Dovecot Primary School

Dovecot Primary School Grant Road, Liverpool, Merseyside, L14 0LH

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

p.1

This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because too few pupils make more than expected progress in Key Stages 1 and 2.  A good proportion of pupils do not speak with the fluency and accuracy that they need to succeed in the next stage of their education.  The quality of teaching is not consistently good, especially because the level of challenge for the more-able pupils is not high enough.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 The recently appointed headteacher is beginning to improve the school.  The governing body challenges the school well and has has acted quickly to help the school become better.  Teaching is improving.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress.  Standards in English and mathematics are improving well in most areas of the school.  Pupils behave well. They have a good understanding of how to keep safe and feel protected from all forms of bullying and harrassment. Attendance has improved rapidly and is now average.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 12 lessons, including a joint observation with the headteacher. In addition, the inspection team made a number of short visits to lessons.  Meetings were held with pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors, a representative from the local authority and members of the senior and middle management teams.  There were insufficient responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) to take into account in planning the inspection. Seventeen staff questionnaires were also scrutinised.  The inspection team listened to pupils read, spoke to them about their learning and looked at work in their books. They looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own tracking data on pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.

p.2

Inspection team

Robert Pye, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Christine Addison Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Dovecot Primary School is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is well above average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is well above average. The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  Almost all the pupils are White British.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school runs a morning breakfast club, open to all pupils.  Since the previous inspection, there have been significant changes to the teaching staff and senior leadership structure, including the appointment of a new headteacher in September 2011.  Many more pupils than found nationally join and leave the school at different times in the year.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, in order to raise standards in English and mathematics by ensuring that:  teaching is consistently good or better in all classes by raising teachers’ expectations for the more-able pupils  information gained from checks on pupils’ work is used to plan work that consistently challenges the more-able pupils, so that they make consistently good progress in all classes.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the pupils’ ability to speak fluently and accurately by ensuring that teachers:  read more regularly with pupils, discussing new words pupils encounter so that pupils have a greater understanding of the text  provide more opportunities within lessons to discover new words so that pupils can express feelings and explain the world around them more accurately  allowing pupils to report back to the class following increased use of independent and small group activities.

p.3

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ attainment by the end of Key Stage 1 has been steadily rising, but still remains below average in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ progress is not yet consistently good.  By the time pupils leave Year 6, their attainment is usually below average in English and mathematics and not enough pupils make expected progress. However in 2012, all pupils in Year 6 made the expected progress in these subjects. Current school data and work in the pupils’ books shows that overall attainment and progress is improving but progress of the more-able pupils is not yet good.  Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are well below those normally expected. They enjoy well-focused teaching and interesting activities that enable them to make good progress.  All pupils learn to use phonics (letters and the sounds they make) to help them read and spell. They read with enthusiasm in school but their progress in reading requires improvement.

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils have below average skills in speaking, especially when expressing feelings or explaining the world around them. This makes it difficult for them to understand written texts and limits progress overall in English and mathematics.  School leaders are becoming increasingly skilled at identifying those who are not making the same progress as other pupils. The carefully targeted extra support is beginning to help these pupils make faster progress and to catch up. This includes many who have arrived at the school part way through the year.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because the work is suitably matched to their ability.  Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium achieve at least as well as pupils nationally.

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching has improved significantly under the current leadership.  Teachers foster good relationships. Pupils say lessons are interesting and enjoyable and show this through positive attitudes to learning. Pupils try their best with the presentation of their work in books.  The quality of teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. This is because the teachers plan a wide range of activities to promote children’s learning and development. For example, in one session children enjoyed finding and sorting shapes. The teacher joined in and helped the children talk about the shapes so that they learnt both mathematics and good ways of speaking.  While there is much good teaching, some is not strong enough to ensure good progress. In particular, pupils’ progress information is not used sufficiently well enough by teachers so that they provide a consistently high level of challenge for the more-able pupils in English and

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

mathematics. In addition, although teachers listen to pupils read, not enough time is spent by pupils learning the meaning of new words or by teachers providing opportunities for pupils to develop their ability to speak fluently and accurately through discussion.  Although behaviour in lessons is good, teachers do not provide regular opportunities for pupils to manage their own behaviour through problem-solving activities.  The teaching of writing is a relative strength throughout the school because the school teaches this better than reading and mathematics  Teaching assistants are used well in the classrooms to support learning or to provide structured programmes for those pupils who have special educational needs or for those who have been identified as requiring extra help to maintain expected progress.  Teachers’ marking has improved significantly. Pupils comment that they find it useful and that it

p.4

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is good throughout the school. Pupils have positive attitudes to work. This is evident in class, around school and on other occasions, such as at the breakfast club.  Behaviour is not yet outstanding because many activities within the school are closely directed by teachers, with fewer opportunities for pupils to manage their own behaviour when working independently or in groups.  Pupils are proud of the way behaviour has improved over recent years. They feel safe and talked knowledgeably of types of bullying such as physical, name-calling, cyber and racist. Pupils say that bullying is dealt with quickly and there is always someone there to help. They know how to keep themselves safe when travelling and playing in the neighbourhood.  Behaviour incident logs have been well maintained over three years.  Staff manage behaviour well in class. The relatively new behaviour policy has a clear range of

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

rewards and consequences that are applied consistently. Fixed-term exclusion rates were high initially when this was introduced, but have rapidly declined as expectations have become clear.  Pupils’ social and moral development is promoted regularly through assemblies and by the use of ‘Reflection Time’.  Action by the school to promote higher attendance has been successful with attendance now rising sufficiently to be in line with the national average. In particular, the school has used effective strategies to highlight the importance of regular attendance and ensure that fewer families take holidays during term time.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The relatively new headteacher has driven forward a rigorous programme of monitoring and performance management that has resulted in a significant improvement in the quality of teaching.  All teachers are held individually to account for pupils’ progress. Pupil progress meetings are held regularly and data is analysed. The progress of all groups is checked closely, including those with special educational needs. The impact of intervention programmes and how the pupil premium funding is spent is also evaluated against the progress of these pupils.  Initiatives to manage pupils’ behaviour have been quick and effective, thus ensuring that behaviour is not a barrier to teaching and learning.  The school’s accurate self-evaluation has enabled the headteacher and governing body to identify clear and appropriate steps for further school improvement.  Good procedures are being developed for the professional development of staff. Such practice

p.5

The leadership and management are good

enables the headteacher to share her high expectations and work collaboratively with the staff.  The curriculum is undergoing change, in part to improve the range of spiritual, moral, social and cultural experiences for pupils.  The school has developed improved its relationships with parents. Initiatives to help parents understand the work of the school, although meetings are not always well attended, are provided regularly.  The local authority has provided good support and challenge for the school and has played an important role in tackling any underperformance in teaching.  The governance of the school:  Governors have acted swiftly and with determination to tackle previous underperformance.  The governing body is fully involved with the performance management of the headteacher and school development priorities  The governing body ensures, with other leaders, that all safeguarding and child protection

p.5

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

p.6

Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

p.6

School details

Unique reference number 130296 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 402416

p.7

School details

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

p.7

School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3-11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 154 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Christine Nurse Headteacher Alison Whittaker Date of previous school inspection 6 May 2012 Telephone number 0151 259065 Fax number 0151 259064 Email address dovecot-ht@dovecot.liverpool.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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 .

p.7

School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

p.8

School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.8

School details

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 assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

p.8

School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

p.8

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.8