Lister Junior School

Age group 7–11 Inspection date(s) 09–10 November 2011 Inspection number 377095 Unique Reference Number 104554 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 377095 Inspection dates 9–10 November 2011 Reporting inspector Angela Westington HMI

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 223 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ann Butler Headteacher Simon King Date of previous school inspection 02 October 2008 School address Green Lane Liverpool L13 7DT Telephone number 0151 2284196 Fax number 0151 221 0838 Email address listerdrivej-ht@listerdrive-jun.liverpool.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It rates council children's services, and inspects services for looked after

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children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by two of Her Majesty's Inspectors and one additional inspector. They observed teaching and learning in 19 lessons or part lessons and 10 teachers were seen. Discussions were held with staff, groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority. Inspectors observed the school's work and looked at a wide range of the school’s documentation including safeguarding and vetting documents; the development plan; pupil tracking records; records of the monitoring of lessons and teachers’ planning. Inspectors also scrutinised pupils’ work, a case study of a pupil potentially vulnerable to underachieving; pupils, staff and 61 completed questionnaires from parents and carers.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 The extent to which leadership and management, especially of teaching, have improved and the impact on pupils’ outcomes.  Whether pupils make sufficient progress and attain well.  How much progress has been made on tackling the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. 

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Information about the school

Lister Junior School is an average-sized primary school in the north of Liverpool. Most pupils are of White British heritage and the number from minority ethnic backgrounds, or for whom English is an additional language, is lower than average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is above that found in most schools, as is the proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. The school has a number of national awards including the Healthy School status, Basic Skills Quality Mark and the Activemark. Within its local area, the school is a centre of excellence for French.

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Information about the school

On day one of this inspection, most of the pupils in Years 5 and 6 departed for a residential trip. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Main findings

Lister Junior is a satisfactory and improving school. Pupils’ personal outcomes are good. They enjoy school very much; they report feeling safe and they make a good contribution to the life of their school and community. By the end of Year 6, pupils attain broadly average standards having made satisfactory progress overall. In 2011, the proportion of pupils who gained the expected Level 4 in both English and mathematics in national tests was significantly higher than was the case nationally. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils who are potentially vulnerable make good, and in a few cases, outstanding progress overall.

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Main findings

The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall but it is uneven. It is less secure in Year 3 where the academic transition arrangements for pupils entering the school are not as robust as they should be and, as a result, progress made by pupils dips. Pupils make more rapid progress as they move further through the school, although even here the variability in teaching leads sometimes to uneven progress. This is, in part, due to the carousel arrangement of activities which is used by teachers in some lessons. This arrangement limits considerably the time available for direct teaching of key skills and the activities are not always matched sufficiently well to pupils’ needs.

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Main findings

The school’s focus on the areas identified at the previous inspection has been rewarded with an increase in the number of more-able pupils gaining the higher levels in mathematics. However, scrutiny of pupils’ books and lesson observations reveal that, for some pupils, persistent errors in number and writing skills are limiting their progress. These are not consistently picked up and corrected.

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Main findings

The curriculum is good and has improved since the previous inspection. It is vibrant and interesting; it captures pupils’ interest and enthuses them. Teachers work very hard to make lessons practical and engaging. The school’s provision for the care, guidance and support of pupils is also good. Pupils are well looked after and there are strong relationships with agencies to support pupils and families. The pastoral transition arrangements on entry to the school are good.

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Main findings

The leadership and management of teaching and learning are satisfactory. The headteacher and two deputies work well together and are a reflective team. They have moved the school forward in several aspects and monitoring arrangements are well embedded. However, there has been no review of the carousel arrangements and its impact on the progress made by pupils. Safeguarding and vetting requirements are well met. Given the improvements in the curriculum, the increase in the number of pupils gaining the higher levels in mathematics and the proportion of pupils gaining the expected level in both English and mathematics, the school has satisfactory capacity to improve further.

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Main findings

Up to 40% of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the academic transition of pupils on entry to the school by: - building on the Year 2 results - checking pupils’ knowledge of letter sounds to read unknown words and to spell correctly and ensure that all pupils quickly fill in any gaps in their knowledge - checking pupils’ ability to read at sight and to spell correctly high frequency words, and ensuring that all pupils quickly fill in any gaps in their knowledge - ensuring that the transition from feeder schools’ reading schemes to the school’s own scheme is seamless and moves pupils forward - improving the subject knowledge of teachers in Years 3 on how pupils in Key Stage 1 learn to read and write and how they can best move pupils forward.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase rates of progress made by pupils across the school by: - ensuring that all teaching is based upon the accurate assessment of the needs of different groups in the classes - reviewing the impact of the carousel approach to lessons and raising the proportion of good and better teaching - ensuring that in all lessons sufficient attention is given to pupils acquiring high levels of skill in spelling, punctuation and grammar and the use of the four rules of number . 

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Pupils’ attainment on entry to the school is typically above average. Their achievement is satisfactory. In general, pupils make satisfactory, but uneven progress from Year 3 to Year 6. The school is particularly successful in supporting pupils whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable to underachievement: those known to be eligible for free schools meals; those from minority ethnic heritage; pupils who are looked after and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Pupils report that they enjoy school very much, they feel safe and they enjoy their lessons. They know how to keep healthy. Pupils spoken to, have a good awareness of road, rail and water safety and of the dangers of the internet. Pupil advocates ‘buddy up’ with the younger children to support them or play with them. They enjoy the house system and the opportunity to elect house captains. The school council is active and can point to changes they have contributed to, such as the playground equipment. Pupils are involved in wider initiatives through the Liverpool Schools’ Parliament. Currently, one member of the school council is the one of the pupil ‘Lord Mayors.’

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Pupils have good links with the local area: visiting nursing homes and churches and singing at local events. Pupil support for local and international charities is strong. They have established good links with a school in Haiti.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

During this inspection, pupils’ behaviour around the school was good. They line up and enter classrooms in an orderly fashion and are friendly and polite to each other. Attendance is average.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils' attainment 1 3 The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 3 The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress The extent to which pupils feel safe 2 Pupils' behaviour 2 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 2 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils' attendance 1 3 The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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How effective is the provision?

The teachers work very hard to make lessons engaging and exciting. Inspectors observed a number of practical, ‘hands-on’ lessons in a range of subjects which had clearly necessitated a great deal of planning and preparation. When these lessons worked well, pupils were highly motivated and gained a lot from them. For example, in a Year 5 mathematics lesson on capacity, pupils enthusiastically estimated and measured amounts of water, reading scales in millilitres and finding the difference between various amounts. Behaviour was good because pupils were interested in what they were doing and the work matched the groups’ abilities well. In contrast, in some of the carousel lessons observed, the teacher had to move from one group to another, explaining different tasks, without the time to explain key points in detail. In addition, the emphasis in many lessons on pupils working in pairs or groups and sharing the recording of their work, without the teacher present to assess

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How effective is the provision?

understanding or correct misconceptions, means that it is not clear how, in such instances, teachers keep abreast of who is and who is not learning the key points.

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low In some lessons there is insufficient attention to ensuring that all pupils acquire skills in spelling, punctuation and grammar and to the four rules of number.

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum is good: it is broad and interesting and it particularly promotes pupils’ personal development well. Aspects of personal, social and health education permeate the fabric of the building, for example signs around the school encourage pupils to remember their manners: ‘look behind you to see who is coming’. The use of specialist teachers for French, sport and music enhances provision. French features strongly throughout the school in notices and signs. A wide range of links with other partners enhances the provision on offer.

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How effective is the provision?

The school has well-organised arrangements for the care, guidance and support of pupils in policy and practice which contribute towards their good personal outcomes. There are striking examples of support provided by the school enabling individual pupils to overcome significant barriers to achievement. Pupils spoken to reported that the transition arrangements from the infant school are well planned and enable them to settle quickly.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning 3 The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

Aspects of leadership and management are good. Together, the headteacher and two deputy headteachers provide reflective leadership and management of the school and are improving the school’s provision and pupils’ outcomes. The school is a welcoming and happy community.

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How effective are leadership and management?

Leadership and management of the quality of teaching and learning are satisfactory. There is a well-established programme of monitoring activities, planned in advance, undertaken by the headteacher, deputy headteachers and subject and year group leaders. Formal, written reports on the quality of lessons, teachers’ planning and pupils’ work are produced and discussed. Improvements to teaching and lesson planning have been brought about as a result of monitoring. However, there has not yet been a review of the carousel arrangement to lessons which a number of teachers are using.

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How effective are leadership and management?

Governance is satisfactory. The governing body has an overview of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and of current priorities. All safeguarding and statutory duties are well met. Parents and carers who returned questionnaires are overwhelmingly positive about the work of the school. The school responded to parental concerns about the transition arrangements and improved them. Partnerships with other agencies are strong. The school makes good use of links with local secondary schools, universities and health and social services to improve provision for its pupils and ensure their well-being. The school promotes community cohesion satisfactorily. It has established links with a range of partners to broaden pupils’ understanding of social and religious communities at various levels. Currently, the global and local dimensions are stronger than the national: the school’s links with Haiti and the Liverpool Parliament, for

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How effective are leadership and management?

example, are strongly established whereas there is less of a focus on national aspects.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination well. A significantly larger than average proportion of pupils gains the expected Level 4 in both English and mathematics in Year 6 national tests. Consequently, the school is closing the attainment gap between potentially vulnerable groups and others and improving the life chances of these pupils whose circumstances make them most vulnerable.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for the leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambit ion and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning 3 The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers 2 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 3 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Views of parents and carers

Fifty-nine parents and carers returned completed questionnaires of whom almost all were wholly happy with the school’s work. Four individual concerns were raised in writing about: funding for specialist provision for a child, the state of the school path in winter, a comment about bullying and poor behaviour and one parent questioning why the provision of milk and fruit had been stopped. These comments have been drawn to the school’s attention. In contrast, a more typical response is the comment made by one parent that, ‘I am very happy with the way my son is progressing. He is interested in the “topics” taught and enjoys learning, e.g. on Henry V111 at the moment. He also gets huge enjoyment from the drama club, which has really helped his reading and literacy.’

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questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Lister Junior School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 61 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 223 pupils registered at the school.

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questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 38 62 23 38 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 37 61 23 38 0 0 1 2 The school informs me about my child's progress 33 54 27 44 1 2 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 33 54 27 44 0 0 1 2 The teaching is good at this school 33 54 28 46 0 0 0 0 The school helps me to support my child's learning 31 51 27 44 1 2 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 30 49 28 46 1 2 1 2 The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 33 54 26 43 1 2 1 2

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questionnaire

The school meets my child's particular needs 32 52 26 43 0 0 1 2 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 31 51 25 41 0 0 2 3

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questionnaire

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 29 48 27 44 1 2 1 2

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questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 34 56 25 41 0 0 1 2 Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 40 66 20 33 1 2 0 0

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questionnaire

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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questionnaire

Table needs completing – QAR not able to comment

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9 Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5 All schools 10 44 39 6

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above is for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

Inspection of Lister Junior School, Liverpool, L13 7DT 

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

As you know, I recently visited your school with two colleagues. Thank you for being so kind and helpful and for welcoming us to your school. Thank you especially to those of you whom we met. We enjoyed meeting you and hearing about what you like about school.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

We found that there are lots of good things about your school.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

 You are growing up to be good, well-behaved and decent young people who know how to keep healthy and safe. You play a good part in your community and you are proud of your school.  A large number of you get Level 4 or above in both mathematics and English in the Year 6 SATs! Well done!  The adults in your school look after you well and make sure you are safe.  The teachers work hard to make the curriculum, the subjects you study, interesting.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

We think though that some of your lessons could be better and that some of you could make better progress in lessons, especially when you first join the school in Year 3. We have asked your headteacher to check on this in the future.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

Those of you who completed the questionnaires told us how much you enjoy school. Please remember to say thank you to the teachers and adults who take care of you. We are sure that you will continue to be good ambassadors for Lister Junior School.

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Her Majesty's Inspector

procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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