Ss Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Ss Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School Atherton Street, Wallasey, Merseyside CH45 9LT

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 October 2023

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Outcome

Ss Peter and Paul Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Friendly, respectful and happy pupils greet others politely and warmly. They are proud to be members of this school. Pupils benefit from the warm, caring and calm community. They are empowered, through strong and positive relationships with staff, to be the best that they can possibly be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has growing expectations of what pupils can achieve. As a result, pupils learn successfully and achieve well. They live up to the school’s high expectations of behaviour. Their conduct is excellent. Pupils learn about different cultures and religions. They are accepting of those who are different from themselves.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embrace the school’s vision of them being ‘world changers’. For instance, after a visit from a female professional footballer, pupils in Year 1 discussed the inequality of the gender pay gap. Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. They play an active role in the school community. These roles, such as those of ambassadors and eco-reps, build pupils’ self-confidence. The many trips and visits, such as outdoor pursuit holidays, pantomimes and visits to local gardens, enhance pupils’ experiences and wider development.

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

The school has created a broad, ambitious and creative curriculum for its pupils. The key concepts have been thoughtfully organised and are revisited regularly. Teachers are knowledgeable about the subjects that they teach. They explain facts clearly and they model subject-specific vocabulary well for pupils. Pupils use this vocabulary fluently to explain their learning. Teachers identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. However, in some subjects, they do not consistently adapt activities as well as they could to meet the needs of a small number of pupils with SEND. The school’s processes for monitoring the effectiveness of the curriculum are being finalised. This means that, in a few subjects, the school does not have a sufficient overview of how well the curriculum is implemented. 10 and 11 October 2023

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Teachers’ use of assessment methods helps them to identify what pupils know. In most subjects, this information is used to fill any gaps in learning. Teachers check regularly for misconceptions and address these swiftly. Overall, pupils learn well and remember the key information that they have been taught. They make connections between existing and new knowledge.

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The school has built the curriculum around reading. Teachers use engaging stories to help pupils remember more. Reading in early years is a priority. Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme. Effective support is given to those who struggle with reading, which helps them to catch up. Reading ambassadors regularly share their book recommendations with their peers, which complements the strong culture of reading. As a result of leaders’ actions, pupils read confidently and fluently.

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In early years, the school focuses on children’s language and communication development. Adults interact effectively with children to help build their confidence and communication skills. In the provision for two- and three-year-olds, children are settled and know the routines that the school has set up. This prepares them well for the transition to the Reception class. Early years is organised well, and the curriculum builds on what children already know. Children enjoy role-play and making structures out of junk objects. These activities help them to talk about what they have learned.

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Pupils understand and adhere to the ‘ready, respectful, safe’ school rules. There is seldom any low-level disruption in lessons. Pupils’ achievements are recognised and rewarded. The strong pastoral support helps pupils to feel safe. Furthermore, staff build strong relationships with parents and carers. For instance, parents are welcomed into school every Friday morning to meet socially with other parents. This helps to build trust in the school and a sense of community.

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The school develops pupils successfully beyond the academic curriculum and prepares them well for life in modern Britain. An exciting range of trips and visits complements pupils’ learning in the classroom. For example, pupils visit a copper mine after learning about the Bronze Age in history. The planned extra-curricular activities, such as acro dance and board games, are well attended by pupils, including those with SEND.

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Staff are happy to work in the school. The school’s changes to the marking policy have reduced staff workload. At the same time, the changes have improved the quality of feedback given to pupils to help them to learn well.

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Governors’ effective challenge to the school has supported it to identify the key priorities. Governors are mindful of the impact of any decisions taken by the school on staff workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 10 and 11 October 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers lack the knowledge to be able to make effective adaptations to the curriculum for pupils with SEND. In some lessons, there is an over-reliance on adult support, which does not help pupils to become independent and to develop a deep body of knowledge. The school should ensure that teachers have the expertise and knowledge to make suitable adaptations to learning so that all pupils achieve the best possible outcomes.  A small number of leaders do not fully understand their role to make effective checks on the implementation and impact of the curriculum. This means that in a small number of subjects, the delivery of the curriculum is variable. The school should support leaders so that they have the knowledge and expertise to carry out their roles effectively and to evaluate the delivery of the curriculum in all subjects.

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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 June 2014.

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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’ 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 10 and 11 October 2023

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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). 10 and 11 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Monique Stevenson

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up post in September 2022.  There have been significant changes to the governing body since the previous inspection, including a new chair of governors.  The school has provision for two- and three-year-olds.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.  The school is part of the Diocese of Shrewsbury. Its next section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character is due before September 2027.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school. 10 and 11 October 2023

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 The inspector met with the headteacher, other leaders and representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors. The inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative of the diocese and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector listened to pupils in key stage 1 and key stage 2 reading to a familiar adult.  The inspector observed behaviour at lunchtime.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector reviewed documents pertaining to behaviour and attendance, minutes of governor meetings, the school’s self-evaluation and the school development plan.  The inspector spoke to pupils about their views of the school and of bullying and behaviour.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. She also considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Jenny Jones, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 October 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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