Queen's Park CofE/Urc Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Queen's Park CofE/Urc Primary School Rivington Road, St Helens, Merseyside WA10 4NQ

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 January 2023

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Outcome

Queen's Park CofE/Urc Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including children in the early years, enjoy coming to school and are excited about their learning. They described the school as amazing, fun and friendly. Staff know pupils and their families well. Pupils feel cared for and valued because leaders provide a warm and nurturing environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ high expectations for pupils’ behaviour are clearly communicated. Pupils are aware that actions have consequences. They know that good behaviour is recognised and celebrated by staff. As a result, pupils follow school routines and behave well. Leaders encourage pupils to act as courageous advocates in school. Pupils develop as active citizens through their work with international schools.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They know who to speak with if they are worried or upset. If bullying should occur, it is dealt with swiftly and effectively by leaders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of what pupils can achieve, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All pupils, including children in the Reception class, enjoy an ambitious and aspirational curriculum which provides challenge and encourages resilience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish the extensive opportunities to develop their leadership potential. They take part in a range of extra-curricular activities, including pottery club, arts and crafts club and football.

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

Leaders have constructed an ambitious curriculum which covers the full range of subjects from the Reception class to Year 6. They have identified the key knowledge and skills that pupils need to know and acquire at the different stages of their learning. The curriculum 24 and 25 January 2023

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is organised in a clear and logical manner, which helps pupils to recall what they have learned before and to see the relevance of new learning.

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Teachers have a strong knowledge of what they are teaching. They take opportunities to link new learning to pupils’ existing knowledge. Pupils engage well with their learning in school and they persevere when faced with difficult or challenging concepts. Staff intervene quickly and appropriately when pupils have not grasped new learning. Children in the Reception class learn about the world around them through play and through carefully designed activities in the classroom and outdoors.

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Most pupils achieve well. That said, too many pupils are regularly absent from school, including pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged. This hinders how well these pupils learn the curriculum.

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Leaders have prioritised reading and call it the ‘beating heart’ of their school. Children in the Reception class learn about phonics from the start of their time in school. They enjoy songs and stories that are carefully linked to the curriculum. Pupils in key stage 1 take home books that are matched well to the sounds that they are learning. They enjoy listening to stories and can speak confidently about their favourite authors. Most pupils, including those with SEND, develop a love of reading and learn to read well. Leaders identify those who are falling behind with their reading and intervene quickly to help them to keep up.

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Staff identify pupils and children with SEND at the earliest opportunity. Leaders provide staff with additional training and support to equip them to meet the needs of these pupils. Pupils with SEND are fully included in the life of the school.

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Leaders ensure that classrooms are calm and purposeful places to learn. Teachers can deliver the curriculum free from interruption. Pupils respond well to instructions from their teachers. Children in the Reception class enjoy the consistent routines that have been established.

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Leaders have ensured that there are ample opportunities for pupils to take an active part in running the school. Pupils take pride in leadership roles, including pupil governors, school council representatives, eco warriors and maths ambassadors. These positions of responsibility help to develop pupils’ confidence and prepare them well for secondary school and beyond.

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Leaders have constructed a comprehensive curriculum to support pupils’ personal development. For example, pupils learn about different families, world religions and how to keep themselves healthy. This prepares them well to take their place in modern Britain.

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Leaders have engaged with staff constructively to reduce workload. Staff feel supported and appreciated. Governors are well informed about the strengths and areas for development in school. They both challenge and support leaders effectively to provide a high-quality education for pupils. 24 and 25 January 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff are very mindful of their responsibilities to safeguard the pupils in their care. Leaders have ensured that staff are trained well on how to identify that a pupil or their family may need help.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are knowledgeable about local and national safeguarding matters. The safeguarding team has well-established links with external agencies to ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families get the help they need swiftly.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They recognise the potential dangers of being online, including keeping their passwords and identities private. Pupils learn how to be a good friend and interact appropriately with their peers.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should. This means that they are not accessing the full curriculum and missing out on learning. This hinders their achievement. Leaders should continue to ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND and those who are disadvantaged, attend school regularly.

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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 February 2013. 24 and 25 January 2023

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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. 24 and 25 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10226091 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders make use of one registered alternative education provider.  This is a joint denomination school under the Diocese of Liverpool. The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in June 2018.

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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 their evaluation of the school.  As part of this inspection, the inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons and looked at pupils’ work, spoke to teachers and spoke to some pupils about their learning. They also observed some pupils reading to members of staff.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation about safeguarding. They spoke with the designated safeguarding leads. They also spoke to staff about their understanding of how to keep pupils safe. 24 and 25 January 2023

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 The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, other senior leaders and the special educational needs coordinator.  The inspector met with members of the governing board and spoke with a representative of both the diocese and the local authority.  The inspector considered survey responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses. The inspector also reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  The inspector spoke to pupils about behaviour and bullying.

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Inspection team

Niamh Howlett, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 24 and 25 January 2023

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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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