Our Lady of Compassion Catholic Primary School

Inspection of Our Lady of Compassion Catholic Primary School Bull Cop, Formby, Liverpool, Merseyside L37 8BZ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding 5–6 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Our Lady of Compassion Primary School is the heart of its community. Leaders and staff ensure that pupils get the best possible start in life. They have the highest expectations of all pupils. Staff inspire pupils to be the best that they can be. The strong relationships between school and home have a positive impact on pupils’ learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told us that they feel safe and enjoy coming to school. They want to learn and work hard in lessons. Pupils value the relationships that they have with their friends and with staff. As a result of excellent personal development, pupils are able to talk openly about how they feel. This helps them to understand how others may feel too. Staff expect pupils to behave exceptionally well and engage fully in their learning. Pupils want to learn because they enjoy their time at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know what is right and wrong. The school’s code of conduct is simple and well understood. Pupils told us that bullying is rare. If it does happen, staff will sort it out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a wide range of clubs for sports and music. They are enormously proud of their achievements in regional sports and music competitions. There are also clubs to learn about life skills, such as cooking and Spanish, which pupils attend regularly and enjoy.

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better?

Leaders and teachers have put in place a curriculum that prepares pupils well for the next stage in their education. They are currently improving this curriculum to make it even more interesting for pupils. Teachers plan lessons that build on what pupils already know. This makes sure that pupils gain skills and knowledge in a logical order. It helps pupils to make links in their learning. Although there was a slight dip in those achieving the expected standard in key stage 1 in 2018, pupils achieved well in 2019 once again. Current pupils achieve well across key stages. They are well prepared for the next stages of their education.

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better?

Pupils have many opportunities to practise what they already know before they learn new things. For example, learning in mathematics is broken down into manageable parts for pupils. This gives pupils time to practise and discuss their thinking. In physical education (PE), leaders have thought carefully about the knowledge and skills that they want pupils to be able to have each year. For example, pupils know how to create high-quality sequences in gymnastics because of the movements they have learned in previous years.

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better?

Teachers’ subject knowledge is strong. They are clear what they are going to teach and how this will help pupils to develop knowledge in the future. Plans show exactly what pupils should know at the end of each topic. Across all subjects, pupils achieve 5–6 November 2019

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well. However, some pupils occasionally find it difficult to use what they already know to make connections to new learning. For example, inspectors found that some pupils did not use what they already knew about rivers to help them when they were learning about the River Nile in history.

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Reading is at the heart of the school. Everyone in the school understands its importance. Pupils across the school enjoy reading and achieve well in this subject. Story times are a special and exciting time of the day. Staff read books that sometimes challenge pupils and at other times entertain. This fosters a love of reading. The teaching of phonics is a key strength. Teachers plan lessons well. Pupils’ achievement in phonics is strong. By the end of Year 1, most pupils pass the phonics screening check.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve as well as all other pupils. This is because teachers and support staff meet their needs well.

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The proportion of children who achieve a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year has recently improved. This is because staff now plan learning opportunities which build well on what children can already do. This ensures that children learn more and are able to do more by the time they enter Year 1.

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Governors understand their statutory duties. They receive regular and detailed information from school leaders. They are proud of the core values that underpin the curriculum: ‘employability, diversity, resilience and compassion’. Staff are proud to work at the school. They say that leaders consider their workload and well-being.

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Leaders have made sure that pupils are extremely well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils understand that respect for other people is vitally important. They routinely support charities and volunteer to help others. Pupils are well prepared to be active, compassionate citizens of the future. They receive excellent opportunities for their ongoing personal development. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Records are detailed and show that leaders follow up on any concerns quickly. There is a culture of safety around the school. This is strengthened by the caring relationships between staff and pupils. Staff are knowledgeable about safeguarding procedures. They are fully aware of the various signs and symptoms of abuse.

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Safeguarding

The safeguarding governor meets regularly with the headteacher to discuss safeguarding issues. They ensure that policies are up to date and that they are effective. Leaders make sure that all of the required checks are completed before adults are allowed to work with pupils. 5–6 November 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders offer pupils a good-quality, well-planned curriculum. However, they know that there is still more to do to develop the school’s curriculum further. Leaders should ensure that pupils know how to make connections between their prior learning, within and across subjects, when learning new concepts and ideas. This is to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding.  Recent improvements in the early years provision have contributed to the increase in the proportion of pupils achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception. However, these improvements are relatively new. Leaders should embed the recent strategies to improve provision in the early years foundation stage. This is to ensure that a greater proportion of children consistently achieve a good level of development and make strong progress from their starting points.

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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. 5–6 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110165 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Mrs Kristina Hamilton

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 February 2007

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Information about this school

 The last section 48 inspection of the Education Acts 2005 and 2011 was on 17 September 2019.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and three governors. We also spoke to staff about their well-being.  We visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke with them about their 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 playing at breaktime and lunchtime.  One inspector spoke to parents at the start of the school day.  In considering the quality of education, we concentrated on reading, 5–6 November 2019

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mathematics, PE and art in depth. We discussed the arrangements for the curriculum and teaching with curriculum leaders and senior leaders. We visited lessons and then talked with pupils about what they had been learning. We looked at pupils’ books in these subjects and discussed learning with teachers.

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Inspection team

Simon Hunter, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Linda Griffiths Ofsted Inspector 5–6 November 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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