Netherley Park Primary School

Norman Pannell School Brownbill Bank , Liverpool, Merseyside, L27 7AE

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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 Requires improvement 3

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

 Teaching is not consistently good. Although the amount of good teaching has increased, pupils are not always given demanding enough work.  Pupils do not make good enough progress in mathematics.  Leaders have not always checked on the school’s work, especially teaching, and this has resulted in pupils not doing well enough overall.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage get off to a good start.  Pupils are doing better in English year by year. Pupils make good progress in reading.  Pupils are cared for well. They behave well, feel safe and enjoy school. Their attendance is improving.  Senior leaders have changed the way that they work as a team and are changing the school for the better.  Leaders are working well with the local authority. New plans are beginning to work and pupils are making faster progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 13 lessons and parts of lessons.  Meetings were held with members of staff and the governing body, pupils and representatives from the local authority.  In addition, inspectors took account of three responses from parents to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View).  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation that included national assessment data and the school’s own assessments, the school’s self- evaluation, recent local authority reports, curriculum information, safeguarding documents and pupils’ current work.

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Inspection team

Kevin Johnson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Elaine Maloney Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Almost all pupils are White British in this smaller than average sized primary school.  About two-thirds of the pupils are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium funding. This is much higher than the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is above average.  A below average proportion of pupils is supported by school action plus or a statement of special educational needs.  The school meets the governments’ current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school provides a breakfast club during term-time.  There is pre-school provision on site. This is not managed by the governing body and receives a separate report which is published on the Ofsted website.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is always good or better by: - making sure that teachers know exactly what pupils know, and need to know, on a day-to-day basis and use that information to plan the next steps in learning - providing enough challenge for more-able pupils, particularly in writing - using the best ideas and most successful teaching as a model for all lessons throughout the school - giving pupils more opportunities to use computers and other technology during lessons to help them to learn.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase progress and raise achievement in mathematics by: - setting challenging targets for pupils, especially the more able, and checking frequently to make sure they are likely to achieve them - continuing to involve pupils in checking their own progress so that they understand what they need to do to improve.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and continue to promote further improvement by strengthening the way senior leaders check the school’s work, particularly teaching, in order to improve pupils’ learning and progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Most children start school with skills that are well below those typically expected for their age.  Children make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes and by the time they go into Year 1 they are working broadly in line with expectations for their age in all their learning.  Pupils continue to make steady progress in Years 1 and 2. Attainment is average at the end of Year 2 with most pupils reaching the level expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics. Too few pupils, however, do better than expected. Pupils’ reading skills pick up well and there are some good readers currently in Year 2. They enjoy reading. Pupils are confident when tackling new words and like to talk about their favourite stories and authors.  At the end of Year 6, pupils reach the standards they should in English but not in mathematics. Standards in English have improved since the previous inspection because there has been a

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

longer-term focus on the subject. There has been some good progress in reading, but pupils, especially the more able, could make faster progress in writing. Pupils in Year 6 read accurately without struggling with unfamiliar words. They use good expression in their voices, showing that they understand what they read.  Progress in mathematics in Years 3 to 6 has been slower. There are gaps in pupils’ understanding because they have not practised their skills enough previously in order to lay a solid foundation for their learning later on. This has resulted, for example, in pupils sometimes being unsure about which method to choose to solve a problem or being unable to explain, in proper mathematical language, what they are doing.  Inspectors’ scrutiny of pupils’ current work in books and their performance in lessons shows clearly that progress in mathematics is improving although not yet to the level where pupils

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

make good progress.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to others in the school. For some of these pupils, progress from their starting points is good. The teacher responsible for overseeing their progress knows these pupils’ abilities well and is very knowledgeable about the best ways for them to learn. Learning is clearly mapped out and their progress is checked carefully.  Additional teaching paid for by the pupil premium funding is showing positive results in that the gaps between the achievements of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and others are beginning to close.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is not consistent. Some lessons are good, but none are outstanding. In mathematics, pupils are not making enough progress because many do not receive demanding enough work.  Relationships in lessons between pupils and teachers are good. Pupils feel valued and are keen to ‘have a go’. As one teacher said, ‘You know how much I like mistakes because we can all learn from them’. This gives the pupils the confidence they need to try.  Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well. There is a consistent approach to dealing with unacceptable behaviour and expectations are clearly understood by all.  Teachers make clear in their plans what pupils are to learn and ensure that pupils know how they are expected to learn. A good range of resources and some interesting methods are used to help pupils to learn. There was some exciting learning in an English lesson where Year 5 watched a video of the poem, The Highwayman, which was set to music. This built well on their

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

earlier reading of the poem so that they knew the story, all of the characters, and the relationships between the characters before they began their writing. Such good practice is not shared enough among other staff to help to improve teaching generally.  Teachers are confident about using electronic whiteboards in lessons and often let pupils use them to show their understanding for the benefit of others in the class. The use of computers and other technology generally, however, is restricted to the computer suite and not used enough by pupils during lessons in the classroom.  Although pupils’ progress is checked by senior leaders, teachers’ day-to-day assessment of pupils learning does not always pinpoint exactly what they need to know next. This means that, in mathematics particularly, pupils move on too quickly to the next step, before they fully understand the one before. This creates gaps in pupils’ understanding, which affect their

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

learning and progress. Pupils have some opportunities to think about how well they have done and teachers’ marking is generally helpful. However, these approaches to involving pupils in judgements about how well they have done and what they need to do next are often too new to have been fully effective as yet. Teachers take account of pupils’ different abilities when they plan but the challenge for more able pupils in mathematics, for example, often means doing similar work to others, which limits their progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy school. Their attendance last year was average, showing good improvement. So far, in the current year, it is above average. They have good attitudes to learning and are keen to do well. They particularly like working as part of a group in science lessons, for example, when work is more ‘hands on’.  Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Pupils are always polite and well mannered, showing respect for adults and other pupils alike. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils have strong sense of what is right and wrong and treat others equally whatever their culture and background.  The trusting relationships that they share mean that they feel safe in school. They say that there is no bullying such as unkind name-calling and know what to do should it occur. Pupils learn about the dangers there are in misuse of the internet and cyber-bullying, as well as how to

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

protect themselves from harmful situations outside school.  Pupils make a good contribution to the everyday life of the school. The school council is active in seeking the views of all pupils and bringing about some improvements, such as the recently installed bicycle shed. School council members also play a part in the appointment of new staff and initiate schemes for charity fund raising. Other pupils willingly act as play leaders and lunch- time helpers to make sure that younger pupils feel safe and enjoy their playtimes.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Work to improve the school after the previous inspection in 2010 has gathered pace over the past year. The staff are strongly committed to improving the school’s performance and work hard as team to bring that about.  The appointment of the deputy headteacher was used as a good opportunity for the school to re-think how senior leaders and managers worked. The senior leadership team has worked with great determination to ensure that the subject leaders for English and mathematics have a clearer picture of pupils’ work throughout the whole school, so that they are able to make plans for improvement and keep a better check on pupils’ progress. This is also evident with other subject managers who have worked as an effective and committed team to revise and improve planning in their own subjects.  Important developments have been supported well through the school’s work with the local authority. Leaders have now identified clear priorities for improvement. Plans are already

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The leadership and management requires improvement

beginning to quicken pupils’ progress, improve teaching, and make the curriculum more interesting.  The management of teaching by senior leaders has lacked the necessary rigour or regularity in the past to bring the quality up to good. However, as result of recent actions to put better systems in place to check on the quality of teaching, there have been some improvements. Leaders recognise that there is still work to be done. Teachers also receive more extensive opportunities to undertake training designed to help them improve pupils’ learning and to speed up their progress.  The governance of the school: - The governing body is very determined to see the school improve further. It knows the community well and fully recognises the important role that governors play in working with the local community. It gives its full support to the work of the local authority in the school and to the staff in setting up action plans for school improvement. The governing body has an

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The leadership and management requires improvement

accurate picture of the school’s performance, including teaching and performance management. Appointments to the governing body have increased its ability to provide the continued challenge and support that the school needs, as well as its capacity to improve further. Financial management is sound. Governors are clear about how the pupil premium funding is used to provide necessary teaching and resources to make sure that all pupils have equal opportunities to succeed. Safeguarding arrangements meet all requirements. All essential staffing checks are carried out and procedures are reviewed regularly. All adults in school are clear about their roles and responsibilities in keeping pupils safe.

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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

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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.

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School details

Unique reference number 104600 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 400726

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School details

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

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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 160 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Amanda Booth Headteacher Alan Price Date of previous school inspection 21 June 2010 Telephone number 0151 487 7718 Fax number 0151 488 6843 Email address norman-ht@normanpannell.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 .

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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.

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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

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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

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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’.

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School details

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

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