St Luke's Halsall Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Luke’s Halsall Church of England Primary School Cooks Road, Crosby, Liverpool, Merseyside L23 2TB

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Outcome

St Luke’s Halsall Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils arrive through the school gates with a smile on their face. They are greeted warmly each morning by caring staff. Pupils say that everyone is welcome at their school. There is a strong sense of community, which permeates the very positive relationships between staff and pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are sensible as they move around school. At breaktimes, pupils play happily with their friends. They take turns when playing games and are very well mannered.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. By the time that pupils leave Year 6, they are well prepared for secondary school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of extra-curricular opportunities. These include clubs, such as football, choir and time-travellers club. Pupils enjoy a range of leadership roles. For example, the ethos group raised money for a local food bank. The oldest pupils demonstrate great maturity, for example in the Easter event that they led where they helped younger pupils to think about the people who are important in their lives.

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

The teaching of reading has a high priority. Early reading begins in the Nursery class, where children develop a love of books. They are encouraged to learn new words and they join in eagerly at story time. The school’s phonics programme is delivered effectively by well-trained staff in the Reception class and key stage 1. The books that pupils read are carefully matched to the sounds that they know. The small number of pupils who find reading difficult are given the additional help that they need to keep up with the programme. As pupils progress through school, they become confident and fluent readers. They benefit from the carefully chosen set of books on offer in each class. Pupils 26 and 27 March 2024

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talked animatedly about the books and authors that they like. Parents and carers are well supported so that they can help their children practise reading at home.

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The school provides an ambitious curriculum. The small steps of learning have been identified for all age groups, including the early years. This means that teachers know the order in which concepts should be taught. Regular training equips staff to teach the curriculums well. In all subjects, there are regular checks on what pupils are learning. However, in some subjects, this information is not shared well enough beyond each classroom. This means that the school does not have a deep enough understanding of what pupils know and can do. This prevents it from making any necessary changes to the curriculum.

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In most subjects, pupils, including those with SEND, progress well through the curriculum. However, in a small number of subjects, some pupils do not retain new knowledge. This is because, in these subjects, teachers do not help pupils to remember their learning.

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Pupils with SEND are well supported. The school identifies any additional needs swiftly. Staff are well trained to ensure that they can adapt their delivery of the curriculum. This means that most pupils with SEND can learn alongside their peers. Pupils with more complex needs are given the individual help that they need. The families of pupils with SEND appreciate all that the school does to support their children.

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Children in the early years learn their classroom rules quickly. Across the rest of the school, pupils try their very best. They enjoy learning new concepts. They take great delight in sharing their work because they are proud of their efforts. On occasion, a small number of pupils need help to manage their behaviour. Staff offer support and help these pupils to quickly refocus their learning. Pupils want to come to school. This is evident in their high levels of attendance.

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The school considers the impact that decisions about school improvement may have on staff’s workload and well-being. As a result of the care demonstrated by governors and leaders at all levels, particularly during a recent period of challenge, staff feel valued. They are proud to work at the school.

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Great emphasis is placed on pupils’ personal development. The well-designed curriculum for relationships and sex education and health education has helped pupils to flourish. Pupils understand what contributes to a healthy relationship and know what to do if they have a worry. Pupils talked maturely about how the school helps to shape them in a way that will help them as they grow up. They are proud to be pupils at this school, which has a special place in their hearts and prepares them well for the journey ahead.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 26 and 27 March 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school does not gain a deep enough overview of what pupils know and understand. This limits its ability to revise and update the curriculum to ensure that pupils achieve as well as they can over time. The school should ensure that the information from teachers’ checks on pupils’ learning is used more productively to identify areas of curriculum development.  In a small number of subjects, some pupils do not remember their learning. This is because teachers sometimes do not choose activities carefully enough to help pupils to commit their learning to their long-term memory. The school should ensure that staff receive the training that they need in order for them to help pupils to retain their learning over time.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2019.

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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. 26 and 27 March 2024

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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). 26 and 27 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 March 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Liverpool. Its last section 48 inspection, for schools with a religious character, took place in September 2017. The next inspection is scheduled to take place in the 2025/26 academic year.  The school offers a breakfast club and after-school provision each day.  The school does not make use of an alternative provider.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  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 safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first. 26 and 27 March 2024

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, discussed the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, looked at a sample of pupils’ work, spoke with teachers and talked with pupils about their learning.  The inspector observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  The inspector also considered the curriculum in other areas. This included talking with pupils and scrutinising curriculum documentation.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other leaders. She also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector met with representatives of the local authority and the diocese.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour as they arrived at school and during lessons and breaktimes. She also spoke with pupils about their views of school life.

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 The inspector considered the views of parents. She looked at the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. She also spoke to a number of parents at the start of the school day.  The inspector considered the views of staff who responded to Ofsted’s staff survey.  There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Frith Murphy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 26 and 27 March 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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