Childwall Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Childwall Church of England Primary School Woolton Road, Liverpool, Merseyside L16 0JD

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good 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 11 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.

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Overall effectiveness Good

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. 26 and 27 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel loved at this school. They are safe and have a clear sense of security. Pupils are kind to each other and get along well. They stated that any disagreements are minor and rare. The school acts swiftly whenever this happens to maintain a happy and harmonious school environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for what pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), will learn. Pupils achieve well in most curriculum subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have various opportunities to develop their talents and interests. There are many extra-curricular clubs on offer throughout the school day. Pupils have a say in what these will be each year. Sporting opportunities are plentiful. Pupils also engage in drama productions, learn musical instruments and sing in the choir.

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What is it like to attend this school?

As pupils get older, they happily take on an increasing number of responsibilities around the school. These range from ambassadors to school council representatives and house captains. Curriculum learning is enhanced well through wider experiences from field trips to visiting poets. Pupils also have opportunities for residential visits. Pupils are incredibly active citizens. For example, they arrange beach litter picking, support local charity shops and raise funds for global causes.

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better?

The school caters for the personal development of pupils exceptionally well. Fundamental British values permeate the school’s curriculum. This helps pupils to develop a strong respect and tolerance for the different backgrounds, cultures and beliefs of others. Pupils have regular, meaningful opportunities to debate. They regularly discuss current events and are taught how to empathise with the views of others. Pupils have further opportunities to hone their debating skills through the school’s debate club. Pupils develop a firm knowledge of how to form healthy, positive relationships with others. They have a secure understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Pupils develop an excellent attitude to maintaining their physical health.

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better?

There is a deep-held commitment from governors, leaders and staff to promote positive mental health. The way that the school helps pupils to look after their mental well-being is exemplary. Pupils hold this support in high regard, often telling inspectors that it is one of the things that makes their school special.

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better?

The school provides pupils with a balanced curriculum. It has outlined broad expectations for what pupils will learn in each subject by the end of each year. The school has adopted curriculums that typically break down the school’s expectations into smaller steps of learning. However, in a small number of subjects and in some parts of the early years, the school is not clear enough about the crucial knowledge and subject-specific concepts that will be taught over time. This ultimately impedes 26 and 27 June 2024

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teachers from being able to deliver some curriculums as effectively and coherently as they could. It also hinders teachers in assessing whether pupils have understood certain concepts and acquired the important knowledge needed for future learning. Inspectors found that pupils’ knowledge in these subjects was not secure. That said, pupils do achieve well across much of the curriculum. They attain above national averages in end-of-key stage tests.

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The school has systems in place to evaluate how well curriculums are implemented by staff. In some subjects, the school has an accurate understanding of what is working well and what might need further development. However, this is not the case in other subjects. In such subjects, the school’s view of curriculum delivery is not secure and does not help the school to address some issues within these areas.

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The school promotes a love of reading in many ways. For example, pupils engage in annual poetry events and read high-quality texts in their English lessons. Pupils make regular use of the school library, which is ably operated by pupil librarians.

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The school ensures that staff are well trained to deliver its chosen phonics programme consistently well. They provide pupils with books that are well suited to their knowledge of sounds. Pupils who struggle with reading receive swift support to help them keep up in their learning. Most pupils quickly become fluent, confident readers.

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The school has effective systems and procedures in place to identify pupils with SEND early. The school ensures that pupils with SEND access their learning well. Teachers adapt their delivery of curriculums to cater for these pupils’ additional needs.

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Pupils’ attendance at school is high. Few are persistently absent. Most pupils behave well, particularly during lesson times. They are attentive and engage enthusiastically with learning activities. The school has very recently introduced new systems and routines to bring about a calmer, more orderly environment during unstructured times. These procedures are still in their infancy. Not enough time has passed to see the full impact of these new measures.

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Governors fulfil their statutory duties. Governors and senior leaders are particularly mindful of the workload and well-being of staff. The staff feel valued, and morale is high.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school is not clear enough about the knowledge and 26 and 27 June 2024

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longer-term substantive concepts that need to be taught. This means that teachers are sometimes unclear about the most important knowledge to teach and assess. This prevents pupils from acquiring a rich body of knowledge in a coherent way. The school should ensure that staff are clear about the crucial knowledge that needs to be taught and give clearer guidance to staff on how this knowledge should be assessed.  In some subjects, the school does not have a robust insight into how well curriculums are designed and implemented. Consequently, the school does not act as swiftly as it could to address some instances where curriculum delivery is less effective. The school should review its approaches to evaluating the quality and impact of curriculum delivery so that it has an accurate picture of what is going well and what needs further development.

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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). 26 and 27 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Peter Leslie Woodward

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 April 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 There have been several changes in headteacher and other senior leaders since the last inspection.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.  The school operates before- and after-school clubs.  The school is a voluntary-aided Church of England primary school. The most recent section 48 inspection of the school’s religious character took place in November 2019. The school is awaiting confirmation from the diocese about its next section 48 inspection.

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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 26 and 27 June 2024

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pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors conducted deep dives in these subjects: art and design, early reading, history, mathematics and science. 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.

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 Inspectors spoke with pupils about their wider experience of school.  Inspectors looked at a range of policies and documents related to pupils’ welfare 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

Liz Davidson Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 June 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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