School report
Inspection of Everton Free School
42 Spellow Lane, Liverpool L4 4DF
Inspection dates:
24 and 25 April 2024
Overall effectiveness
Outstanding
The quality of education
Outstanding
Behaviour and attitudes
Outstanding
Personal development
Outstanding
Leadership and management
Outstanding
Sixth-form provision
Outstanding
Previous inspection grade
Good
The principal of this school is Claire Lamontagne. This school is part of the Everton
In The Community Free School Trust, which means other people in the trust also
have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive
officer (CEO), Steven Baker OBE, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by
Sir John Jones.
Inspection report: Everton Free School
24 and 25 April 2024
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What is it like to attend this school?
Pupils, and students in the sixth form, attend an exceptional school. The school
provides an inspirational offer that enables pupils, including those with special
educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to excel.
Pupils are happy. They live up to the school’s high expectations. Over time, pupils
mirror the football club’s motto, ‘nil satis nisi optimum’ (nothing but the best is good
enough). They demonstrate this clearly in their excellent academic, personal and
social development.
The transformation in pupils’ behaviour, and engagement, over the time that they
spend at the school is remarkable. Pupils develop their self-esteem and self-belief
through learning to show respect, responsibility and resilience in all that they do.
They wear their ‘Everton blue’ uniforms with pride.
Pupils benefit highly from a broad array of additional opportunities. Visits, such as to
theatres and museums, help pupils to appreciate life beyond the classroom. Pupils
are encouraged to develop their interests, for example, mountain biking, cookery
and swimming.
Pupils of all abilities are supported to engage with a range of sporting opportunities.
At the heart of this school, sits football. Pupils play in tournaments regularly, and
coach local primary school pupils and disadvantaged children overseas, for example,
in locations such as Aruba and New York.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do
better?
Many pupils have experienced considerable disruption to their education prior to
joining the school. The relationships that pupils, many who are disadvantaged, form
with staff are strong and supportive. As a result, pupils develop a renewed love for
learning.
The school has designed a highly ambitious curriculum. All pupils benefit from a core
offer of English, mathematics, physical education (PE) and science. This is enhanced
with a range of options that meet pupils’ individual aspirations well. Many options
link to sport, which the school uses exceptionally well to reengage pupils with their
learning. The curriculum pinpoints what pupils will learn and when they will learn it.
The school ensures that staff deliver the curriculum expertly well. Teachers’ subject
knowledge is strong. Staff adapt their delivery of the curriculum to meet pupils’
needs effectively. Assessment is used purposefully to identify gaps in pupils’
knowledge and any unidentified or changing SEND. Staff use this information,
enhanced when required by on-site specialists, to provide pupils with a highly
bespoke programme of support.
Inspection report: Everton Free School
24 and 25 April 2024
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Alongside GCSEs, pupils study a range of vocational and academic qualifications, for
example, in health and social care, construction and music technology. Most pupils
leave the school with a strong set of qualifications. They achieve highly from their
various starting points and they are well prepared for their next steps in education,
employment or training.
Many students in the sixth form join the school after completing their studies at
mainstream schools. Students thrive due to the excellent curriculum on offer. The
curriculum, focused on sport, is delivered exceptionally well. Students’ achievement
is impressive and provides them with firm foundations for the future.
Reading is prioritised across the school. The school continues to provide pupils with
support to become confident, fluent readers for as long as is required. For example,
students in the sixth form receive effective support to gain their first, or improve
their current, grade in English or mathematics.
The school ensures that pupils learn in a calm and orderly environment. Pupils learn
to follow the high expectations for their behaviour and conduct quickly. They receive
highly effective support to manage their own emotions.
Many pupils start at the school with a poor track record of attendance in their
education to date. The school builds exceptionally trusting relationships with pupils.
This helps pupils to feel safe, secure and a part of the Everton family. Consequently,
alongside excellent supportive strategies, most pupils’ rates of attendance improve
considerably over time.
Pupils benefit from a personalised approach to careers education, information,
advice and guidance. Students in the sixth form spoke confidently about a range of
higher education options available to them. Staff help them to prepare for
applications, interviews and life at university.
The school provides a highly effective personal, social, health and economic (PSHE)
education programme. This, coupled with a strong approach to relationships, sex
and health education, helps pupils to learn about healthy relationships, the dangers
of exploitation and the importance of valuing diversity.
Staff, including those new to teaching, are immensely proud to work at the school.
They reported that leaders consider their workload and well-being carefully.
Many parents and carers commented that the work of the school has had a life-
changing impact on their child and family. Parents appreciate the care and guidance
that staff provide to pupils.
Governance is strong. Trustees provide effective support and challenge in equal
measure. The school, and trustees, are not complacent. They are committed to
continuing to drive forward the quality of education that pupils receive. Furthermore,
trustees and staff have ensured that the founding vision of this school has been fully
realised. They champion pupils’ many successes.
Inspection report: Everton Free School
24 and 25 April 2024
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Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
How can I feed back my views?
You can use Ofsted Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school,
or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted
Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as
part of their inspection.
The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a
school.
Further information
You can search for published performance information about the school.
In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational
needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need
of help and protection; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a
social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the
school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at
any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care)
and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route).
Inspection report: Everton Free School
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School details
Unique reference number
138379
Local authority
Liverpool
Inspection number
10200831
Type of school
Alternative provision
School category
Academy free school
Age range of pupils
13 to 19
Gender of pupils
Mixed
Gender of pupils in sixth-form
provision
Mixed
Number of pupils on the school roll
298
Of which, number on roll in the
sixth form
178
Appropriate authority
Board of trustees
Chair of trust
Sir John Jones
CEO of the trust
Steven Baker OBE
Principal
Claire Lamontagne
Website
www.evertonfreeschool.com
Date of previous inspection
9 October 2018, under section 8 of the
Education Act 2005
Information about this school
◼ The school caters for pupils at risk of exclusion. The school also provides for
pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs. Places are commissioned
by individual schools or local authorities. Most pupils are dual registered with their
commissioning school.
◼ Students join the sixth form to gain qualifications in sport and allied subjects.
◼ The school operates from four sites. The main site, for pupils in Years 9 to 11, is
located at 42 Spellow Lane, Liverpool L4 4DF. The school’s sixth-form provision
operates from three sites: Jericho Lane Playing Fields, Aigburth L17 5AR; Bridge
Chapel, Heath Road, Liverpool L19 4XR and Vauxhall Motors Sports Club,
Ellesmere Port CH66 1NJ.
◼ The school is part of the Everton In The Community Free School Trust.
Inspection report: Everton Free School
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◼ The school has grown considerably since the previous inspection.
◼ Due to the growth of the school, there have been many changes to the staffing of
the school since the previous inspection. The current principal was appointed in
April 2024. There have also been changes to the trust board since the previous
inspection.
◼ The school makes use of one unregistered alternative provider.
◼ The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which
requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and
engagement about approved technical education qualifications and
apprenticeships.
Information about this inspection
The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education
Act 2005.
◼ Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s
education provision.
◼ This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19
pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the
school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.
◼ Inspectors held meetings with the CEO of the trust, the principal and other school
leaders. Inspectors also met with a range of other staff.
◼ Inspectors spoke with trustees, including the chair of the trust board. They also
spoke with a representative of the local authority. Inspectors spoke to
representatives of local schools who commission places at the school.
◼ Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour across the school, including at social times.
Inspectors met with groups of pupils, and students in the sixth form, to discuss
school life.
◼ Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, PSHE
and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders and
teachers, visited a sample of lessons, reviewed samples of pupils’ work and spoke
with some pupils.
◼ To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single
central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and
considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive
culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.
◼ Inspectors met with leaders to review other areas of the curriculum. Inspectors
visited sites used as part of the sixth-form provision. They spoke to students and
staff and considered a sample of students’ work.
◼ Inspectors spoke with the leaders responsible for pupils’ personal development,
behaviour and attendance, careers, the sixth form, pupil admissions and SEND.
Inspection report: Everton Free School
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◼ Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation,
records relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour, and minutes of trust
meetings.
◼ The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the
free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online
surveys for staff and for pupils.
Inspection team
Adam Sproston, lead inspector
His Majesty’s Inspector
Julie Bather
Ofsted Inspector
Lindy Griffiths
Ofsted Inspector
Inspection report: Everton Free School
24 and 25 April 2024
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