Springwell Park Community Primary School

Inspection of Springwell Park Community Primary School Menai Road, Bootle, Merseyside L20 6PG

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 February 2024

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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 Good 21 and 22 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ happiness and safety is paramount at this school. They are well looked after. They particularly value the range of support available to help them to manage their emotions. This includes the staff who are on hand to respond immediately when pupils might be struggling with their feelings.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s vision is to ensure that ‘all pupils can achieve no matter their background or circumstance’. The school removes many barriers to learning in pursuit of this vision. It is ambitious for what pupils should achieve. Pupils generally achieve well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils spoke about the positive impact of new school routines and expectations for behaviour that are communicated through the ‘Springwell way’ values. They particularly like the numerous rewards that recognise their special efforts. Most pupils conduct themselves sensibly throughout the school day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils access a range of opportunities to broaden their learning beyond the curriculum. Some examples include class trips to museums and the theatre as well as partnership projects with local police officers. Older pupils appreciate the ukulele lessons that are offered to all pupils. Some spoke with enthusiasm about the popular rock songs that they have recently learned to play.

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better?

The school has designed a broad and balanced curriculum. From the nursery for two year olds through to Year 6, the school has given clear thought to the crucial knowledge that pupils need to learn. It has identified how current and future curriculum content links to what has already been taught. This is helping staff to deliver subject content in a clear, sensible order. In turn, pupils are building on prior knowledge more securely over time in many subjects.

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better?

The school has ensured that staff and subject leaders have strong subject knowledge in many of the subjects that they teach or oversee. In these subjects, the curriculums are typically well led and delivered. However, in a few subjects, the school has not ensured that there is the same level of subject knowledge and expertise. In these subjects, the school does not review how well some content is taught with the same depth and rigour. Some important knowledge is not delivered as well as it could be.

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better?

The school ensures that clear strategies are used to check pupils’ understanding of what they are being taught. Pupils receive helpful guidance to address misconceptions in their knowledge. In some subjects, assessment information is used particularly well to identify and address pupils’ gaps in knowledge.

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better?

The school works well with external partners to provide specialist support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, some of the 21 and 22 February 2024

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policies and procedures that the school has in place to identify pupils with SEND are not as robust as they could be. This is also true for the new systems that are being used to identify, and communicate, the adaptations that these pupils might need to help them in their learning. As a result, at times, some pupils with SEND are not supported to achieve as well as they could.

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The school promotes a love of reading in a wide variety of ways. Some of these include using the community library, and holding daily story time sessions and poetry days. Pupils enjoy reading. They have a good recall of stories that they have read together as a class.

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Pupils begin the school’s chosen phonics programme as soon as they start in the early years. Staff are well trained and deliver the programme consistently well. Pupils read books that are matched to the sounds that they know and need to learn next. Those who struggle with learning to read get regular, extra help to close their individual gaps in phonics knowledge. Many pupils become fluent readers.

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Pupils have a positive attitude to their learning. They take pride in the quality of their work. Many are attentive in their lessons. Children in the early years classes quickly learn classroom routines and expectations which helps them get off to a good start. The school does a lot to encourage pupils to come to school every day. It provides high levels of support to pupils and their families to ensure that school attendance remains a high priority for everyone.

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The school places a strong emphasis on pupils’ personal development. It provides a range of opportunities for pupils to broaden their horizons beyond the classroom. Pupils have access to various extra-curricular clubs. Some of these include sports clubs which also help pupils to prepare for local sporting competitions. The school ensures that pupils learn about people’s differences and why it is important to be respectful of them. Pupils receive thorough teaching on how to keep themselves safe in a range of contexts, including when online. They have plenty of opportunities to take on a responsibility around the school, such as being a buddy or a school councillor.

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Staff appreciate the support that they get from the school to manage their workload. This includes getting dedicated time to carry out additional tasks. Governors understand their duties well and carry them out effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 21 and 22 February 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some of the approaches that the school uses to identify pupils’ SEND, and the adaptations to learning that these pupils might require, are not as robust as they could be. This sometimes means that the school is not clear enough about how best to cater for the needs of some pupils with SEND. The school should review its procedures to identify and communicate pupils’ SEND so that these pupils can be better supported to achieve the best possible outcomes.  In a small number of subjects, staff’s subject knowledge is not as strong as it is in others. This sometimes means that some content is not delivered as well as it could be. It also means that some leaders are not well placed to address instances where this is the case. The school should ensure that staff are equipped with the expertise that they need to deliver, and lead, these subjects well.

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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). 21 and 22 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body David O’Callaghan

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School details

Website http://www.springwellparkprimary.co.uk/

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 October 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school makes provision for two year olds.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provider for several pupils.  The school operates a breakfast club which the governing body oversees. There is also an after-school club that operates at the school. This is provided by a separate organisation.

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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 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. 21 and 22 February 2024

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 Inspectors conducted deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, art and design and Spanish. 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 reading 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.  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 survey 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

Lisa Woolley Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 February 2024

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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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