Staff and other professionals in school provide support for pupils at risk of poor emotional well-being. Pupils know about risks when online or threats such as gang-related crime.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils in key stage 3, especially lower-ability pupils and those with SEND, do not have sufficient opportunity to develop a deep knowledge of all of the subjects they study. This is especially the case in history, geography and modern foreign languages. The school should take urgent action to ensure that their expectations of this group of pupils rise and that all current pupils in key stage 3 benefit from a curriculum which is at least as ambitious in breadth and scope as the national curriculum.  The key stage 3 curriculum does not take account of what pupils have already learned, including from their time in primary schools. Planning does not build on pupils’ knowledge. It does not enable teachers to meet pupils’ needs. Leaders should act urgently to ensure that there is an ambitious curriculum in place which helps pupils to gain the knowledge they need to achieve well, including in GCSE examinations, in a range of subjects.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Too many pupils do not attend school often enough. Pupils who are disadvantaged and those with SEND have especially weak attendance. Leaders should build on their recent actions to ensure that pupils are in school regularly.  Leaders should ensure that the planned personal development curriculum is taught well, especially during tutor times.  Changes to the leadership responsibilities have not brought about the planned improvement. Leaders should build on the recent restructuring and new appointments to ensure that their actions are sharply focused on improving the quality of education. They should seek additional support to enhance their capacity to improve the school.  Governors should be clear about their responsibilities and ensure that they monitor, challenge and support senior leaders to make the improvements required to the quality of education. Governors should check and question the rates and

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

reasons for pupils’ movement, notably for those pupils who leave the school before the end of Year 11. 8–9 October 2019

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 8–9 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10087805 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4–5 April 2017

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Information about this school

 The school’s sixth form currently has no students.  A small number of pupils attend alternative provision at Everton Free School and New Heights High School.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Information about this inspection

The school should not appoint newly qualified teachers.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders, teachers, governors, a local authority officer and the local authority’s appointed school improvement partner.  We visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke to them about their 8–9 October 2019

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experience of school.  The school’s records of safeguarding checks and referrals to the local authority were reviewed. We spoke with staff about how they keep pupils safe. We also asked the pupils about how they keep themselves safe and what to do if they have concerns.  We observed pupils moving between lessons, at breaktime and at lunchtime.  The views of the 23 parents who completed Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, and others who contacted or spoke to inspectors were taken into account.  We took account of the 38 responses to the staff questionnaire.  In considering the quality of education, we concentrated in depth on art, English, history, mathematics and science. We discussed the arrangements for the curriculum and teaching with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders and teachers. We visited lessons and then talked with pupils about what they had been learning. We looked at pupils’ exercise books in these subjects.

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Inspection team

Stephen Ruddy, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Stott Ofsted Inspector 8–9 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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