Sudley Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Sudley Junior School Aigburth Road, Liverpool, Merseyside L17 6BH

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Outcome

Sudley Junior School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a section 5 inspection now. The school’s next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embody the school motto of ‘aim high and smile’. They are happy and confident in their ability to achieve and learn. Pupils value the challenge of their teachers’ high expectations for their achievement and behaviour. Pupils strive to achieve their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have ensured that pupils receive a demanding curriculum. As a result, all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve highly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave very well. In class, pupils are articulate, motivated, thoughtful and resilient learners. Pupils feel safe and are kept safe by staff. Leaders respond quickly to any rare incidences of challenging behaviour, including bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ‘respect charter’ is lived out by everyone within the school community. This enables pupils to have a voice and be valued and accepted for who they are. Pupils follow the excellent example set by leaders and take pride in all that they do.

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

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is highly ambitious, exciting and carefully matched to pupils’ needs and interests. Leaders have put considerable thought into how pupils should understand and remember their learning. As a result, pupils develop and deepen their knowledge and skills across all subjects over time. Subject leaders are very knowledgeable. They have ensured that curriculums in different subjects build pupils learning in careful and well-ordered steps.

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

Teachers know exactly what knowledge that they want pupils to gain, and they check that this knowledge is secure before they move pupils onto new subject content. For example, in mathematics pupils regularly revisit and recap their earlier learning to ensure that they can recall and apply their learning. This ensures that pupils remember what they have 28 and 29 June 2022

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been taught. Over time, pupils become confident and successful learners who achieve highly across a range of subjects.

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Leaders have ensured that reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Staff have the expertise that they need to teach reading as well as promote a love of reading. Teachers are well trained in helping pupils who are at the earliest stages of reading. They ensure that pupils gain the phonics knowledge that they need to become fluent readers. Pupils love reading. Leaders have ensured that pupils have access to a wide range of challenging literature and non-fiction. Pupils especially enjoy reading from the selected texts that are included in the school’s ‘beloved books’. Pupils discuss the books that they have read with depth and meaning.

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Leaders quickly identify and respond to the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff plan activities carefully so that pupils with SEND can access the full curriculum and succeed in their learning. Pupils with SEND are included fully in the life of the school.

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Pupils develop as active and thoughtful citizens. They recognise that they have a voice within the school community. They learn to appreciate and value differences and the needs of others. However, pupils would benefit from more opportunities to develop their character as reflective and responsible members of the community. They do not have enough opportunities to take on responsibilities in the school on behalf of their peers.

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Behaviour in lessons is extremely positive. Pupils are polite and respectful. This means that they can learn free from distractions.

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Leaders have carefully managed staff’s workload. This is particularly the case for early career teachers to support their development and advancement. Staff value being part of the school team. Governors know the school well. This enables them to effectively support and challenge the work of school leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have a detailed understanding of the needs of their pupils and how to keep them safe. Staff talked confidently about how they would respond if they had concerns about a pupil. They feel empowered to be able to challenge leaders should the need arise. Leaders ensure that pupils and their families receive the support that they need. Pupils are taught about risk. They know how to keep themselves safe and healthy. They are taught how to stay safe when online and in the wider community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils would benefit from further opportunity to take on responsibilities within the school. This would improve their ability to contribute to the school community more fully and employ the skills and abilities that they have developed through the 28 and 29 June 2022

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curriculum. Leaders should ensure that pupils have further opportunities to develop their character and leadership skills.

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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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2013.

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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 .

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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. 28 and 29 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240150 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The number of pupils is increasing as the school moves from three classes per year to a four-form entry school.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.

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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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with two members of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body. He also met with the headteacher and other senior leaders.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector heard pupils read.  The inspector talked with pupils, visited the dining hall at lunchtime and observed pupils’ behaviour as they moved around the school. 28 and 29 June 2022

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 The inspector spoke to a number of parents and carers at the start of the school day. The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments.  The inspector examined a range of documents including leaders’ self-evaluation, governors’ minutes, school improvement planning and external reviews of the school. The inspector reviewed the content of the school’s website and scrutinised records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding including safer recruitment and case records. The inspector also talked to staff and pupils regarding safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Iain Sim, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 June 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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