St Christopher's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Christopher’s Catholic Primary School Tarbock Road, Speke, Liverpool, Merseyside L24 0SN

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 29 and 30 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. Parents and carers are grateful for the care that their children receive from leaders and staff. Pupils are warmly welcomed each morning with a ‘high-five’ from the pastoral team. Pupils told the inspector that everybody is friendly at St Christopher’s. They hold the view that everyone looks out for each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that they can talk to their teachers if they have any worries. Pupils said that bullying and name calling are rare. They have great confidence in staff to quickly deal with any such issues should they arise. This helps pupils to feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils try their best to live up to leaders’ high expectations of their behaviour and achievement. Pupils compete in games on the playground with respect for their opponents. They work hard in the classroom. Pupils enjoy being recognised and rewarded for their good work and positive behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that pupils can access a multitude of after-school activities. Pupils talked with enthusiasm about the badminton and athletics clubs. Pupils enjoy educational trips to places such as the nearby car manufacturing plant, airport and museums. They enjoy taking on additional responsibilities. Year 5 and 6 ‘mini police’ work with local officers to carry out a range of safety initiatives in the area. Pupils willingly raise funds for a selection of charities. This is because they are mindful that others may need their help and support.

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better?

The new leadership team has worked to improve the curriculum. It is broad and ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This ensures that pupils gain a rich and relevant body of knowledge by the time they leave Year 6. Pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education.

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better?

Subject leaders have carefully considered the knowledge that pupils need to learn in each curriculum area. Teachers have been well trained to deliver the curriculum effectively. In most subjects, content is clearly organised so that pupils build on their knowledge from early years to Year 6. However, in some areas of learning, curriculum leaders are not clear about the knowledge that is taught in the early years. This means that teachers are less able to build upon what children have been taught in the Reception class. As a result, children are less well prepared for their learning in key stage 1.

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better?

Teachers ensure that pupils regularly recap their prior knowledge. This helps pupils to remember more of what they have been taught. Pupils use their previous learning to help them tackle increasingly difficult tasks. For example, pupils in Year 3 applied 29 and 30 March 2022

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what they had learned about levers and linkages in key stage 1 to help them produce more-complex structures in their current design and technology projects.

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Leaders understand that reading is the gateway to the curriculum. Children in the early years enjoy listening to a range of traditional tales. They are taught phonics from the moment that they enter the Reception class. Well-trained staff deliver the phonics curriculum effectively. They ensure that the books pupils read match the sounds that they already know. If pupils struggle with reading, they receive additional support to help them catch up. As a result, pupils develop into confident, fluent readers.

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Teachers in the early years quickly identify any pupils with SEND. This helps ensure that they receive appropriate support as soon as they start school. Leaders work with a range of professionals so that pupils with SEND can receive specialist support where required. These actions enable pupils with SEND to achieve well.

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The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a rise in the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school. Leaders, along with other agencies, work closely with the families of these pupils. This work is beginning to bear fruit. Nonetheless, some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This hinders their achievement.

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Pupils behave well in lessons. They listen carefully to their teachers. In the calm environment of the early years, children concentrate and follow routines sensibly. Pupils become resilient learners who do not give up if they do not succeed at the first attempt.

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Pupils are knowledgeable about current world issues. They understand the harmful effects of plastic on the environment and why this makes recycling so important. Teachers use the curriculum to help pupils understand the different religions, cultures and families in society. Pupils know that everybody is different but should always be treated with respect.

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Governors are well informed. They use their knowledge of the school effectively to support and challenge leaders to further improve the school’s performance. Governors and leaders are considerate of the workload and well-being of staff. Staff appreciate the support that they receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work well with a range of agencies to support vulnerable families. Staff are provided with regular safeguarding training. This enables them to identify the signs that may indicate that a pupil is at risk of harm. Staff know the importance of quickly reporting any concerns, no matter how small.

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Safeguarding

Teachers use the curriculum well to help pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. Older pupils know that not all information on the internet is true. They understand 29 and 30 March 2022

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where trusted sources of information can be found. Visitors to the school have taught pupils about the dangers of gang culture and how to avoid becoming involved in such activity.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means that they do not achieve as well as they could do if their attendance was better. Leaders must ensure that they build on their recent strategies to reduce the rates of persistent absence.  Some subject leaders do not have a good enough understanding of the early years curriculum. This means that they do not consider what children know and can do when thinking about the curriculum for pupils in key stage 1. This means that teachers are less able to effectively build on children’s learning as they enter key stage 1. Subject leaders should ensure that they fully understand the learning that takes place in the early years. This will ensure that children are better prepared for their learning in Year 1 and beyond.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 are the school and you are 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. 29 and 30 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212236 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 and 28 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a voluntary aided Catholic primary school. The school had its most recent section 48 inspection in June 2019.  The headteacher took up post in September 2021. A new assistant headteacher has also been appointed since the last inspection.  Leaders make use of alternative provision.  The governing body manage the before-school provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and five members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. 29 and 30 March 2022

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An inspector also spoke with a representative of the Archdiocese of Liverpool and the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science, geography and design and technology. This involved visiting lessons with subject leaders, discussing the subject curriculums, talking to pupils and teachers and looking at pupils’ work. An inspector also observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also spoke with the leaders for other curriculum areas.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at playtimes, lunchtime and during lessons. Pupils also talked to the inspectors about their views of their school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and spoke to parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors also considered responses to the pupil and staff questionnaire.  Inspectors checked leaders’ safeguarding procedures. They viewed a range of

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safeguarding documentation and looked at how incidents are managed and recorded.

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Inspection team

John Tomlinson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Joan Williamson Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 March 2022

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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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