Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School

Inspection of Holy Rosary Catholic Primary School Oriel Drive, Aintree, Liverpool, Merseyside L10 6NJ

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 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 Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since February 2014. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils to achieve well. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff in the early years help children get off to a positive start with their education. Throughout the school, pupils work hard in lessons and take pride in what they do. Across much of the curriculum, pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. In the main, pupils across the school behave well and treat one another with respect and consideration. Pupils benefit from the pastoral support available to them. They trust that staff will help them if they have any worries or concerns. This helps pupils to feel happy and safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils make a tangible contribution to the life of the school through the broad range of responsibilities available to them. This makes them feel valued members of the school community. For example, charity champions inform which charities the school will raise funds for. A number of charities hold a personal connection to the school. Pupils are proud of their collective contributions to these charities. Such opportunities build pupils’ understanding of empathy and what it means to help others.

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

Across the curriculum, the school has set out the important knowledge that pupils should learn from the Nursery Year through to Year 6. The school’s effective systems identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Well-chosen resources help pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. Parents and carers of pupils with SEND told inspectors how much they value the support they receive from the school. This helps them to support their child and their learning at home.

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

Typically, teachers use curriculum information to craft learning activities that help pupils build on what they already know. The school has supported teachers to do this effectively, through a range of training and development opportunities. In a number of subjects, teachers carefully check pupils’ understanding to identify and address any gaps in knowledge. Across many subjects, pupils, including those with SEND, are well prepared for the next stage of education. However, there remain a small number of subjects where the learning activities that pupils experience do not build up their understanding of the curriculum content. As a result, some pupils’ knowledge is insecure and they have misconceptions.

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

The school places a high priority on ensuring that pupils become fluent readers by the time they leave Year 2. Effective approaches to the teaching of phonics help pupils to become confident readers. Staff quickly identify and support those pupils who need extra help in building up their knowledge of the letters and their sounds. Children begin to develop a love of books from the early years. As pupils begin to read books independently, teachers ensure that these closely match the phonics knowledge that pupils have learned. This means that pupils experience success when reading, which builds their enthusiasm for getting lost in a good book. 25 and 26 February 2025

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There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere around the school. Pupils are largely attentive in class and they have positive attitudes towards their learning. Children in the early years readily follow established classroom routines and respond well to instructions from staff. In previous years, some pupils have been absent from school too often. The school has recently put in place a range of strategies that are beginning to reduce the number of pupils who are persistently absent. This means that more pupils benefit from the education that the school provides.

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Pupils experience many opportunities that prepare them well for life in modern Britain. They learn about healthy relationships and understand the importance of having a healthy diet. Pupils enjoy the range of educational visits that the school provides. These include visiting museums, places of local historical significance and taking part in residential trips. Pupils benefit from a range of extra-curricular clubs that help them to develop their talents and interests. These include choir, football and crafts.

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A number of new governors have recently joined the governing body. They have quickly brought themselves up to speed on their different areas of responsibility, including the quality of education. They work effectively with the school to realise the agreed vision. Staff have a high regard for the priority the school places on their well-being and training. This provides them with the confidence to adopt teaching approaches that help pupils get off to a positive start in their education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a very small number of subjects, some of the learning activities that pupils experience do not build up their understanding of the key knowledge set out in the curriculum. As a result, some pupils’ knowledge is insecure and they do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers are equipped to design learning activities that deepen pupils’ knowledge of the key curriculum content, so that they achieve well in these subjects.

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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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 and 6 February 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Roman Catholic primary school in the Archdiocese of Liverpool. The previous section 48 inspection took place in June 2019. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place by the end of 2026.  The school does not currently use alternative 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). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors completed deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education, history and science. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors also looked at the curriculum and pupils’ work in some other subjects. The lead inspector observed some pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with a representative of the local authority.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record and took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils. They also considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons. They spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. They also considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online staff survey.  Inspectors spoke with some parents. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

David Robinson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Elaine Jackson Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 February 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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