King David High School in Liverpool has been rated good in all areas by Ofsted  - but has lost the outstanding status it achieved at its last full inspection 12 years ago.

More than 80 per cent of previously outstanding schools in England which have been inspected this year have failed to maintain the grade following the introduction of a new framework by Ofsted.

Inspectors noted the high aspirations of governors and leaders, and said pupils  “achieve well across a range of subjects and are well prepared for their next steps in education, employment or training.”

An increasing number of students were taking the English Baccalaureate in their GCSEs.

There was a “calm and orderly atmosphere around the school”. Most students were happy, enjoyed school and felt safe.

Special educational needs were swiftly identified.

While a small number of pupils reported instances of poor behaviour in class, Ofsted  found that leaders and staff managed pupils’ behaviour well and dealt with issues quickly, which helped “ to reduce any disruption to learning”.

However, Ofsted said, in the sixthform, “some aspects of healthy relationships are not implemented consistently well. In addition, some Year 13 students do not attend these sessions regularly. Consequently, they are not receiving the information that they need to help them with their future lives.”

Occasionally, in a few subjects, teachers did not use assessment strategies well enough to check that what had been taught had been properly understood, inspectors reported.