St Patrick's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School Upper Hill Street, Liverpool, Merseyside L8 5UX

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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 Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 16 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time. From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 7 and 8 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides exceptional levels of care to its pupils. Pupils are treated with warmth and kindness. They are greeted each morning by friendly smiles from their teachers. Pupils love their school and are proud to be a member of the ‘St Patrick’s family’. Pupils are happy and safe and thrive in this nurturing environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embody the school’s high expectations for behaviour. They have excellent attitudes to their learning. Pupils get along with each other incredibly well. They play nicely together during social times and rarely fall out. The school acts quickly to immediately address any bullying concerns that pupils might have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for what pupils should learn. In subjects such as reading, writing and mathematics, pupils typically achieve well by the time that they leave the school. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils consistently benefit from the range of additional opportunities available to them. Clubs are plentiful and well attended. Pupils experience well-thought-out trips that bring their learning to life. Pupils were particularly excited to tell inspectors about their recent musical performances, including one linked to an international televised song contest. They regularly engage in charitable work to support their chosen causes.

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better?

The school has designed a broad and ambitious curriculum that makes effective use of the local area. The school has clearly outlined its expectations of what pupils need to learn by the end of each year. In many areas of the curriculum, the school has also identified the specific knowledge that pupils need to build so that they can reach these expectations. This curriculum guidance helps teachers to deliver new content effectively in these subjects. In turn, pupils typically achieve well in many aspects of their learning. That said, in a minority of curriculum areas, pupils only develop a superficial knowledge of fundamental concepts. This is because, in these subjects, the school sometimes does not provide pupils with learning activities that deepen their understanding of such concepts over time.

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better?

The school is adept at identifying pupils with SEND. Staff quickly assess the needs of children when they join in the early years. The school acts swiftly to provide any additional support that pupils with SEND might require. As a result, these pupils are able to access the same ambitious curriculum as their classmates. They achieve well.

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better?

The school fosters an enjoyment of reading in pupils. Pupils read frequently. They confidently discuss the modern fiction that teachers have read to them. The school prioritises the teaching of early reading. Children begin to learn phonics as soon as they start school in the Reception Year. Staff are well trained in delivering the 7 and 8 November 2023

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phonics curriculum. Consequently, this curriculum is delivered consistently well across the school. Pupils who need extra help to learn phonics receive effective support on a regular basis. As a result of the school’s actions, most pupils quickly learn to read with fluency.

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Pupils are exceptionally polite and courteous. They conduct themselves impeccably well in lessons and around the school. They are highly considerate of each other’s right to a calm environment, which means that disruptions to the school day are very rare.

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Pupils have their personal development catered for in a variety of ways. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain. For example, they develop a secure understanding of fundamental British values. They epitomise mutual respect and tolerance. Pupils are regularly taught how to discuss important issues through focused debate lessons. The school regularly arranges different events for pupils and their families to share in each other’s heritage and customs. The ‘cultural food festival’ is especially popular. As a result of such events, the school is an environment in which the whole community feels welcome. Pupils know how to live an active and healthy lifestyle. They spoke to inspectors with passion and empathy about the importance of mental well-being. Pupils seek out opportunities to help each other wherever they can. They learn how to develop safe and healthy relationships.

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Governors play an active role in the life of the school. They carry out their statutory duties effectively. The school is considerate of teachers’ well-being. It takes action to ensure that staff can effectively manage their workload, such as with the recent changes to the marking policy. Staff are appreciative of these actions and their morale is high. They are proud to work at St Patrick’s.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of subjects, pupils undertake learning activities that do not help them to develop their knowledge of some fundamental concepts. This means that pupils’ knowledge is not as strong as it could be in some curriculum areas. The school should provide more robust curriculum guidance in these subjects to help teachers design activities that help pupils to build a rich body of knowledge over time. 7 and 8 November 2023

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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). 7 and 8 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 December 2007

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Information about this school

 This is a Catholic school. The most recent section 48 inspection of the school’s religious character took place in October 2019.  A new headteacher and deputy headteacher have been appointed since the last inspection.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.  There is a before-school club at the school, which the governing body oversees.

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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.  This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 7 and 8 November 2023

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 Inspectors conducted deep dives in these subjects: early reading, geography and mathematics. They met with subject leaders and teachers. They visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked with groups of pupils about their learning. The lead inspector observed pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum, spoke with pupils about their learning and evaluated their work in some other subjects.  The lead inspector spoke with a group of governors. Inspectors also talked to staff about their workload and well-being.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority and the diocese.  Inspectors met with the leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their wider experience of school.  Inspectors looked at a range of policies and documents related to pupils’ welfare

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and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.  Inspectors met with parents at the start of the school day and took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

David Spruce, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Cleo Cunningham Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 November 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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