Crosby High School

Inspection of Crosby High School De Villiers Avenue, Crosby, Liverpool, Merseyside L23 2TH

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school at Crosby High. They feel part of a safe and caring community. Pupils share warm relationships with staff. They know that there is always someone that can talk to if they have a worry or a concern. Pupils value the wide range of social opportunities that the school provides for them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is in the process of making changes to the curriculum offer for pupils. Currently, the school’s expectations for the academic achievement of some pupils is not as high as it should be. The quality of education that pupils receive is variable. Some pupils do not access a curriculum that meets their academic abilities well enough. The teaching that pupils receive in some subjects does not help them to learn as well as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In the main, pupils behave well. They are polite and respectful towards each other in lessons. The school atmosphere is calm and friendly. The school has improved the way that it helps pupils to manage and understand their own behaviour. For example, it provides individualised support and counselling for pupils when they struggle to access learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a varied programme of activities in place for pupils to develop themselves beyond the academic curriculum. For example, pupils take part in outdoor learning, animal care and residential trips. Many pupils complete the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. This helps pupils to build their confidence, social skills and their understanding of the world.

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

Over time, the school has experienced some inconsistency and turbulence in its leadership. This has led to weaknesses in the curriculum. The school has now regained some stability of leadership and started to make improvements to the curriculum. However, these changes are in their infancy.

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

Recently, the school has acted decisively to make improvements to the curriculum pathways and qualifications that pupils can study. This is helping to raise the ambition of the curriculum. However, the current curriculum does not meet the needs and abilities of some pupils well enough and this hampers their achievement.

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

In some subjects, the school has started to identify and order the most important knowledge that pupils must learn. In these subjects, teachers choose appropriate learning activities. They identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. However, in other subjects, this work is underdeveloped. Teachers are not clear about the precise information that pupils should learn and it is not taught in a coherent order. As a result, in these subjects, the school’s systems for assessment are ad hoc and do not enable teachers to accurately check how well pupils are building their knowledge over time.

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

All pupils in the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school shares important information about pupils’ needs with staff. Pupils access a wide range of specialist and external help for their SEND as required. Staff are generally well 24 and 25 June 2025

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equipped to deal with pupils’ social and emotional needs. However, the school does not use the information that it gathers about pupils’ academic starting points as effectively as it could. This means that, on occasion, the school does not have high enough academic expectations of some pupils. This hinders pupils’ achievement in some subjects.

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Reading is prioritised and promoted throughout the school. Pupils at the early stages of learning to read are identified quickly. They are given prompt and effective help to fill in gaps in their reading knowledge, including phonics. This helps pupils to read with increased fluency and confidence so that they can more easily access the wider curriculum.

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The school has established clear rules and routines that pupils understand and try to follow. When they find this difficult, the school provides sensitive support to help them to regulate their emotions and re-engage with their learning. Pupils are supportive of each other. For example, older pupils act as appointed ambassadors to help and guide their younger peers.

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Through the curriculum, pupils learn about difference and tolerance. They learn about different cultures, families and relationships. Pupils are taught important information about how to keep themselves safe, including online. Pupils receive helpful careers information, advice and guidance and complete work experience. This ensures that they have a sound understanding of life in modern Britain and that they are prepared for their next steps in education, training or employment.

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Staff appreciate the additional packages of support that the school has invested in for them. Most staff feel that the school is considerate of their workload and highly supportive of their well-being during this period of necessary change that is happening at pace. Governors, supported by the local authority, have a renewed focused on the most important actions that they need to take in order to improve the quality of education that pupils receive. They are united in their support for the school to make the changes that are necessary for pupils.

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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 has not clarified the important knowledge that pupils should know and remember. This hinders pupils from building knowledge securely based on their prior learning. The school should ensure that teachers are clear about the essential knowledge that pupils require so that pupils can embed their knowledge securely in readiness for subsequent learning. 24 and 25 June 2025

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 The school does not use the information that it gathers about the precise needs of pupils, all of whom have SEND, well enough. This means that some pupils learn a curriculum that is not well matched to their needs and abilities. It limits some pupils from achieving as highly as they could. The school must ensure that it uses the information that it gathers about pupils’ needs so that they study a suitably challenging and ambitious curriculum.

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 The school’s systems to check how well pupils are learning and retaining new knowledge are underdeveloped. Pupils develop misconceptions in their learning that go unchecked. The school must ensure that teachers are well trained to use assessment systems that identify and address where pupils are insecure in their learning.

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 There are some inconsistencies in teachers’ pedagogical choices. Consequently, some pupils do not build knowledge as they should. The school should ensure that teachers have the necessary knowledge and expertise to make the most appropriate pedagogical choices to deliver the curriculum well.

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 Over time, turbulence and instability of leadership has led to weaknesses in the curriculum that have not been addressed as quickly as they should. This has hindered the achievement of some pupils. The school and governing body should ensure that recent actions to improve the curriculum are followed up and embedded swiftly to improve the quality of education that pupils receive.

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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). 24 and 25 June 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 1 and 2 February 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses two unregistered alternative providers.  All pupils have an education, health and care plan. The school caters for pupils with specific learning difficulties, visual impairment, hearing impairment, autism, social, emotional and mental health needs, physical disabilities and moderate learning difficulties.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  Since the previous inspection, the school has appointed a new chair of the governing body and several new governors.  The substantive headteacher was absent from work at the time of the inspection. There is an acting headteacher in post. 24 and 25 June 2025

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed the ongoing impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the acting headteacher, senior leaders and members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. An inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English mathematics, computing and history. 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.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum and looked at samples of pupils’ work from other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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Information about this inspection

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 reviewed a range of documents, including policies and data regarding pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors spoke to some pupils and staff about the school. They also observed pupils during lunchtimes and breaktimes.  Inspectors considered the views of parents expressed through Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Amanda Downing, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Claire Hollister Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 June 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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