Prenton High School for Girls

Inspection of a good school: Prenton High School for Girls Hesketh Avenue, Rock Ferry, Birkenhead, Merseyside CH42 6RR

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 November 2022

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Outcome

Prenton High School for Girls continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be part of this caring community. The school values are trust, respect, integrity, kindness and endeavour. Pupils understand these values and try to live up to them by working hard and looking after each other. Pupils say they enjoy coming to school because teachers are kind and know them well as individuals.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour matches the high expectations of staff. During social times, pupils enjoy chatting with their friends or attending one of many clubs and societies provided by staff. The school is a calm place to walk around.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe when they are in school. They are confident that they can approach staff for help if they have a problem. Staff do their best to ensure that any bullying is sorted out quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have very high expectations of pupils’ academic achievement. In lessons, pupils listen to their teachers and concentrate on their work. They work hard and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The ‘Learning for Life’ personal development curriculum provides pupils with the knowledge they need to live safe and happy lives. Older pupils have the opportunity to become part of the student leadership team and are excellent role models for pupils in Years 7 and 8.

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

Leaders, including governors, have ensured that all pupils, including those with SEND, have access to a suitably broad and ambitious curriculum. Leaders ensure that all pupils follow a curriculum which meets their specific needs and career aspirations.

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

Subject leaders have designed curriculums well. They have thought carefully about the order in which they want pupils to learn key knowledge. Pupils build up their knowledge 29 and 30 November 2022 in a logical way. Curriculum design is particularly effective in some subjects. This is because leaders have ensured that what pupils learn is challenging and exposes them to new and interesting ideas.

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They deliver subject curriculums well. Many teachers show an infectious enthusiasm for their subjects, which pupils readily respond to. Teachers ensure that pupils’ knowledge and skills develop well across the curriculum. In most subjects, learning is carefully checked by teachers. In a very small number of subjects not enough thought has been given to the retention of learning. This means that a few pupils find it difficult to recall some of the topics they have learned previously in these subjects. Therefore, they cannot make sufficient connections between their current learning and what they have learned in the past.

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

Pupils behave well both in lessons and during social times. Lessons typically take place without disruption. Pupils are polite and respectful to both their teachers and their peers. Recently, leaders have made some changes to their behaviour policy. Most pupils are responding well to this new policy because it encourages staff to reward good behaviour. It allows time for pupils to reflect on their own behaviour when things have gone wrong.

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

Leaders accurately identify the needs of pupils with SEND. They know these pupils and their individual needs very well. Staff are well trained in SEND matters and use the information from leaders to support pupils with SEND in their lessons. This helps pupils with SEND to progress through the same ambitious subject curriculums as their peers.

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

Recently, leaders have developed their systems to identify pupils whose reading knowledge is weak when they join the school. Leaders can pinpoint the knowledge that individual pupils need to improve their reading. Most pupils become more confident readers because of the support they receive. Leaders have developed some imaginative strategies to encourage reading for pleasure. Younger pupils have responded well to the range of books selected by staff for reading during form time and in English lessons.

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

Leaders have a well-designed personal development curriculum in place. They have consulted widely with pastoral staff, pupils and parents to ensure that the ‘Learning for Life’ topics are the right ones for the age of the pupils and the context of the school community. Pupils learn about relationships, sex and health matters, equality issues and how to manage money. They are also introduced to the workings of the British political system.

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

Pupils receive age-appropriate careers education, information, advice and guidance. All pupils receive independent advice about future careers and learn about wider opportunities through a well-designed curriculum.

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

Staff appreciate how leaders and governors protect them from excessive workload. Leaders and governors share a strong moral purpose in order to promote the well-being of everyone within the school community. 29 and 30 November 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong safeguarding culture across the school. Leaders are very well informed about a wide range of safeguarding issues. They ensure that safeguarding training for staff is thorough. As a result, staff know how to identify the signs that may indicate that pupils are at risk of harm. Staff share their concerns in a timely manner. School has a range of in-house support for vulnerable pupils and for their parents. They also make referrals to outside agencies to ensure that pupils and their families get the help that they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about how to keep safe either online or in the local community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects not enough thought has been given to the retention of learning. Therefore, a few pupils find it difficult to recall elements of their prior learning. They find it hard to make connections between what they have previously learned and their current learning. Leaders should ensure that in these subjects teachers revisit key topics and concepts to ensure that learning is regularly reinforced.

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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 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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2017.

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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. 29 and 30 November 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. 29 and 30 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240718 Type of school Secondary modern

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form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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form

Date of previous inspection 29 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Small numbers of pupils attend alternative provision at one of seven registered alternative providers.  On the two days of the inspection, the headteacher was absent from school. The initial telephone conversation and subsequent meetings were held with the deputy headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the deputy headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders. 29 and 30 November 2022  The lead inspector met with governors and spoke to a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s records of safeguarding checks and referrals to the local authority. Inspectors spoke with staff about how they keep pupils safe. Inspectors also asked the pupils how they keep themselves safe and what to do if they have concerns.  Inspectors held discussions with staff and considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors spoke with pupils and students from all year groups and considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors considered the views of the parents who responded to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, science and history. Inspectors met with subject leaders, discussed the curriculum, visited lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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Inspection team

Timothy Gartside, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephanie Gill Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 November 2022 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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