West Kirby Grammar School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 November 2022

At West Kirby Grammar School, pupils, and students in the sixth form, thrive. They are confident and articulate with a fervour for learning. Pupils and students, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), strive to live up to leaders' high expectations of them. Pupils and students enjoy strong academic success. Pupils and students share a sense of belonging at this school. They are accepted for who they are. This helps them to feel safe and happy. Pupils are kind to each other. They spoke of a respectful culture throughout the school where discriminatory behaviour is not a concern. Most pupils feel that teachers deal with any rare incidents of bullying well. Leaders expect pupils to behave well. Corridors are calm. Classrooms are vibrant spaces where pupils are eager to discuss their learning with their teachers. Pupils and students spoke enthusiastically about the extensive range of extra- curricular activities available to them such as sports, philosophy, drama and music clubs. Pupils and students assume leadership roles with pride. They appreciate the many opportunities that they have to contribute positively to the local community. Pupils and students are well prepared for life in modern Britain. For example, they value their 'world views' lessons when they learn about different faiths and cultures.

What the school should improve

• Some subject leaders do not check how effectively teachers are delivering the curriculum. As a result, there are times when the work that some teachers give to pupils does not reflect the ambition or knowledge in the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders are fully equipped to support teachers to deliver the curriculum consistently well.
• In a small number of subjects in key stage 3, leaders' assessment systems do not support teachers to check how well pupils are learning the curriculum over time. As a result, some teachers do not identify the gaps in pupils' learning swiftly enough. As leaders finalise their curriculum thinking, they should ensure that teachers use assessment strategies more effectively in these subjects.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)