THE difficult decision of choosing which primary school is the best fit for your child is drawing increasingly closer as the selection process is only weeks away.
A good insight into how the schools nearest you are performing is given by education regulation board Ofsted, who carry out regular inspections to grade the settings from Inadequate to Outstanding.
Many primary schools in Runcorn and Widnes have been given positive gradings in recent years but others have not been as successful.
We have compiled a list of the primary schools in both areas that have received unsuccessful ratings from Ofsted in their most recent inspections with some rated as Inadequate.
To keep it relevant we have only included schools that have received an inspection from the year of 2020 and onwards.
Runcorn All Saints CofE Primary, Runcorn – ‘Requires Improvement’
This school in Runcorn was said to require improvements after its visit from Ofsted back in February 2022.
The report begins: “Pupils are proud of their school. They said that it is friendly and welcomes everyone. Pupils know that staff care about them and will listen to any worries that they may have.”
“In some subjects, leaders have considered the knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which they should learn this information.
“However, in other subjects, leaders’ curriculum thinking is at an earlier stage. They have not identified the essential knowledge that pupils should learn.
“This stops teachers from planning learning that builds on what pupils already know. It also hinders pupils’ ability to know and remember more over time.”
“The personal development curriculum does not enable pupils to gain a keen understanding of British values. Leaders should ensure that pupils understand the importance of British values and what this means to them as citizens in modern society.”
Halton Lodge Primary School, Runcorn – ‘Requires Improvement’
This school in Runcorn was said to require improvements by Ofsted Inspectors who visit the setting in September 2021.
The report read: “Halton Lodge is a happy and welcoming school. Pupils feel safe and well looked after. They trust staff to do what is right for them.”
“Although this school has many strengths, leaders have not ensured that pupils benefit from a well-planned, well-sequenced curriculum. Leaders have made recent improvements to the curriculums for mathematics and reading.
“However, plans in many other subjects lack detail about what teachers are expected to teach and what knowledge pupils are expected to acquire.
“As a result, pupils often engage in activities that are unrelated to their previous learning. This prevents them from building on their knowledge and remembering more.”
“Weaknesses in the school’s curriculum limit the progress that pupils make. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).”
Weston Point Community Primary School, Runcorn – ‘Inadequate’
This school was given the lowest Ofsted rating when the education watchdogs recently paid a visit to the setting in November 2022.
The report begins: “Although most pupils said that they feel safe and happy, they do not get a fair deal at this school.
“Pupils, and children in the early years, are not kept safe. Neither do they receive the quality of education that they deserve. This is particularly true for those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).”
“Most pupils are polite and they enjoy strong friendships with their peers. They understand that leaders have high expectations of their behaviour.
“Pupils do not benefit from a rich menu of experiences to complement their learning. They have few opportunities to develop their talents and interests.”
“Over several years, leaders have invited in a culture of complacency. Their expectations of what pupils, and children in the early years, can and should achieve have fallen.
“Leaders have been slow to act to improve provision in the early years, which was a recommendation made in the previous inspection report.”
St Edward's Catholic Primary – ‘Requires Improvement’
A recent inspection of this school back in December 2022 determined that the setting required some improvements.
The Ofsted report read: “Pupils, including children in early years, enjoy coming to this school. Leaders have created a warm environment that helps pupils to feel happy and safe. Pupils strive to learn together in a caring manner.”
“Until recently, the curriculum that pupils followed was not clear enough about what pupils needed to learn. Leaders have begun to devise a more aspirational curriculum for children in the early years and for pupils in key stages 1 and 2.
“In some subjects, including reading and mathematics, leaders have identified the important knowledge that pupils will learn and when this will be taught.
“In many other subjects, leaders are at the early stages of pinpointing what pupils should learn and when this will be taught. As a result, teachers are not clear about what to teach or the order in which new subject content should be taught.
“It also means that teachers are unsure what to assess to check that pupils have remembered their learning.”
Hallwood Park Primary School and Nursery, Runcorn – ‘Inadequate’
Ofsted’s most recent visit to this setting in November 2022 stated that pupils ‘do not receive an acceptable standard of education’ at the school which has been rated as Inadequate.
The report begins: “Pupils do not receive an acceptable standard of education at Hallwood Park Primary School. Leadership is not effective. Governors have been too slow to intervene to remedy the weaknesses in the school.
“As a result, pupils’ learning is poor. They do not achieve well.”
“Pupils do not benefit from an ambitious and engaging curriculum. Leaders and staff have low expectations of what pupils, including children in the early years, can, and should, achieve.
“The majority of pupils are not sufficiently prepared for the next stage of their education. Moreover, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and the youngest children, are worst affected by the ineffective curriculum.”
“Leaders have failed to design a well-thought-out curriculum, including in the early years. Across the school, the curriculum lacks depth and substance. For example, in key stages 1 and 2, pupils do not study all aspects of the national curriculum subjects.”
“Leaders have a weak understanding of how to design learning opportunities which enable children, at the very start of their school journey, to flourish and learn well. The lack of a discernible curriculum for most areas of learning means that children are poorly prepared for Year 1.”
The Holy Spirit Catholic Primary School, Runcorn – ‘Requires Improvement’
This school received a visit from Ofsted inspectors in July 2022 which moved the schools rating down from good to requiring improvements.
The report from the inspection read: “Pupils enjoy attending this small, friendly school where everyone is welcome. As one pupil said: ‘I love this school; it is like my second home.’”
“Leaders have high expectations of what pupils can achieve academically and personally. However, the curriculum in some subjects is not designed with sufficient thought. Consequently, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.”
“In many subjects, the curriculum does not make clear the knowledge that pupils will learn over time. Leaders have not thought carefully enough about what pupils need to know before learning something new.”
“In some subjects, leaders do not check what pupils have learned sufficiently well. This means that, at times, teachers do not provide opportunities for pupils to revisit missed or forgotten knowledge. Consequently, pupils find it hard to recall the important knowledge in these subjects.”
Halebank CofE Primary School, Widnes – ‘Requires Improvement’
This primary setting was said to require improvements after Ofsted inspected the school back in October 2022.
The inspectors reported: “Pupils, and children in the early years, enjoy coming to this happy and safe school. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong and supportive.”
“Leaders are ambitious about what all pupils can achieve. However, they have not realised this vision in full. Pupils, including those with SEND, do not learn all that they should.”
“Pupils are beginning to know and remember much more of the curriculum in these subjects. The curriculum in other subjects, including learning in the early years, is not as well designed. Leaders have set out what they want pupils and children to learn. However, they have not identified exactly what learning is the most important.”
“Leaders are in the process of refining and improving their systems to check how well pupils are learning the curriculum. Pupils enjoy the variety of enrichment activities that are designed to complement the curriculum.
“However, these do not always help them remember the most important knowledge that they need to achieve well.”
All Saints Upton Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Widnes – ‘Requires Improvement’
This school was rated as requiring improvements after its latest Ofsted inspection back in June 2020.
The report read: “Pupils enjoy attending the school. They are polite and welcoming. They follow teachers’ instructions sensibly, listen well during lessons and contribute to discussions.”
“Significant issues have affected the staffing and governance of the school since the previous inspection. These difficulties resulted in a decline in pupils’ achievement.
“Following the appointment of two new senior leaders, there has been a greater urgency to turn around the fortunes of the school.”
“In some subjects, leaders and teachers do not plan pupils’ learning well enough. This means that pupils’ knowledge is not secure and does not provide a strong foundation for new learning.
“Leaders’ systems to check what pupils know and can do are at an early stage of development. Leaders cannot say how effectively the curriculum achieves their ambitions.”
To read all the inspections in full, visit the Ofsted website at reports.ofsted.gov.uk
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here