Mersey Vale Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Mersey Vale are proud of their school. They treat each other with kindness and respect. Pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are happy.

They told inspectors that everybody is welcome in this school.

The school has high expectations of what pupils can and should achieve. Pupils, including pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged, do their best to live up to these expectations.

Typically, pupils achieve well.

Many pupils enter school at the early stages of learning to speak English as an additional language. These pupils receive effective support, which helps them successfully develop the...ir vocabulary and spoken English.

There is very little disruption to lessons or day-to-day school life. Pupils are attentive in lessons, and they work hard. They are confident that staff will swiftly resolve any concerns that they may have.

Pupils, including children in the early years, value the strong relationships that they form with supportive staff.

The school provides some well-designed opportunities to enhance pupils' learning of the curriculum. For example, pupils talked excitedly about their choir performances, trips to the airport and orchestra visits.

They also take pride in their roles of responsibility, such as being play leaders and school councillors. These experiences add considerable value to pupils' learning and deepen their aspirations.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum, which clearly defines the important knowledge that pupils will learn.

Staff typically deliver the curriculum effectively. The school has supported staff well, enabling them to develop suitable subject knowledge.

The curriculum provides regular opportunities for pupils to revisit the concepts that they have learned previously.

Staff regularly check on pupils' learning to identify any gaps or misconceptions. Staff ensure that pupils know more and remember more over time. Typically, most pupils achieve well by the end of Year 6.

In most subjects, the school keeps a check on how well the curriculum is delivered. However, in some other subjects, the school does not have a clear oversight of how well the curriculum is helping children in the early years, and pupils in key stages 1 and 2, to learn all that they should. This stops it from identifying when some aspects are not taught as well as intended.

At times, this hinders some pupils' progress through the curriculum.

Reading is threaded through the school's curriculum. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about their favourite books and authors.

The school prioritises early reading and phonics. Children in the Nursery class enjoy joining in with songs and rhymes. This prepares them well for learning phonics as soon as they enter the Reception class.

Highly trained staff provide pupils with extra support if they need it. This helps these pupils to catch up quickly with their reading. As a result, most pupils become confident, fluent readers by the end of Year 2.

The school has effective procedures in place to ensure that pupils with SEND are identified quickly. Staff skilfully adapt the delivery of the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils well. They ensure that pupils with SEND are equipped to learn well alongside their classmates.

Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. They are friendly and well-mannered. Where pupils' absence causes concern, the school puts effective strategies in place.

Over time, these pupils' rates of attendance improve.

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. The school actively celebrates the diverse range of languages and religions that pupils and their families represent.

However, pupils' understanding of fundamental British values is not as well developed. In addition, the school offers very few extra-curricular opportunities. As a result, some pupils are less prepared for life in modern Britain than they should be.

Governors are committed to the school. They support and challenge the school for the quality of education that pupils receive effectively.

Staff are proud to be part of the school team.

They are overwhelmingly positive about how the school takes their workload into consideration, for example when introducing new initiatives.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the school does not have a sufficiently detailed oversight of the impact of the curriculum from the early years to Year 6.

This means that the school is not able to identify when aspects of the curriculum are not delivered as well as intended. This sometimes leads to gaps in pupils' knowledge. The school should ensure that it maintains oversight of curriculum delivery to ensure that pupils learn all that they should.

• The school has not ensured that pupils have a deep enough knowledge of fundamental British values. Consequently, some pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be. The school should ensure that pupils develop a secure understanding of fundamental British values so that they are ready to be responsible citizens in modern society.