Blessed Sacrament Catholic Primary School

Inspection of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Primary School Cedar Road, Liverpool, Merseyside L9 9AF

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 12 and 13 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Blessed Sacrament Catholic Primary School is a warm, caring and aspirational place for pupils to learn. The school has high expectations for pupil’s achievement. Pupils, including children in the early years, have positive attitudes to their learning. They are keen to learn and achieve well. Pupils are happy and safe. They are well supported and cared for in school. The school fosters the development of its pupils to ‘aim high - live life to the full’. This is embraced by pupils who are full of life and belief in all they can achieve.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is excellent in and around the school. They display consistently high levels of self-control and maturity. They are exceedingly respectful of each other and of staff. Pupils accept that everyone is unique. They value diversity and difference. Pupils will readily offer help and support to their peers in their work and play.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school helps pupils to build high levels of resilience in all aspects of school life. As a result, pupils are extremely committed to their education. They relish learning. Pupils have access to a wide and rich set of experiences, which allow them to develop their interests, talents and character. Pupils are very well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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

The school has established an engaging curriculum, which is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has thought carefully about the knowledge that pupils must learn. This enables pupils to build a strong foundation of knowledge.

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They use their expertise to devise lesson activities that enthuse and engage pupils. Staff in the early years have established a curriculum which sets no ceiling on children’s learning. The school carefully considers how to use indoor and outdoor spaces to the maximum to support children in developing their independence. Staff use questioning and prompts exceptionally well to deepen pupils’ understanding and curiosity. As a result, children in the early years are very well prepared for the next stage of their education in school.

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

On most occasions, the school checks pupils’ understanding well and adapts teaching to address misconceptions and any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. However, in a small number of subjects, where the curriculum is more recently implemented, teachers are not as clear about how they should assess pupils’ understanding of the curriculum.

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

Reading is at the centre of pupils’ learning. The school provides pupils with a book rich environment to stimulate their love of reading. Children in the Nursery class and two- year-old settings are immersed in language from the outset, including sounds and nursery rhymes. This provides a strong foundation for their later phonics learning. Teachers’ regular checks ensure that those pupils who struggle to keep up with reading are identified and quickly receive effective support. As a result, pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident and fluent readers. 12 and 13 November 2024

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The school provides a highly inclusive setting. Pupils with SEND achieve well alongside their peers. Staff ensure that pupils needs are identified early, and support is provided. The special educational needs (SEN) unit provides well designed programmes, which support the learning and well-being of the most vulnerable pupils. This allows them to learn alongside their mainstream peers.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional. As a result, pupils can learn in an environment that is free from distractions. They are respectful and caring towards everyone in the school community. Pupils listen carefully to the views of others. Children in the early years learn to share, take turns and help each other from the earliest point of entry as two year olds. Pupils quickly develop resilience and confidence as learners.

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Attendance is a high priority for the school, and it is improving due to the focus, incentives and initiatives to support families. Pupils have a strong belief in the importance of attending school. They are highly committed to the opportunity to be in school.

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Pupils, including those with SEND, have access to a rich array of extra-curricular opportunities. For example, pupils have an extensive opportunity to develop their musical talents and abilities. The school is passionate in its ambition to ensure that pupils develop fully as active citizens. Pupils’ character is developed through a wide range of roles and responsibilities, such as eco- and faith ambassadors. The school’s use of a well-being rainbow has allowed pupils to recognise well-being needs in themselves and others. As a result, pupils feel secure and able to take managed risks. One pupil expressed this as ‘Don’t ever think that you can’t do something if you’ve never even tried.’

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The school has fostered a positive and supportive culture among staff. It has carefully considered the workload demands on staff. Governors know the school well. They have a clear and accurate understanding of the quality of education and wider developmental offer that pupils receive. Governors provide effective challenge and support to the school.

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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, where the curriculum is newly implemented, the school has not finalised its systems to assess what pupils know. This means that, in these subjects, some staff do not systematically check how well pupils’ learning is building over time. The school should ensure that its assessment systems enable staff to check how well pupils are learning the intended curriculum. 12 and 13 November 2024

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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.

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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). 12 and 13 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 November 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school is a voluntary aided Roman Catholic school and last received a section 48 inspection in December 2023. The next inspection is scheduled to take place by December 2027.  The school has provision for two-year-old children.  The school has a SEN unit. This provision is for pupils with severe learning difficulties, 36 pupils currently access this provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 12 and 13 November 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, geography and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, discussed the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’

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work. Inspectors observed pupils read to a familiar adult.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the diocese and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses from the Ofsted surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Iain Sim, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sharon Cowey Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 November 2024

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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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