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Cathcart Street Primary School in Birkenhead has been judged as "needs attention" in every area in its latest Ofsted report.
The school, on Dover Close, was inspected in July and the report was published in late September.
Ofsted has replaced their single grade inspection classification with a rating on a range of areas. The scale ranges from exceptional to needs urgent improvement.
Inspectors said that some staff do not "consistently adhere to leaders' high expectations for pupils' behaviour." It is also noted some pupils "become disengaged or call out in lessons", and "many pupils are persistently absent".
The report said some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and those facing other barriers to learning, "do not achieve as well as they should".
However, the school is supportive of those children, as they have "adapted the start of the school day" for children with additional needs to keep a calm routine.
Teachers are known to "check the progress that these pupils make through the curriculum", although it is noted the teaching can be a problem with meeting individual students' needs.
It also found pupils are "not as well prepared as they should be for life in diverse modern Britain", and that there are limited chances for them to take on roles of responsibility.
Overall, inspectors concluded pupils "felt safe and are safe" at the school, and they have positive relationships with the staff. When it comes to dealing with bullying, the school deals with those issues quickly and effectively.
Safeguarding needs for pupils were also met, according to the report.
To improve, inspectors recommend that teaching is well-matched to all pupils, including those with SEND needs. They also recommend staff should manage inconsistencies in teaching so all students are achieving "as they should" in reading, writing, and mathematics. Thirdly, they want the school to tackle the high absence rates of pupils and to establish consistent behaviour policies for all pupils.
Catherine Cookson, headteacher at Cathcart Street Primary School, said in a statement: “We are pleased that the recent inspection highlighted a number of positives, including the warm and trusting relationship that exists between pupils and staff, the strong pastoral support in place for children and families and that the curriculum we are delivering is well-organised and is beginning to strengthen children’s knowledge and skills.
“The areas identified for development were not unexpected. Our leadership team had already identified the need to improve consistency in teaching, raise outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics, strengthen attendance and improve support for pupils with additional needs.
She added that the school has started to address the issues, and is looking forward to their future.
Last week Ofsted said Wallasey's Penkett Day Nursery met a strong standard for inclusion.
The full report is on the Ofsted website. Use the reference URN: 105048 to find the report.
