Wavertree Church of England School

Inspection of a good school: Wavertree Church of England School Rose Villas, Wavertree, Liverpool, Merseyside L15 8HJ

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Outcome

Wavertree Church of England School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy belonging to their happy school community. They said that in their small school, everyone knows each other well and everyone is accepted for who they are. Staff forge strong relationships with children when they join the school in the early years. This helps them to settle quickly into school routines.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that bullying is unacceptable. They said that if it happens, staff take it seriously and deal with any incidents effectively. Pupils said that there is always an adult in school whom they can trust and talk to if they are worried or upset. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Most pupils are polite and respectful. They follow the clear routines that teachers provide, and they enjoy the rewards that they receive for their hard work and positive behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have equally high expectations of what children and pupils can achieve. To this end, they have designed a suitably ambitious curriculum that is well delivered. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from the opportunities that they have to take part in extra- curricular activities, such as running club or choir. Pupils aspire to take on the leadership roles available to them in school. For example, pupils value acting as a school council representative or a worship warrior.

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

Leaders are aspirational for pupils, including children in the early years, and this is reflected in the careful design of the curriculum. They ensure that all pupils, including pupils with SEND, access a broad and balanced range of subjects. 7 and 8 December 2022

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In most subjects, leaders make clear to teachers the knowledge that they want pupils to learn. The curriculum is ordered logically so that pupils and children can build securely on earlier learning. However, in the recent past, some subject leaders have made changes to the content and organisation of the curriculum. In a small number of these subjects, leaders are still finalising the specific content that they want pupils to learn and the order in which this should be taught. This hinders how well some pupils learn.

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Leaders ensure that teachers access appropriate training and subject-specific support so that they can deliver the curriculum well. Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to explain new concepts to pupils with clarity. Teachers and leaders use assessment strategies effectively to identify children’s and pupils’ misconceptions. They have systems in place to address any gaps in children’s and pupils’ learning quickly when they arise.

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From the start of the Reception Year, pupils begin a phonics programme. They are introduced to sounds and corresponding letters in daily lessons. The words in children’s and pupils’ reading books match the sounds that they have learned so far. Staff deliver the phonics programme consistently well, including in the early years. This helps children and pupils to develop confidence when learning to read. Teachers offer appropriate support to help pupils to catch up if they fall behind. Children and pupils learn to read well.

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Older pupils enjoy reading. They talked with enthusiasm about the books that they study in lessons. However, there are limited opportunities for pupils to read for pleasure. This means that some pupils are not exposed to a wide range of fiction and non-fiction texts. Nor do they develop their breadth of vocabulary as well as they could.

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Leaders and staff quickly identify pupils with SEND. Leaders provide helpful information to teachers so that they adapt the delivery of the curriculum for these pupils effectively. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND receive additional support and expert help if they need it, so that they can access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

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Leaders have devised clear rules and routines. Most pupils rise to teachers’ expectations and behave well. A small number of pupils struggle to regulate their own behaviour. However, teachers use leaders’ behaviour systems effectively to address any incidents of poor behaviour when they arise.

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Leaders prioritise children’s and pupils’ wider development. Staff deliver a carefully designed programme that includes age-appropriate advice about relationships. Pupils learn about faith and diversity. Through trips and residential experiences, they explore both their local environment and places further afield. This helps pupils to develop an understanding of the wider world around them.

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Governors support and challenge school leaders appropriately to continue to refine the quality of education that children and pupils receive. They are considerate of staff’s workload when making decisions about the school. Staff appreciate the actions that leaders take to support their well-being. 7 and 8 December 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff and governors receive regular safeguarding training. Staff have a clear understanding about the procedures for reporting concerns about pupils.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding leads know pupils and families well. They work well with other professionals, such as the local authority and health professionals. They make appropriate referrals for external support when necessary. This enables them to secure help for vulnerable pupils and their families in a timely way.

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Safeguarding

Through the curriculum, pupils receive helpful information about keeping themselves safe. For example, they learn about online safety and healthy relationships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, subject leaders are refining the essential knowledge that they want pupils to know and the order in which they will learn it. In these subjects, some pupils do not learn as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that teachers are clear about the knowledge that pupils should learn, and in which order.  Some older pupils do not have enough opportunities to read for pleasure. This includes fiction and non-fiction texts. This hinders pupils’ wider appreciation of literature and prevents them from increasing their range of vocabulary. Leaders should foster all pupils’ love of reading for pleasure.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2017. 7 and 8 December 2022

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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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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. 7 and 8 December 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 September 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new chair of governors, as well as several other new governors, has recently been appointed to the governing body.  School leaders do not make use of any alternative providers.  The school is part of the Diocese of Liverpool. The last section 48 inspection took place in January 2016.

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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 the headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspector also met with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector met with several governors, including the vice-chair of the governing body. 7 and 8 December 2022

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met 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 observed pupils reading to a familiar adult. The inspector also spoke with leaders about the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector considered the views expressed by parents in their responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text comments.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils. The inspector also spoke with some pupils about school life.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation about safeguarding. The inspector also spoke with staff to understand how they keep children safe.  The inspector spoke with some parents at the start of the day. The inspector also

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spoke with staff to discuss leaders’ support for them.

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Inspection team

Amanda Downing, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 December 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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