St Cecilia's Catholic Junior School

Inspection of a good school: St Cecilia's Catholic Junior School Green Lane, Tuebrook, Liverpool, Merseyside L13 7EA

p.1

Outcome

St Cecilia's Catholic Junior School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this friendly and happy school. Leaders and staff know pupils well. They take care of all pupils, particularly those who need extra help and nurture.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of every pupil’s behaviour and achievement, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils strive to live up to the school’s values. They try hard to be ready, respectful and safe. Pupils behave well in lessons and move sensibly around the school buildings. Leaders deal with any bullying effectively if it occurs. Pupils said that they feel safe in school. They know that there is always an adult there for them if they have any concerns.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the many opportunities available to them to hone their interests and talents outside of lessons. They enjoy attending the wide range of extra-curricular clubs that leaders and staff provide. Year 6 pupils are proud to take on extra responsibilities. For example, they readily assume roles, such as reading buddies, mental health champions and sports captains.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have thought carefully about how to make the curriculum suitably ambitious and interesting for pupils. For example, educational visits to museums and places of interest, and a strong focus on the school’s locality, enhance pupils’ learning. Pupils achieve well. They are successfully prepared for life at secondary school.

p.1

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

Leaders have taken effective action to improve the curriculum for pupils. They have ensured that the curriculum is ambitious and well thought out from Years 3 to 6. For example, the mathematics curriculum sets out learning clearly, so that pupils build on what they know already. This helps pupils to learn well.

p.1

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

In a small number of other subjects, leaders have not made it clear enough to teachers what they expect pupils to learn. This means that, in these subjects, teachers are not 6 and 7 December 2022

p.1

2

certain about exactly what to teach. This hinders teachers in designing learning to deliver some aspects of these curriculums effectively. As a result, some pupils’ recall of some essential knowledge is not secure.

p.2

2

In many subjects, teachers explain new ideas clearly. They check that pupils have understood the most important learning and address any misconceptions quickly. This helps pupils to develop a secure body of subject knowledge.

p.2

2

Pupils said that they love reading. They enjoy the rewards that leaders provide for them in recognition of their reading. Pupils appreciate it when their teachers read stories to them.

p.2

2

Well-trained staff deliver daily phonics sessions to pupils who find reading more difficult. These pupils practise the sounds that they have learned by reading books that are well matched to their phonics knowledge. This is helping these pupils to catch up quickly, read accurately and access the full curriculum.

p.2

2

Leaders ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are identified early. Teachers receive effective training in how to adapt the delivery of the curriculum, so that pupils with SEND can learn well alongside their peers.

p.2

2

Leaders insist on a calm and orderly environment. Pupils display positive attitudes to their learning. They listen carefully in lessons and their learning is rarely disrupted.

p.2

2

Pupils are prepared well for their futures and to take their place in a diverse society. Leaders’ strong programme for pupils’ personal development ensures that pupils learn about the importance of tolerance and respect. Pupils learn about diversity. They are respectful of other cultures and faiths. Pupils know what is right and wrong.

p.2

2

Governors understand the school’s context well. Leaders inform them appropriately. This allows those responsible for governance to provide a suitable balance of challenge and support.

p.2

2

Staff enjoy working at the school. They said that leaders consider their well-being and take account of their workload.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

Leaders ensure a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff are trained well, so that they know how to identify any pupils who may be at risk of harm. Staff build strong relationships with families. They know how to report concerns about pupils.

p.2

Safeguarding

Leaders are dedicated to providing nurture and support for the most vulnerable pupils. Leaders work effectively with external partners to get these pupils and their families the help that they need. This includes training for staff, so that they can provide pupils with the guidance and support that they need to flourish. 6 and 7 December 2022

p.2

3

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including in the local community and when they are online.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not identified and organised the essential knowledge that they want pupils to learn. This means that teachers are not clear about what to teach or when curriculum content should be taught. This hinders how well some pupils learn. Subject leaders should ensure that teachers have sufficient guidance about the knowledge that pupils must learn and in which order.

p.3

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 an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2017.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 6 and 7 December 2022

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 6 and 7 December 2022

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10226137 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Chair of governing body William Liam Fogarty

p.5

School details

Website www.stceciliasjuniorschool.co.uk

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 15 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Leaders do not use alternative provision.  The governing body is responsible for the before-school provision in the school building.  The school is part of the Archdiocese of Liverpool. The last section 48 inspection took place in January 2017.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspector carried out this ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that 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 the evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with pupils about their work and school life. He spoke with members of the governing body, the headteacher, senior leaders and members of staff. He also met with parents and carers before school. 6 and 7 December 2022

p.5

6

 The inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including information about safeguarding and checks undertaken on newly appointed staff. The inspector also spoke to staff about safeguarding and about their workload and well-being.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. He also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour as they moved around the school, in class, in the dining hall and in the outdoor play area.  The inspector conducted deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions with subject leaders, visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, met with teachers and spoke with pupils. He also met with other subject leaders to discuss the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector observed pupils reading to a trusted adult.

p.6

Inspection team

Craig Richardson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 December 2022

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7