Great Crosby Catholic Primary School

Inspection Report Great Crosby Catholic Primary School

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104926 Unique Reference Number Sefton LEA 277261 Inspection number 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Anna Dawson CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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The Northern Road School address Primary Type of school Crosby Voluntary aided School category Liverpool L23 2RQ 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 0151 9248661 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0151 9241331 Fax number 687 Number on roll Mgr J Furnival Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr P O'Dowd Headteacher 25 January 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277261 21 June 2006 - 3 to 11 22 June 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by four Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a very large primary school, within the Archdiocese of Liverpool, serving the parishes of Saint Peter, Saint Paul and Saint Helen. It has a Nursery for 60 part-time children who mostly transfer into the Reception classes. One third of the children attend other settings before entry into Reception. Pupils come from a wide variety of backgrounds and meet the full ability range. Most enter the Nursery class with skills that are broadly average for their ages. The majority of children attending the school are of White British heritage. There is a very small percentage of children from minority ethnic groups and all speak English although, for a few, it is a second language. The proportion of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below the national average. The school has attained the Basic Skills Quality Mark (BSQM), ArtsMark Silver, ActiveMark and is working towards the Healthy School Award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Great Crosby Catholic Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding and vibrant school, which meets the needs of all its pupils and is held in high esteem by the parents and community. The school has exceptional leadership and management. There are excellent procedures to evaluate its own performance and, although its self-evaluation report is accurately written, the school has been overly modest in grading aspects of its performance. Teaching and learning are outstanding. The pupils are confident learners because the teachers and teaching assistants build their self-esteem and give them their utmost support and guidance. Consequently, the pupils achieve extremely well throughout the school. Provision and progress in the Foundation Stage are exceptionally good. There is a similar picture by the end of Years 2 and 6. Standards are very high in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. The pupils' behaviour is exemplary for the most part and their

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Grade: 1

personal development is very good. The rich curriculum is exciting, motivating pupils to be independent learners. Key strengths include the use of practical methods, specialist teaching and a wide variety of trips and visits, which support very well planned topics. Innovative curriculum projects and practice feature in the best teaching, but are yet to permeate all classes. Links with other agencies and local schools are extremely good. Improvement since the last inspection has been very good and the school has excellent capacity to improve. It provides exceptionally good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Share the existing practice and curriculum innovations found in the best teaching across the school.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' achievement and standards are outstanding. Children get off to a flying start in the Nursery and the children make extremely good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes in all areas of learning. By the end of their Reception year, almost all children attain and exceed the expected standards. Pupils continue to do very well in Key Stage 1, and standards are high in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2. This exceptionally good progress is built on throughout Key Stage 2, resulting in very high standards in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. Almost all pupils attain the expected levels in Years 2 and 6 and an above average percentage exceed them. A small percentage of higher attaining pupils attain exceptional standards early. For example, some Year 5 pupils reach the standards nationally expected of the most able pupils in Year 6. Exceptionally good standards have been maintained in both

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Grade: 1

key stages during the past four years and improved in English. The impact of action taken for improvement is evident in the implementation of techniques using role-play and the media and the development of the 'learning journeys' project to promote the application of English skills in all subjects. In 2005, the school targets in English and mathematics were exceeded, with more than the expected number of pupils attaining 2 Inspection Report: Great Crosby Catholic Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 at the higher Level 5. There was some fluctuation in Key Stage 1 results in 2005 because of a greater than usual proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities taking the tests. Although other subjects were not inspected in depth, there are examples of high quality work in the arts, topic work involving several subjects and the development of pupils' thinking and social skills.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. The pupils really enjoy coming to school and have very positive attitudes towards learning. Pupils say they are happy, feel safe and enjoy being challenged by 'exciting and fun lessons'. The pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very well. The Catholic ethos is very evident in the shared values held by staff and pupils. Pupils respect and care for one another and, consequently, the behaviour of most is exemplary. The older pupils are mature for their age, taking responsibility for their actions and acting, for instance, as 'play leaders'. Pupils have a very good knowledge of their own culture and appreciate other cultures and the diversity within our society. Some pupils correspond with children from a school in Sierra Leone. Pupils know how to stay healthy and make informed healthy eating choices at lunch and break times. The school council

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Grade: 1

are active in making decisions such as improvements to playground provision and all pupils participate in charity and community events. Pupils understand the importance of their very good attendance and punctuality. The development of independent learning and thinking skills and pupils' ability to work and get on well with others are excellent starting points for future success in life skills.

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Grade: 1

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Teachers' expert subject knowledge, high expectations and splendid teamwork lead them to want the best for the pupils. As a result, they are confident in trying new ways of imaginative teaching. Pupils benefit from stimulating lessons, many of which are outstanding, and some of which are taught by specialist visiting teachers such as in art. Lots of pupils say that they really like the lessons they have, especially the exciting 'learning journeys' that involve activities in many subjects. Older pupils think that the discussions they have with each other helps them to learn a lot. Relationships with pupils are excellent: every one of them feels valued. Pupils respond very well to the outstanding quality of marking that is a huge help to them. All teachers adapt the pace of teaching to pupils' understanding and question really skilfully to encourage pupils to discuss, explain and question for

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Grade: 1

themselves. The high quality work of teaching assistants provides additional layers of teaching that address particular needs of pupils early on, so there is barely any catch-up needed. Rarely does a pupil fall behind. Teachers make excellent use of assessment information to plan lessons that consistently challenge all pupils, and equip them 3 Inspection Report: Great Crosby Catholic Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 exceptionally well with the skills they need for life. Sharing the best teaching innovations in some classes would further improve the quality of learning.

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Grade: 1

The quality of the curriculum is outstanding. Teachers plan creatively and very effectively across subjects, to make learning practical in nature and enormously inspiring to pupils. These features fulfil the school's aim that, 'each child reaches their full potential through the delivery of the highest quality curriculum for all'. Many additional and skilfully planned experiences and innovative projects in some classes provide rich opportunities for pupils to deepen their understanding, express their ideas and practise the skills for life that they acquire. There are exceptionally good links with other schools. These partnerships make the transition to high school for pupils smooth and rewarding. The importance of staying safe and adopting a healthy lifestyle is promoted very well. There is a wealth of activities for pupils to foster their skills and interests both inside and after school. These include the many excursions, visiting experts, and

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Grade: 1

the opportunity to benefit from specialist provision in subjects such as music and art.

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Grade: 1

The care, guidance and support of pupils are excellent. The staff show a high level of commitment to the care of all pupils. Child protection procedures are in place. All school trips are subject to pre-visit safety checks to ensure that all risks are rigorously assessed. Pupils are taught by a wide variety of visiting speakers about how to stay safe in the wider world. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are identified at the earliest opportunity and a wide range of intervention strategies are used very successfully to help children to overcome their difficulties. The school works closely with a wide range of agencies to provide an excellent level of support for the pupils who need it. Some parents enjoy and benefit from the courses provided to help them to support their children's basic skills at home. The academic guidance provided by the staff for all pupils is exemplary. Pupils work successfully towards very challenging

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Grade: 1

targets, which are regularly reviewed. Their collection of achieved targets in the 'I can do' pockets gives the pupils a very clear picture of the progress they have made.

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Grade: 1

The quality of the leadership and management is outstanding. The headteacher has created an excellent Christian ethos of care where every child matters. The pupils' welfare and provision to ensure pupils reach their potential are paramount. One parent who states, 'I have always found the school to have placed the needs of children above all other considerations' echoes the views of many. The senior leadership team and subject leaders carry out their responsibilities extremely well at every level and receive very good professional development. As one member of staff commented, 'This is a 4 Inspection Report: Great Crosby Catholic Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 self-evaluating school where everyone works together for improvement'. The culture of working and learning from one another in school and from the successful projects in neighbouring schools is extremely strong. For example, the efforts of the staff to

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Grade: 1

raise standards in English in Key Stage 2 have been very successful. The school focus of the development of literacy is undertaken with enthusiasm and innovative ideas are capitalised on by the staff. This shows how the school's thorough checking and very positive response have raised standards. The review of pupils' work, the monitoring of teaching and learning and the views of pupils and parents are also used to particularly good effect to evaluate the school's progress towards its targets. Governors are very knowledgeable and well informed. They work successfully with the senior leaders to shape the direction of the school and speak enthusiastically of the involvement of the school in the community. 5 Inspection Report: Great Crosby Catholic Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Great Crosby Catholic Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 1 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 1 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 1 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 1 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 1 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

As you know, a team of school inspectors visited your school recently to find out if it is giving you the education you should receive. First of all, thank you very much for welcoming us to your school so well. We enjoyed talking to you about your work and finding out about the things you like doing. Your school is a happy and exciting place where you told us you enjoy learning in lessons and taking part in out-of-school activities. We thought you behaved and cared for one another extremely well, even the youngest children were very good at sharing things and taking turns. You all listen very well to your teachers and work very hard in lessons. The headteacher and the staff work exceptionally hard to make sure you all learn as well as you can. We were pleased to see you were proud of your work and that you want to do well. One of the jobs we have to do when we inspect schools is to see if there are any things which

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

could make your school even better. We looked at the way you learn best through, for example, the role-play and 'journeys' and media project work in some classes. We saw how much some of you enjoy learning this way and how it helps you with your reading and writing skills. We think that if all of you work like this, your reading and writing skills will be even better. Thank you for helping us with the inspection. We hope that you will carry on enjoying lessons and doing your best.

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