Schools should be inspected by regulatory body Ofsted every four years or 30 months depending on their status.
Forty-two schools in Liverpool and Merseyside currently ‘require improvement’, according to Ofsted.
Ofsted is the regulatory body for schools, providing institutions with ratings on a four-point scale, ranging from 'inadequate' to 'outstanding'. Grades are based on overall effectiveness, quality of education, behaviours and attitudes, personal development, and leadership and management.
However, many parents look at inspection reports as a way to decide which school is best suited to their children, with reports providing an in-depth analysis of how the school operated during a one to two day visit.
We have scoured the ratings to find out which schools Ofsted believe to not be operating as well as they should be, with 42 schools across the region ranked 'requires improvement’ in 2024.
Below are all of the Merseyside primary and secondary schools currently* ranked as ‘requires improvement’ by Ofsted. Did your child’s school make the list? *Ratings are correct as of June 19, 2024. Full inspection reports can be found here.
37. St Michael and All Angels Catholic Primary School, Kirkby, Knowsley L32
Published in November 2023, the Ofsted report for St Michael and All Angels Catholic Primary School reads: “Pupils enjoy learning. They have positive attitudes towards school. The school has high expectations for most pupils in key stages 1 and 2. However, the arrangements to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not help these pupils to achieve as well as they should. In addition, the school has not ensured that the provision in early years consistently meets children’s learning needs. A poorly designed curriculum and low expectations for children’s learning mean that children are not sufficiently prepared for the next stages in their education.” | Google Street ViewPhoto: Google Street View
38. Stockton Wood Community Primary School, Speke, Liverpool L24
Published in October 2023, the Ofsted report for Stockton Wood Community Primary School reads: “The school has set out an ambitious vision for what pupils’ education should look like. It has identified clear ways of thinking about and delivering the curriculum. The school has achieved much in establishing this work, particularly in the past year. However, the quality of the curriculum and its delivery in different subjects remains variable, including in the early years.” | Google Street ViewPhoto: Google Street View
39. Rectory CE Primary School, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan WN4
Published in June 2024, the Ofsted report for Rectory CE Primary School reads: "The school has high expectations for what pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), should learn in some subjects, including English and mathematics. The curriculum in most other subjects is new.
Many pupils have significant gaps in their knowledge owing to weaknesses in previous subject curriculums. Pupils are not as well prepared for the next stage in their education as they should be." | Google Street ViewPhoto: Google Street View
40. Westvale Primary School, Kirkby, Knowsley L32
Published in June 2023, the Ofsted report for Westvale Primary School reads: “In most subjects, leaders and staff have considered what they want pupils to learn and when they will learn it from the early years to the end of Year 6. They have high ambition for all pupils, including the youngest children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, until recently, some subject leaders have not had the opportunity to check how well their subjects are being taught. In some subjects, leaders have not identified clearly enough the most important content that pupils need to have mastered over time.” | Google Street ViewPhoto: Google Street View
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