Evelyn Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Evelyn Community Primary School Evelyn Avenue, Prescot, Merseyside L34 2SP

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Outcome

Evelyn Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe and happy. They told the inspector that these are the things that they value most about their school. Pupils were adamant that bullying ‘is not allowed’. They said that staff are successful in helping them to resolve any problems that they might have, including when bullying happens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders foster positive attitudes to learning. They make sure that pupils behave well. In the early years, children begin to learn about the benefits of independence. They are curious to explore the wider world to learn more. Children develop their ability to get along well with each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and achievement, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils strive to ensure that their conduct reflects the school’s values. They wear their school badge with pride. Pupils are skilled at using what they already know to acquire new knowledge. They achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities to cultivate new interests and talents. These include playing in the school orchestra, expressing themselves through art or being chosen for a leadership role. Pupils, especially those who are chosen to be lead learners, are positive role models to others.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders make sure that teachers understand what they want pupils, including children in the early years, to learn in most subjects. In these subjects, teachers support pupils to learn efficiently. They check what pupils already know and build on this. As a result, pupils develop a deep body of knowledge as they progress through the curriculum.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Teachers use assessment strategies effectively to make sure that pupils do not forget what they have learned. This makes it easier for pupils to remember key facts and learn 11 and 12 May 2022

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new concepts. Pupils recall knowledge easily. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Occasionally, in a small number of subjects, pupils’ learning slows. This is because, in these subjects, leaders are not as clear about what they want pupils to learn in each year group. Therefore, from time to time, teachers are not certain what pupils have learned previously. Sometimes, teachers spend too long unnecessarily repeating learning. In the early years, on occasion, teachers do not challenge children sufficiently well to build on what they already know or can do.

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Leaders make sure that all pupils develop secure reading knowledge. This helps pupils to acquire a wide range of vocabulary. Pupils make efficient use of this reading knowledge to make sense of their learning. This helps pupils to achieve well across the curriculum.

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As a result of an effective reading curriculum, pupils love to read. The high-quality books available to pupils encourage them to broaden their reading habits. Pupils relish the books that their teachers choose for them.

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Staff in the early years capture children’s interest through the books, stories and rhymes that they introduce. Children begin to learn how to apply and use phonics knowledge as soon as they start in the Reception Year. Teachers and other staff across the school are trained well in teaching pupils to read. All staff deliver the phonics programme effectively. Most pupils become fluent and accurate readers. Pupils who struggle with reading are helped to catch up quickly.

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Leaders make sure that staff know how to identify pupils, or children in the early years, who may have SEND. All pupils access the curriculum equally well.

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Pupils are respectful to adults and to each other. Leaders support pupils to develop positive attitudes that will help them to succeed in later life. Pupils are rarely distracted from their learning by others. Pupils, including those with SEND, persevere even when they find learning challenging.

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Leaders ensure that all pupils benefit from high-quality opportunities for their wider development. These activities enhance pupils’ learning. Pupils also learn how to make a positive contribution to their local community and the wider world. Pupils consider how their actions and choices affect others and the environment. They carry out their leadership roles diligently.

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Governors provide an appropriate balance of challenge and support to ensure that leaders continually improve the quality of education that pupils receive. Leaders and governors work in close collaboration with staff when making decisions about the school. Staff feel well supported by leaders and by governors.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 11 and 12 May 2022

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Leaders make sure that staff know how to keep pupils safe. Staff are alert to the potential dangers that pupils might face. Staff pass on their concerns about pupils to leaders who are responsible for safeguarding in a timely manner. Leaders ensure that vulnerable pupils receive additional support. Leaders liaise effectively with other agencies so that these pupils remain safe while they are not in school.

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Pupils learn how to stay safe, especially when they are online. Leaders are vigilant in ensuring that pupils practise what they have learned about the dangers of the internet, especially when using social media at home.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of subjects, from early years to key stage 2, leaders do not provide enough guidance for teachers about what they intend pupils to learn. This occasionally results in teachers revisiting knowledge that pupils have learned in earlier year groups. This hinders how quickly some pupils progress through the curriculum. Leaders should clarify what they expect children and pupils to learn in these subjects from the early years to Year 6, and make sure that this is fully understood by all teachers.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

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 . 11 and 12 May 2022

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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. 11 and 12 May 2022

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School details

Local authority Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

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School details

Inspection number 10204425 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 Lesley Campbell-Hunter

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 and 16 November 2016

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher and deputy headteacher have been appointed since the previous inspection.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher and other leaders in the school, including the special educational needs coordinator. She spoke with a group of governors, including the chair of governors.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation relating to safeguarding. This included: the school’s central record of staff and visitors; staff training records; records of safeguarding and samples of the records kept on individual pupils. 11 and 12 May 2022

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, geography and science. She talked with the curriculum leaders of these subject areas. The inspector also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils. She looked at samples of work from other areas of the curriculum.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes. She observed pupils’ behaviour as they moved around the school.  The inspector spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.  The inspector spoke with parents and carers as they dropped their children off at school. She considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey. This included the free-text responses.  There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils or to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Claire Cropper, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 May 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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