Fazakerley Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Fazakerley Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Fazakerley Primary is at the heart of its community. Staff, parents, carers and, most importantly, pupils are all part of the Fazakerley family. Pupils told me that they are happy and feel safe in school.

They know that staff will look after them if they have any worries or concerns.

There are high expectations for every pupil. Pupils behave well.

They work hard in lessons because adults encourage them to achieve their best. Relationships between staff and pupils are respectful and considerate. Pupils understand what bullying is.

Those spoken to said that if it... happens, staff would help them sort it out.

The curriculum provides many opportunities for pupils to see what they can achieve in the wider world. Trips to museums and theatres allow pupils to explore their city.

In school they take part in lots of different clubs. These go beyond traditional sports and arts clubs. They include some more diverse clubs, like knot tying.

Not all pupils attend school as often as they should. These pupils do not get the chance to learn in the same way as their friends.

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

Fazakerley Primary is well led and managed.

Staff enjoy working at the school. They feel well supported by leaders. They get many opportunities for training and development.

Staff say that leaders care about their well-being.

Leaders have made sure that the curriculum is well designed and covers the national curriculum. It is planned so that pupils learn things in a logical order.

Leaders have thought about what they want pupils to know at certain points in their education. By the end of Year 6, the majority of pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics. They are well prepared for secondary school.

Pupils' achievement at the end of Year 2 is not as strong. Pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics in 2019 remained below the national average. Leaders have taken action to address this and have made improvements to the curriculum.

This is beginning to make a difference, especially to pupils' ability to read.

Many children enter the school with knowledge and skills that are below those typical for their age. As a result, staff make sure that they plan activities that focus on developing children's early language skills.

Children have many opportunities to practise these skills. There is a range of activities both inside and outside the classroom to help pupils to develop these skills.

The proportion of pupils who meet the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has been below the national average for the last three years.

Leaders have taken steps to improve this. They have made changes to the phonics curriculum and have provided staff with appropriate training. Children in the early years now begin to learn phonics as soon as they start at the school.

Staff make sure that children read books that are well matched to the sounds they are learning. They make regular checks on pupils' reading to find out what they know. Staff use this information to plan what to teach next.

When pupils fall behind, they receive extra support to help them to catch up.

Pupils told me how much they love reading. They said that they have access to lots of exciting and interesting books.

Pupils were keen to share their views about the books that they had read.

Pupils study a well-organised and interesting curriculum in science and geography. They use their knowledge from previous years to help them with new learning.

This helps pupils to know more and remember more. Pupils think about important issues such as global warming. They consider how scientists make a positive contribution to our world.

Pupils behave well. There is little disruption to learning in class. However, too many pupils miss out on these interesting lessons due to their poor attendance.

Disadvantaged pupils and those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive extra support. They access the full curriculum. Staff make sure that they plan activities that build on what pupils already know and can do.

This helps these pupils to achieve well by the end of key stage 2.

Pupils enjoy keeping themselves healthy, both mentally and physically. Leaders have established systems such as the 'roar rainbow', which identifies when pupils need support.

The pastoral team is ever present and readily available to help pupils when needed.

Pupils are keen to help their local community. The school council recently raised money to help the homeless.

Pupils are considerate and accepting of different religions and cultures. They celebrate the characteristics that make us all unique. Pupils told me that 'everyone is unique in their own way'.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Keeping pupils safe has high priority. Leaders identify, help and support vulnerable pupils and their families.

Staff are aware of the procedures that they should follow if they have any concerns about a pupil. These concerns are documented appropriately. The safeguarding team shares information effectively with external organisations so that pupils get the support that they need.

The curriculum makes sure that pupils know how to keep themselves safe when online and in their community.

Appropriate checks are made on the adults who work in and visit the school. Governors are aware of and fulfil their statutory safeguarding duties.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 1 remains below the national average. As a result, too many pupils are not ready for the key stage 2 curriculum. Leaders should make sure that their recent changes to the curriculum are implemented consistently across the early years and key stage 1.

They should ensure that teachers are well equipped to deliver the revised curriculum. This will ensure that pupils are better prepared for key stage 2. .

Pupils' attendance is below the national average and persistent absence is high. This means that some pupils do not access the full curriculum. Leaders need to redouble their efforts to improve pupils' attendance.

This will ensure that pupils access the full curriculum and achieve as well as they can. . The proportion of pupils who meet the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has been below the national average for the last three years.

This hampers pupils' ability to read fluently and to access other areas of the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that the revised phonics curriculum is consistently embedded across early years and key stage 1 so that pupils' early reading skills are further strengthened.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 a section 8 inspection of a good or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 4–5 May 2011.