Croxteth Community Primary School

Inspection of Croxteth Community Primary School Moss Way, Liverpool L11 0BP

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 20 and 21 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a school environment that is an oasis of calm. It is a place where pupils feel cared for. As a result, pupils feel happy and safe. Pupils like school. They told inspectors that their school is special and that they feel lucky to be part of the community. They flourish academically, socially and emotionally.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders expect the highest standards of behaviour. Pupils respond positively. Their behaviour is exemplary. This means that pupils are ready to learn. Incidents of bullying are dealt with swiftly. There is a strong sense of mutual respect across the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers have high expectations for pupils’ academic success. Pupils are eager to learn. They work hard and gain a secure body of knowledge across a range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the exceptionally well-thought-out wider opportunities on offer. They can choose from a broad range of clubs, including cookery and drama. Pupils are nurtured especially well to make a significant contribution to the life of the school and the wider community. They take on a range of leadership opportunities, such as becoming reading ambassadors or prefects.

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better?

Leaders, including representatives of the trust, have been highly successful in turning the fortunes of this school around. As a result, pupils enjoy a good quality of education, and they can learn in an environment free from poor behaviour. Pupils emerge as well-rounded young people who are ready for the next stage of their education.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have thought carefully about the most important knowledge that pupils should learn. Starting in early years, this helps children and pupils to build on what they already know as they progress through the curriculum.

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better?

Teachers have secure knowledge of the subjects they teach. From the early years onwards, activities are designed to be well matched to the curriculum. However, in some subjects, teachers do not routinely help pupils to retain key knowledge. This is because learning is not made as clear as it could be or revisited often enough to make sure that it is embedded in pupils’ memories.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading well. They have established a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics across the early years and key stage 1. Well-trained staff deliver the phonics programme effectively. Pupils who need additional support are quickly identified and are helped to catch up. Leaders ensure that pupils, including those 20 and 21 June 2023

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with SEND, read books that are closely matched to the words and sounds they know. Staff promote a love of reading. Older pupils have benefitted from the school’s investment in reading resources. They enjoy choosing new books from a wide range of authors. Pupils are keen to read at home so that they can be included in the weekly raffle to win a new book. Pupils know that reading is very important for later life.

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Leaders are effective at identifying pupils with additional needs. Staff adapt their delivery of the curriculum so that pupils with SEND learn well.

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All pupils, including children in the early years, have very positive attitudes to learning. They listen well in class. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes cooperate well in their play. Older pupils collaborate and are respectful, taking turns to listen to one another.

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The provision to promote pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Children in the early years begin to learn about the world around them from the start of their education. They are introduced to values such as respecting differences. Leaders provide well for pupils’ physical and mental well-being. For example, there are support programmes for particularly vulnerable pupils. Pupils appreciate each other’s differences because of the way in which they are taught about diversity. They understand how to stay healthy and be safe online.

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Pupils develop their understanding of democracy. For example, they take part in debates, and they visit the Houses of Parliament. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for life in modern Britain. For instance, leaders ensure that pupils are taught about economic issues and enterprise. Leaders and staff provide an impressive choice of clubs. The uptake of these activities is very high, including for pupils with SEND.

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The local academy council has an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Members of the council are well supported by trustees. The council and the trust are committed to the school and offer effective support and challenge to leaders.

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Senior leaders care about the staff. This results in very high staff morale. Staff attend regular training. This means that all staff are very well supported. Leaders are mindful of workload, which makes staff feel valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are diligent in their approach to safeguarding. Pupils in need of support are identified well. Leaders ensure that pupils and their families receive the support they need. There is a sense of family and community at the school, with everyone working together to keep pupils safe. 20 and 21 June 2023

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Staff are knowledgeable and well trained. They have a strong awareness of issues in the locality. Leaders ensure that pupils know how to keep themselves safe. Pupils trust staff. They know who to approach if they have any worries or concerns.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not make key learning clear or revisit it often enough to make sure that pupils have remembered it. This means that pupils sometimes start to learn new concepts when their previous understanding is not secure. Leaders should ensure that teachers are well equipped with strategies to help pupils to revisit and embed their previous learning.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 20 and 21 June 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10267787 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Croxteth Community Primary School converted to become an academy school in January 2019. When its predecessor school, Croxteth Community Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate overall.  The school joined the Rainbow Education Multi Academy Trust in 2019.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the 20 and 21 June 2023

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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.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke to leaders about the curriculum and sampled pupils’ work in other subjects.  Inspectors took into account the views of parents and carers who responded to Ofsted’s survey, Parent View, and the views of staff who responded to the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.  Inspectors met with pupils from across the school to ask them about safeguarding. Inspectors reviewed documentation, which included the school’s safeguarding policy, register of the checks carried out on new employees and safeguarding records.  Inspectors spoke with school leaders, members of the local academy council, including the chair of this group, and the chair of the trust board. Inspectors also

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spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, at breaktimes and when walking round the school. They discussed behaviour and bullying with pupils, senior leaders, teachers and support staff.  Inspectors spoke with parents as they dropped their children off at school.  Inspectors visited breakfast club and extra-curricular activities.

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Inspection team

Frith Murphy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rebecca Gough Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 June 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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