The Prescot School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Over recent years, the school has increased its ambition for pupils. In the main, pupils are learning more effectively than they did in the past.

However, as a result of the previous curriculums, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

The new behaviour systems have raised teachers' expectations for pupil conduct. Most pupils behave well in lessons and they focus on their learning.

However, outside of lessons, their behaviour is more variable. During breaktimes, a small number of pupils do not respond quickly enough to staff's instructions, especially when they are behaving in a boisterous way. This makes some pupils feel uncomfortable during socia...l times.

Most pupils are happy in school. They appreciate the care, revision sessions and wider opportunities that staff provide for them. Some pupils take part in a range of extra-curricular activities.

They join sports teams, dance clubs and talent shows.

Pupils enjoy the opportunities that they are given to take on leadership positions. Members of the student council said that the school listens to, and acts on, their views and ideas.

For example, they have changed the cutlery used in the canteen to be more eco-friendly.

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

The school has brought about a number of positive changes to the curriculum since the previous inspection. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), follow a broad and ambitious curriculum.

An increasing proportion of pupils are choosing to study the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects. Despite these changes, some older pupils still have gaps in their learning due to the weaknesses in the previous curriculums. This hampers them from achieving as well as they should.

In most subjects, the curriculum is thoughtfully ordered to build on pupils' prior learning. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and explain concepts clearly. However, some teachers do not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to apply their learning in a range of activities or contexts.

As a result, some pupils are not able to connect and deepen their learning over time.

Teachers value the training that they have received to identify and rectify misconceptions in pupils' learning. However, they are at different stages in putting their training into practice.

Consequently, in a few subjects, teachers do not spot and tackle gaps in pupils' learning as quickly as they should. This means that, in some subjects, pupils move on to new learning before they are ready.

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND effectively.

Staff receive relevant information about pupils' needs. This helps them to adapt their delivery of the curriculum so that pupils generally receive the support that they need. As a result, pupils with SEND learn well alongside their peers.

Reading has a high priority within the school. Pupils who find reading difficult benefit from support that helps them to overcome gaps in their reading knowledge. Typically, these pupils become increasingly confident readers.

The school has increased its expectations for pupils' behaviour. Most pupils meet these expectations during lessons, although their behaviour outside of the classroom is more variable. A considerable proportion of pupils have low attendance rates and they are often late to lessons.

This prevents them from making the most of the improved curriculum offer. It acts as a barrier to their achievement. The school has implemented a range of strategies to support pupils to attend school more often.

Despite this work, these strategies have not had the desired impact.

The personal, social, health and economic education curriculum is designed carefully to develop pupils' awareness of personal safety and healthy living. Pupils learn about the differences between people and how to treat each other with respect.

They value the wealth of information that they receive about careers. This means that pupils feel well informed about their next steps.

The curriculum is enhanced through a growing number of visits, clubs and extra-curricular activities.

However, for some pupils, including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND, the uptake of these opportunities is low. As such, many pupils are not benefiting from the wide opportunities that the school has to offer.

The school, with the support of the trust, has strengthened staff's expertise through further training and the recent appointment of additional middle and senior leaders.

However, the school does not keep a close enough eye on the impact of these changes. As such, it is not clear if its work to bring about improvement is having the desired impact.

Staff, parents, carers and pupils are positive about a number of the improvements to the school.

Staff have been provided with support to implement the changes to ensure that the impact on workload has been minimal.

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, teachers do not select activities that help pupils to apply their knowledge in different contexts.

This limits pupils' ability to connect and deepen their learning over time. In these subjects, the school should ensure that teachers provide appropriate activities for pupils to strengthen and deepen pupils' learning. ? Some teachers do not check pupils' learning as carefully as they should.

This means that they are unaware of misconceptions and gaps in pupils' knowledge that persist over time. The school should ensure that teachers identify and then address missed or forgotten learning so that pupils can build securely on their prior knowledge. ? A considerable proportion of pupils arrive at school late or do not attend regularly enough.

This means that they miss out on learning which then hampers their achievement. The school should revisit its strategies for improving attendance in order to reduce the high levels of absence. ? Some pupils do not follow the raised behaviour expectations during social times.

This makes some other pupils feel uncomfortable. It spoils their enjoyment of breaktimes. The school should ensure that staff have the same high expectations of pupils' behaviour outside of classrooms and that they follow the behaviour management policy consistently well to reduce instances of poor behaviour.

• Some pupils, including those with SEND, do not take part in extra-curricular activities or school trips. This limits their understanding and experiences of the wider world. The school should design opportunities to promote pupils' wider development better so that more pupils can broaden their experiences, talents and interests.

• The school does not have sufficient oversight of the difference that its improvement work is making to pupils' experience and education. This makes it difficult for it to identify what is working well and where further action is needed. The school should ensure that there are effective systems in place to help it check that its actions are having the desired impact.