Aintree Davenhill Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Aintree Davenhill Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy to attend this welcoming, vibrant school. They arrive every day full of enthusiasm because they are excited to see what they will be learning.

Pupils said that they find their lessons interesting. They are well supported by their teachers, who care about them. Pupils enjoy playing with their friends and they said that they feel safe in school.

Pupils rise to meet the high expectations that the school sets for them. They work hard in their lessons. To this end, they are alert to their teachers' instructions and they remain focused on their learning....r/>
In the main, pupils achieve well.

The school takes an appropriate approach to managing behaviour. Pupils understand the school rules.

They agree that the school's clear routines exist for the benefit of all. Pupils are eager to be ready, and they act respectfully and safely towards each other. As a result, the atmosphere in school is calm and purposeful.

Pupils' experiences in school go beyond the academic curriculum. The school provides many opportunities for pupils to take on positions of responsibility, such as acting as a member of the school council or as an anti-bullying ambassador. Pupils also make a positive contribution to their local community, for example by taking part in the 'smile challenge' at the local nursing home.

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

The curriculum for pupils is suitably broad and ambitious. This helps to ensure that pupils, including children in the early years, receive a variety of rich learning opportunities. In the main, pupils learn the curriculum successfully.

In most subjects, the school has carefully thought about the stepping stones in pupils' learning from the Nursery Year to Year 6. Teachers' subject knowledge is strong. This helps them to design learning and choose activities that support pupils to gain a deep body of subject knowledge.

Teachers check on how well pupils are learning the curriculum and they address misconceptions and gaps in a timely manner. Pupils achieve well across the curriculum.

In a few subjects, the curriculum does not identify the key knowledge that pupils need to learn.

This makes it difficult for pupils to build on prior learning when they meet new subject knowledge.

The school has ensured that there are appropriate systems in place to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly and accurately. When necessary, teachers make adaptations to how they deliver the curriculum so that these pupils can access the same curriculum as their peers.

The school works closely with parents, carers and other agencies to ensure that pupils get the support that they need. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

Pupils enjoy a well-designed, expertly taught phonics curriculum.

Children in the Nursery Year learn songs and rhymes which develop their language and communication skills. By the time children enter the Reception class they are ready to link sounds to letters. This sets them up well as early readers, so that by the end of Year 2, pupils develop into fluent, confident readers.

Staff choose books that are matched carefully to pupils' phonics knowledge. Staff also ensure that those pupils who are in danger of not keeping up with the phonics programme are identified and supported well to catch up quickly.

Developing a love of reading among older pupils is a priority for the school.

To this end, the school ensures that staff routinely promote the joys that reading can bring. The school's library and reading areas are well stocked with a wide range of high-quality texts. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the books that they have enjoyed.

The school places great importance on pupils' wider development. There is a wide range of clubs for pupils to develop their talents and interests. The school also educates pupils about the wider global community.

For example, through their choice of reading materials and artists and designers in art and design, staff promote pupils' understanding of a wide range of cultures. Pupils believe strongly in the principle of equality and they are adamant that everybody should be treated with respect. They are courteous when discussing important social issues and they express their opinions clearly.

Routines for positive behaviour are established well in the early years. Pupils across the rest of the school behave well. This ensures that learning proceeds smoothly.

Governors know the school very well. This knowledge enables them to both support and challenge leaders for the benefit of pupils. The school is mindful of staff well-being.

It takes steps to reduce unnecessary workload when making decisions about the curriculum.

Parents speak highly of the school. They believe that they are well informed about what their children are learning.

They appreciate the support and care offered by staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, the school has not identified the key knowledge that pupils need to be ready for the next phase of learning.

This means that, at times, pupils' learning is not as strongly linked to what they have learned previously as it could be. The school should ensure that all subject curriculums set out the knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which this should be taught.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2018.

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