St Aloysius Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Aloysius Catholic Primary School Twig Lane, Huyton-with-Roby, Liverpool, Merseyside L36 2LF

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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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 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy belonging to the St Aloysius family. They said that this makes them feel happy, cared for and safe. Pupils understand and follow the school’s ‘Respect’ code of conduct well. They aspire to be the best that they can be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite, well-mannered and thoughtful towards each other, staff and visitors. The school is built on a strong culture of respect. Pupils, including children in the early years, support each other in their learning and play. They know that staff are there to help them if they have any worries or concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Promoting pupils’ personal development is a fundamental aspect of the school’s work. Pupils hold positions of responsibility, such as play leaders, school councillors or reading ambassadors. They know that their opinions matter. Pupils across the school particularly enjoy the trips and residentials on offer. Year 6 pupils enjoy visits to London and the Houses of Parliament every year.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils know that teachers expect them to work hard and to succeed. They take pride in their learning. This is reflected in the work that they produce. They are keen to talk about what they have learned. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well in most subjects. They are 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 is ambitious for its pupils. It has designed a curriculum that reflects the context of the local community and pupils’ learning needs. This is evident in the positive outcomes that Year 6 pupils attain in national tests and assessments. The well-ordered curriculum begins at the start of the early years, where the school has thought about the essential foundations that children need for future learning. There is a seamless transition from the Reception Year into Year 1, which builds on children's knowledge and independence well.

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

Across key stages 1 and 2, pupils continue to experience a carefully designed curriculum that is delivered in a logical order. However, in a small number of subjects, the school has not identified the knowledge and understanding that pupils need to make progress towards the required learning. As a result, staff do not always recognise where there are gaps in learning.

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

Teachers deliver the curriculum using appropriate and well-chosen resources. They skilfully check what pupils know and remember. Activities support pupils to revisit and recap their previous learning. This assists pupils to successfully develop their knowledge over time.

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

Staff are suitably equipped to identify pupils’ additional needs accurately and quickly. Staff receive appropriate training so that they know how to support pupils with SEND 21 and 22 January 2025

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effectively. The school ensures that staff adapt the delivery of the curriculum so that pupils with SEND can learn successfully alongside their peers.

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The teaching of phonics and early reading has been a priority for the school. Children in the early years enjoy singing and sharing in rhymes and songs. They learn about letters and the sounds that they represent as soon as they join the Reception class. Staff deliver the phonics programme with considerable expertise. They receive regular and appropriate training to ensure that the phonics programme is taught consistently well. Pupils practise reading using books that match the sounds that they know.

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Children in the early years are well behaved. They follow established routines and learn cooperatively alongside one another. Behaviour across the school is highly positive. The school has improved attendance for many pupils. However, the absence levels for some pupils remain a concern. Despite a range of strategies to boost attendance, some pupils do not attend school often enough. Therefore, they miss important learning and experiences.

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Pupils are well-prepared for the next steps of their education. They learn about what constitutes a healthy relationship, how to maintain a positive mental attitude and understand how to keep themselves safe online. Pupils enjoy a range of clubs on offer, including signing choir, basketball and art. They learn about different careers and have the chance to think about what they may wish for their futures.

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Staff feel valued. They are proud to work at the school. Staff appreciate the support offered by school leaders around their well-being as well as the commitment to their ongoing professional learning. The governing body is highly effective. It maintains a clear focus on the quality of education provided by the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, the school does not set out the small steps of subject learning that pupils need to make progress to the agreed end points. This means that from time to time, staff do not identify gaps in learning for a few pupils. The school should ensure that these steps are clearly identified in all subjects.  Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. As a result, these pupils miss out on important learning and experiences. The school should review and refine its actions to promote attendance so that those pupils with high absence rates attend school more often. 21 and 22 January 2025

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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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Local authority Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Carroll Hamilton

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This Roman Catholic school is part of the Diocese of Liverpool. Its last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in October 2023. The next section 48 inspection is due by the end of 2028.  The school provides a before- and after-school club for pupils.  The school uses one registered alternative provision for some pupils.

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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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 21 and 22 January 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, including early reading, mathematics, geography and physical education. They met with subject leaders and with teachers. Inspectors visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked with groups of pupils about their learning.  The lead inspector observed a sample of pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors considered the curriculum in other subjects. They met with leaders, spoke with pupils and reviewed pupils’ work in these subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority and archdiocese.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors met with leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors looked at a range of policies and documentation relating to pupils’ welfare and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school.  Inspectors met with parents and carers at the start of the school day. They took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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 Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. They took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Sue Dymond, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Lobodzinski His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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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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