Childwall Sports & Science Academy

Inspection of Childwall Sports & Science Academy Queen’s Drive, Liverpool, Merseyside L15 6XZ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 25 and 26 May 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and students in the sixth form know that leaders and staff have high expectations of them. Leaders have worked hard to improve the quality of education that pupils receive. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and most teachers deliver subject curriculums well. As a result, pupils and students are motivated to learn and they achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including students in the sixth form, are happy at school. They value the diverse community and welcoming ethos of the school. Pupils are respectful of one another and polite and friendly to staff and visitors. They benefit from warm and supportive relationships with staff, who they trust will help and support them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in most lessons and around the school. Lessons are rarely disrupted by pupils’ poor behaviour. Teachers deal with any poor behaviour, including bullying, quickly and effectively. Pupils and students speak highly of the pastoral support they receive. They feel safe in school and know how to report any concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders place a strong emphasis on the value of reading. Pupils read together every day and enjoy a range of engaging books. Staff offer a wide range of clubs and activities for pupils. Students and pupils value the many opportunities they have to take on leadership roles. Pupil leadership groups, such as the student council, play an active role in school life.

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better?

Leaders have completely overhauled the curriculum in recent years. The curriculum is now broad and ambitious for all pupils. Leaders aspire to further increase the number of pupils who gain qualifications in the English Baccalaureate. For example, a growing number of pupils now study languages at key stage 4.

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better?

Leaders have carefully selected the courses that they offer in the sixth form so that they meet students’ needs. Students can choose from a range of pathways which include both academic and vocational courses. This prepares students well for future employment and education.

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better?

Across the curriculum, leaders have thought carefully about the knowledge and skills that they intend pupils to learn. Leaders have ordered curriculum content carefully to enable pupils and students to build up their knowledge step by step.

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better?

Teachers regularly use activities designed to help pupils remember what they have learned. They use assessment information effectively to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Teachers then adapt how they deliver curriculums to address pupils’ needs.

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better?

In most subjects, teachers present content clearly and skilfully. Pupils behave well and engage willingly in the work they are set in these subjects. As a result, pupils 25 and 26 May 2022

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and students achieve increasingly well. However, in a very small number of subjects, there is some slight variability in how well teachers use activities and present information.

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Leaders have effective systems to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They ensure that teachers and other adults know how to help pupils to learn. Leaders use the help of specialists from external agencies to ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are met. Some of these pupils told inspectors that they are supported well by staff. As a result, pupils with SEND progress through the curriculum as well as their peers.

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Leaders, governors and trustees are passionate about the importance of reading. Leaders ensure that they identify gaps in pupils’ reading knowledge. Specially trained staff provide extra support for pupils to ensure that they catch up quickly. Daily reading lessons develop pupils’ confidence in reading aloud. Teachers carefully select books to engage pupils in reading and to develop their cultural knowledge.

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Leaders are proud of their programme for the personal development of pupils. Pupils learn about healthy relationships. They have opportunities to discuss topics such as consent and sexual harassment. They are taught to respect differences between people and the value of diversity. Pupils recently enjoyed a ‘cultural day’ in which they celebrated the school’s diverse community. In the sixth form, however, the curriculum provides fewer opportunities for students to learn about relationships and sex education. This means that they are not as well prepared for their future lives as they could be.

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Leaders plan well for pupils’ careers education. Pupils and students in all year groups are well informed about the full range of choices they have for their future education, employment or training. Pupils can develop their talents and interests through a wide choice of extra-curricular activities, which include sports clubs, drama, art and music.

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Governors and trustees know the school well and understand their strategic role. They support leaders effectively to enact their vision for the school. The trust ensures that external support and research are carefully sourced and used to supplement staff’s knowledge. Staff value the opportunities they are given to develop professionally and to work collaboratively. Leaders have taken action to address some issues of staff workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, governors and trustees have ensured a strong culture of safeguarding. They have established a large, well-trained and experienced team of staff. There are strong systems in place to keep pupils and students safe. Safeguarding staff are knowledgeable about the dangers that pupils may face in the local community. They 25 and 26 May 2022

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work closely with external agencies to ensure that pupils and students get the help that they need.

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Staff are trained to be vigilant. They know how to identify pupils and students at risk of harm. They use the school’s systems for reporting any concerns in a timely manner. Pupils are taught about potential risks and know how to keep themselves safe, including online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a very small number of subjects, there are inconsistencies in how well teachers deliver some aspects of the curriculum. This means that some pupils do not learn as well as they could in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is delivered consistently well so that pupils achieve well in these subjects.  In the sixth form, some aspects of the personal development curriculum relating to relationships and sex education are not taught in sufficient depth. This means that students miss out on opportunities to reflect on and discuss issues relating to healthy relationships and consent. As a result, they are not as well prepared for their future lives as they could be. Leaders should ensure that this area of the curriculum is designed coherently and implemented effectively, so that students are better prepared for life.

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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. 25 and 26 May 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212287 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 19 October 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A small number of pupils are educated through four registered alternative providers.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause. This means that pupils in Years 8 to 13 receive information about the full range of education and training options open to them. This includes opportunities for a range of education and training providers to speak to pupils about technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 25 and 26 May 2022

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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

 Inspectors discussed any continued 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, other senior leaders, including the designated safeguarding lead, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator and the head of sixth form, middle leaders, teachers and members of support staff.  The lead inspector met with members of the trust board, the trust executive team and the academy governance committee of the school, including the chair of the trust. The lead inspector also spoke with the local authority school improvement officer and the school improvement partner.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: art and design, English, history, mathematics, science and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at the curriculum, visited a

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Information about this inspection

sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils and students about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ and students’ work.  Inspectors also looked at the curriculum and spoke to leaders about some other subjects. They visited a sample of lessons in a range of subjects.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for safeguarding. They reviewed a range of documentation in relation to safeguarding, including the school’s pre- employment checks on staff. They spoke to staff and pupils about wider aspects of safeguarding. They also considered survey responses from staff, parents and carers about safeguarding.  Inspectors observed pupils’ and students’ behaviour during breaktimes, lunchtimes, in corridors and during lessons. They spoke with pupils and students about bullying, behaviour and leaders’ expectations of their behaviour. Inspectors also discussed pupils’ and students’ programme of wider personal development.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors considered the responses from parents to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey. This included the comments submitted via the free-text facility. Inspectors also reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Stephanie Gill, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephen Cox Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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