Aigburth school turns fortunes around in Ofsted inspection

A south Liverpool school has turned around its fortunes in its first Ofsted review since joining an academy trust.

After a two-day inspection in April and May, St Margaret’s Church of England Academy, Aigburth, has received a rating of good from Ofsted. It had been rated as requires improvement following an inspection in November 2021.

It was the first assessment of the school since it joined All Saints Multi Academy Trust in October 2023.

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According to the education watchdog report, the academy was rated as good in all areas, including the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and its dedicated sixth-form provision.

It said: “The school is ambitious for pupils to succeed. Pupils are increasingly benefiting from the improvements that the school has made to the quality of education that it provides.”

The report detailed: “The school has designed subject curriculums that allow pupils to build their knowledge in a logical way. Each subject curriculum sets out clearly for staff the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn.

“Across all key stages, most pupils achieve well.” Ofsted referenced how the school and the trust have taken action to improve the identification of the needs of pupils with SEND.

The document added: “Pupils with SEND progress well through the same ambitious subject curriculums as their peers. The trust has supported the school by appointing new, experienced staff in various positions.

“This has strengthened the school’s capacity for improvement.”

Jeniffer Sing, executive headteacher, said: “We are incredibly delighted that St Margaret’s has been judged as a ‘good’ school in the latest Ofsted inspection. St Margaret’s is a long-standing pillar in the community and this achievement reflects the unwavering commitment and hard work of the entire school community, from staff and students to parents and governors.”

St Margaret’s opened in 1879. It was founded by Alderman William Preston, former Mayor of Liverpool, and Reverend John Sheepshanks, vicar of St Margaret's in Anfield. Heather Duggan, All Saints MAT chief executive, said: “The academy's journey of improvement is inspiring and demonstrates our commitment to providing the highest quality education for our students, guided by our values of aspiration, inclusion, and service.

“We are immensely proud of this achievement and look forward to continued success."

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