St Werburgh's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Werburgh’s Catholic Primary School Park Grove, Birkenhead, Merseyside CH41 2TD

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 19 and 20 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers, staff and pupils speak positively about St Werburgh’s Catholic Primary School. Staff know pupils and their families well. Staff provide support that enables pupils to feel safe and secure in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that their school is a happy place to be. They warmly welcome new pupils who join the school at different times throughout the year. Pupils know why it is important to treat everyone with respect. For example, pupils explained to inspectors how ‘everyone is special and everyone is unique’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They speak with confidence about their enjoyment of different subjects. Pupils try their best, and they help others to do the same. Children in the early years quickly learn to follow the routines and expectations staff have of them. Pupils know what it means to be a good friend and they are kind and caring towards each other. For instance, older pupils relish their role as buddies for younger pupils at playtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils strive to meet these expectations. Typically, current pupils learn the curriculum successfully, and they achieve well. However, historic weaknesses in the curriculum mean that the improvements in pupils’ learning are not reflected in published information about pupils’ achievement at the end of key stage 2.

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better?

The school has an ambitious curriculum in place that begins in the early years. It sets out the most important knowledge pupils need to know. In most subjects, the school has designed the curriculum so that pupils build securely on what they already know. However, in a small number of subjects, the school has not ordered learning to help pupils build their knowledge as well as they could. As a result, some pupils are hindered when they encounter new subject content.

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better?

The school has designed a well-thought-out programme of training for staff, including support for staff to develop their curriculum expertise. As a result, staff have secure subject knowledge. They explain new learning clearly to pupils and design activities that support pupils to acquire the knowledge that they need.

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better?

Children in the two-year-old provision and the Nursery Year benefit from the expertise of staff who understand how young children learn. For example, staff know when to guide learning and when to let children have a go for themselves. Across the school, staff design learning that captures pupils’ interest and that encourages them to be inquisitive. Pupils show determination to work with independence. However, they are not afraid to ask for help if they need it.

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better?

In the main, the school has designed appropriate assessment systems that support teachers to check on how well pupils are learning the intended curriculum. However, 19 and 20 September 2023

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from time to time, the school’s strategies do not provide the most useful information about the knowledge that pupils can remember. On occasion, this hinders teachers when shaping future learning.

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Children’s love of reading flourishes in the early years where they learn a range of songs and rhymes off by heart. As soon as children join the school, they read well- chosen books that ignite their interest in reading. Pupils read books that contain the sounds that they know. This helps them to develop their fluency and confidence in reading.

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Staff have a secure understanding of the school’s approach to delivering phonics. They model sounds with accuracy. Staff identify those pupils who need extra help with their reading. Those pupils who find it hard to read receive the support that they need to catch up quickly. Pupils show interest in a range of authors. They said that the school’s reading rewards encourage them to read widely and often.

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The school ensures that staff are well equipped to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) accurately. Staff adapt how they deliver the curriculum so that pupils with SEND learn well. For instance, staff break learning down into small steps and help these pupils secure important prior knowledge before moving on.

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The school works closely with a range of specialists to help pupils to understand their emotions. Staff provide well-placed support for pupils who find this difficult. As a result, classrooms are calm and orderly. Learning is seldom disrupted.

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Pupils have an in-depth understanding of fundamental British values. For example, they know that voting for school council members is an example of democracy. Pupils know why mutual respect is important. They value the opinions of others, even when they differ from their own. Pupils have a range of opportunities to develop their talents and interests such as learning musical instruments and taking part in performances.

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Staff feel valued by leaders. The school, including governors, care about staff well- being. They consider staff workload while making decisions to improve the quality of education. Governors have the expertise to fulfil their roles and responsibilities effectively.

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Parents appreciate the nurture and care that the school provides for their children. Added to this, the school shares information with parents about how to support learning at home. Parents said that they found this guidance useful.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 19 and 20 September 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the school has not ensured that new learning is ordered as logically as it is in other subjects. This prevents some pupils from embarking on subsequent learning with confidence. The school should improve the order of subject content so that pupils know and remember more over time.  In some subjects, the school’s assessment strategies do not provide staff with the information that they require about how well pupils are learning. From time to time, this hinders how well staff design the next steps in pupils’ learning. The school should ensure that its assessment systems provide staff with the information that they require to shape and adapt the curriculum in these subjects.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 19 and 20 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 May 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs before-school provision on the school’s site.  The school offers provision for two-year-old children.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  This is a Roman Catholic school and is in the Diocese of Shrewsbury. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in March 2016. Its next section 48 inspection is due before 2024.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 19 and 20 September 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the 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. Inspectors also spoke to the school about the curriculum in some other subjects. Inspectors heard some pupils read to a trusted adult.  Inspectors spoke with school leaders, subject leaders, pupils, parents, governors, the school improvement partner and a representative of the local authority and of the diocese.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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 Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, as well as Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jane Dennis, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Deborah Bailey Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 September 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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