Emmaus Church of England and Catholic Primary School

Inspection of Emmaus Church of England and Catholic Primary School Fir Tree Drive South, Croxteth Park, Liverpool, Merseyside L12 0JE

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since February 2008. 28 and 29 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), thrive at this wonderful school. They live up to the school’s high expectations and excel in their learning and wider development. Pupils achieve highly across the curriculum. They feel safe at the school because of staff’s expert support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to treat other people how they want to be treated themselves. They develop an exceptional understanding of the causes and impact of world issues, such as religious and racial conflict. Pupils’ understanding does not happen by chance. It is a direct result of the school’s innovative curriculum thinking.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are calm and show high levels of self control, such as when they move along the corridors. In classrooms too, pupils’ behaviour is of a high standard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils widen their knowledge from the rich diet of extra opportunities that the school provides. For example, the school helps as many pupils as possible to appreciate French culture and language, including by spending time at a 16th-century French chateau. Pupils also learn to ski in the mountains of north-west Italy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ strength of character and their achievements are celebrated in many original ways by the school. For instance, the governing body awards an annual ‘governor cup’ to the Year 6 pupil most nominated by the staff team for their exceptional conduct.

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better?

Over the 16 years since the school was last inspected, pupils have continued to achieve exceptionally well. This is due to the school’s rich, well-considered academic curriculum and enrichment programme. This is in addition to its unwavering determination to continue to improve. Pupils feel at ease at school and follow the school rules closely. Children currently in the early years and pupils in key stages 1 and 2 achieve highly across curriculum subjects. They build the deep knowledge that they need to achieve their future aspirations. For instance, to be a linguist, mathematician, writer, historian or scientist.

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better?

At the core of the school’s success is its explicit and careful focus on values such as wisdom, perseverance, justice and forgiveness. The school is a shining beacon in how it teaches pupils that similarities between people are more important than their differences. Pupils develop a deep understanding of difficult yet important topics, such as Liverpool’s role in the slave trade. They also learn to be proud of the cultural legacy of some of the city’s most famous citizens, including The Beatles: John, Paul, George and Ringo. Pupils are incredibly respectful and leave the school exceptionally well prepared to be responsible British citizens.

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better?

The school learns from educational research, training and examples of successful education at other schools. Staff use their significant and substantial knowledge of 28 and 29 November 2023

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subject curriculums adeptly to teach pupils. The school makes certain that pupils understand and remember essential concepts and topics in depth and breadth.

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In the Reception Year, the school has created beautiful classrooms that entice children to join learning activities. Staff have designed a carefully crafted curriculum in the early years, matched to children’s needs, development and interests. Staff help children expertly to think, talk and be active. Children develop a first-rate knowledge of important information on which to build for the rest of their lives.

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The school strives to provide each pupil with the best standard of education. It draws on its wealth of expertise to identify the needs of pupils with SEND early and accurately. Staff assess pupils’ knowledge and adapt the delivery of the curriculum when needed. Staff support pupils with SEND skilfully to access the same aspirational curriculum as other pupils. Pupils with SEND feel included at the school. They experience the joy of success and make exceptional strides forward in their learning.

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Staff are experts at teaching phonics. Pupils, including those with SEND, who may find reading more difficult, receive the targeted help that they need. Pupils secure the basics of reading in their memory quickly and securely. This enables them to read fluently and to access the richness of other parts of the school’s curriculum.

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Staff inspire pupils’ interest in reading. Pupils understand the complex concepts in the stories that staff read to them. They know the works of a diverse range of authors. Pupils talk in depth about a wide range of high-quality literature and different subjects using the essential technical language that they have learned. Pupils become highly competent talkers, readers and writers.

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The governing body uses its substantial expertise to review, challenge and support the work of the school. Leaders provide staff with the support, training and time that they need to do their jobs exceptionally well. Staff delight in working at the school. Leaders and staff ensure that pupils receive a remarkable education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 28 and 29 November 2023

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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). 28 and 29 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 February 2008 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a voluntary-aided school and opened in September 1997.  The school provides a breakfast club and after-school club for pupils.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  This school is part of both the Diocese of Liverpool and the Archdiocese of Liverpool. Its most recent section 48 inspection jointly considered the Anglican and Catholic life of the school and took place in May 2019. Currently, the next section 48 inspection is expected to take place by 2027.

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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. 28 and 29 November 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, physical education and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, they held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects with the school and with pupils.  Inspectors discussed with the school its provision for early years, pupils’ personal development and SEND.  The lead inspector observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 reading to familiar staff. He spoke with some pupils about reading.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils, including pupils with SEND. They asked

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them about their learning and their experiences of the school. There were no responses from pupils to the Ofsted online survey.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses and emails from parents and carers. An inspector spoke with some parents as they dropped their children at the school.  The inspectors reviewed responses from staff to the Ofsted online survey. They spoke with some staff about their work at the school.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors met with an officer from the local authority, as well representatives of the diocese and the archdiocese.  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

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Tim Vaughan, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Patrick Rayner Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 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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