Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School and Nursery has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this caring school, which is at the heart of its community.

New pupils are welcomed from all around the world. They soon become part of the Sacred Heart family. The school is a diverse community with 30 languages spoken.

Pupils are encouraged to be proud of their heritage. They know that their differences make them unique. Their similarities connect them to their friends.

Pupils are expected to behave very well, and they do. Pupils, from the Nursery class throu...gh to Year 6, have positive attitudes to learning. They are keen to absorb new knowledge and understand tricky concepts.

Pupils take pride in their work. They delight in sharing their accomplishments and celebrating those of their peers. The school has high aspirations for pupils.

They achieve well. Pupils leave Year 6 ready for the next stage of their education.

Pupils benefit from, and have a say in, the many opportunities offered beyond the curriculum.

These hone their talents and interests. For example, pupils enjoy attending cross-country running, choir and gardening clubs. Pupils are encouraged to help others in their local area and beyond.

They do so willingly. At harvest time, pupils take food donations to the community centre next door. Pupils value the importance of being part of the wider community.

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

The school has prioritised the teaching of early reading. In the Nursery class, children listen attentively at story time. The phonics programme starts swiftly in the Reception class.

Children learn the sounds and letters that they need to learn to read. In key stage 1, pupils build on this to develop fluency and accuracy. In addition, pupils who start at the school with little or no English are well supported by skilled staff to learn English.

This enables these pupils to make friends and feel a sense of belonging. Once these pupils have started to develop their spoken language, they are taught to read.

The school has carefully considered the important knowledge to be taught from the Nursery Year to Year 6.

The needs and interests of pupils have been taken into account in the design of the school's curriculum. This is especially evident in the early years, where children are engrossed in their play. For the most part, staff routinely check that pupils have learned and remembered important information before moving on to new learning.

In the main, staff have the expertise to design lesson activities that help pupils to learn well. However, in a small number of subjects, some pupils do not learn as well as they might. On occasion, pupils develop misconceptions.

This is because not enough consideration has gone into how staff teach some of the key knowledge.

The school ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified swiftly. It ensures that staff make appropriate adaptations to lesson activities so that pupils with SEND can learn successfully alongside their peers.

Pupils' behaviour around school is exemplary. In the playground, pupils of all ages play harmoniously together. They take great joy in the range of activities on offer.

In the hall, lunchtime is very calm. Pupils enjoy talking to their friends. They listen carefully to one another.

This is an opportunity for pupils to develop their language skills.

The school promotes pupils' personal development well. As a result, pupils have an exceptional understanding of fundamental British values and equality.

Pupils learn about different faiths and how to keep themselves healthy and safe. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They are tolerant and show high levels of respect to staff, visitors and one another.

Pupils develop leadership skills. For example, eco-representatives help to gather information about how pupils travel. They promote sustainable ways to get to school.

Pupil parliamentarians visit the town hall and contribute to making Liverpool a better place to live. Pupils develop as good citizens of their local area and beyond. They have a highly developed understanding about issues that affect them and their families.

Pupils describe their school as a community, which brings together different cultures, communities and religions.

The school works tirelessly to ensure that pupils to come to school each day. The small number who do not are given the support that they need.

As a result, pupils attend well.

Governors know the school well and are ambitious for its pupils. Governors gain the information that they need to challenge and support the school effectively to maintain the standard of education that it provides.

Governors support staff in their work and ensure that they have sufficient time to complete any additional tasks. As a result, staff feel valued.

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 few subjects, some pupils have misconceptions in their curriculum knowledge. This hinders how well these pupils achieve. The school should ensure that staff receive the support that they need to help pupils to understand and remember key information well.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2014.

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