Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery Hall Lane, Liverpool, Merseyside L7 8TQ

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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Outcome

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this caring school, which is at the heart of its community. New pupils are welcomed from all around the world. They soon become part of the Sacred Heart family. The school is a diverse community with 30 languages spoken. Pupils are encouraged to be proud of their heritage. They know that their differences make them unique. Their similarities connect them to their friends.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are expected to behave very well, and they do. Pupils, from the Nursery class through to Year 6, have positive attitudes to learning. They are keen to absorb new knowledge and understand tricky concepts. Pupils take pride in their work. They delight in sharing their accomplishments and celebrating those of their peers. The school has high aspirations for pupils. They achieve well. Pupils leave Year 6 ready for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from, and have a say in, the many opportunities offered beyond the curriculum. These hone their talents and interests. For example, pupils enjoy attending cross-country running, choir and gardening clubs. Pupils are encouraged to help others in their local area and beyond. They do so willingly. At harvest time, pupils take food donations to the community centre next door. Pupils value the importance of being part of the wider community.

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

The school has prioritised the teaching of early reading. In the Nursery class, children listen attentively at story time. The phonics programme starts swiftly in the Reception 10 and 11 December 2024

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class. Children learn the sounds and letters that they need to learn to read. In key stage 1, pupils build on this to develop fluency and accuracy. In addition, pupils who start at the school with little or no English are well supported by skilled staff to learn English. This enables these pupils to make friends and feel a sense of belonging. Once these pupils have started to develop their spoken language, they are taught to read.

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The school has carefully considered the important knowledge to be taught from the Nursery Year to Year 6. The needs and interests of pupils have been taken into account in the design of the school’s curriculum. This is especially evident in the early years, where children are engrossed in their play. For the most part, staff routinely check that pupils have learned and remembered important information before moving on to new learning.

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In the main, staff have the expertise to design lesson activities that help pupils to learn well. However, in a small number of subjects, some pupils do not learn as well as they might. On occasion, pupils develop misconceptions. This is because not enough consideration has gone into how staff teach some of the key knowledge.

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The school ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified swiftly. It ensures that staff make appropriate adaptations to lesson activities so that pupils with SEND can learn successfully alongside their peers.

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Pupils’ behaviour around school is exemplary. In the playground, pupils of all ages play harmoniously together. They take great joy in the range of activities on offer. In the hall, lunchtime is very calm. Pupils enjoy talking to their friends. They listen carefully to one another. This is an opportunity for pupils to develop their language skills.

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The school promotes pupils’ personal development well. As a result, pupils have an exceptional understanding of fundamental British values and equality. Pupils learn about different faiths and how to keep themselves healthy and safe. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They are tolerant and show high levels of respect to staff, visitors and one another. Pupils develop leadership skills. For example, eco-representatives help to gather information about how pupils travel. They promote sustainable ways to get to school. Pupil parliamentarians visit the town hall and contribute to making Liverpool a better place to live. Pupils develop as good citizens of their local area and beyond. They have a highly developed understanding about issues that affect them and their families. Pupils describe their school as a community, which brings together different cultures, communities and religions.

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The school works tirelessly to ensure that pupils to come to school each day. The small number who do not are given the support that they need. As a result, pupils attend well.

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Governors know the school well and are ambitious for its pupils. Governors gain the information that they need to challenge and support the school effectively to maintain the standard of education that it provides. Governors support staff in their work and ensure that they have sufficient time to complete any additional tasks. As a result, staff feel valued. 10 and 11 December 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, some pupils have misconceptions in their curriculum knowledge. This hinders how well these pupils achieve. The school should ensure that staff receive the support that they need to help pupils to understand and remember key information well.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2014.

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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. 10 and 11 December 2024

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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). 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 July 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Liverpool. Its last section 48 inspection, for schools with a religious character, took place in February 2020. The next inspection is scheduled to take place in the 2026/27 academic year.  The school offers a breakfast club and after-school provision.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in the 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 10 and 11 December 2024

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils from Year 1 to Year 3 read to a familiar adult.  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 the governing body.  The inspector met with representatives of the local authority and the diocese.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and breaktimes. She also spoke with pupils about their views of school life.  The inspector considered the views of parents. She reviewed the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  The inspector considered the views of staff and pupils who responded to Ofsted’s

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Inspection team

Frith Murphy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 December 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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