Ellesmere Port Church of England College

Overview

The report describes the school as a “happy and safe place to learn” where pupils are “proud of their achievements.” Leaders have designed a “broad and ambitious curriculum” that supports good achievement, with teachers demonstrating “strong subject knowledge” and effective strategies to help pupils retain information.

Strengths

• Pupils behave well, with lessons described as “calm and purposeful,” and leaders deal with bullying “effectively.”
• The curriculum is “clear and coherent” in most subjects, ensuring teachers know the “essential knowledge to teach.”
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn the “same ambitious curriculum as their peers” and receive well-targeted support.
• Reading is promoted effectively, with a library providing a “purposeful space” and sixth-form students acting as “reading buddies.”
• Sixth-form students serve as “excellent role models” and take on significant responsibilities within the school community.

Areas to improve

• In a small number of subjects, leaders have not identified the “essential knowledge” pupils should learn, leading to gaps in subject knowledge.
• Teachers in some subjects do not “identify and address these gaps effectively enough,” meaning some pupils are not well prepared for new learning.
• Some pupils do not attend school as often as they should, causing them to “miss out on important learning.”

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are “effective,” with leaders identifying local risks and ensuring staff are trained to report concerns and work closely with external agencies.