Bishop David Sheppard Church of England Primary School

Bishop David Sheppard Church of England Primary School Devonshire Road, Southport, Merseyside, PR9 7BZ

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  This is an improving school. Pupils achieve well and make at least good progress from low and often very low starting points.  Most teaching is good. Leaders’ on-going focus on improving teachers’ practice continues to move more to outstanding.  Changes to the teaching of reading have led to an increase in pupils’ enjoyment in books. Pupils read regularly and make good and often better progress in this subject.  Pupils who join the school at other than the normal times are well provided for. All are helped to settle well. Teachers find out quickly what pupils can and can’t do and help them make as much progress as possible.  Pupils are very proud of their school. Parents think the school has improved and have a high regard for the way the staff look after their children and help them make progress.  The headteacher has a very clear view of how the school can continue to move forward. Ably

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

supported by the deputy headteacher, she has created a very strong sense of teamwork between all who learn and work in the school.  Behaviour is good and often excellent in lessons. Pupils are eager to learn and are happy and well cared for.  Attendance has improved markedly over recent years and is in line with the national average.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet consistently outstanding.  Although progress is good overall it is sometimes variable between year groups.  Some lessons do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to check how well they are doing or to work things out for themselves.  Subject leaders are not yet fully involved in the drive to improve the quality of teaching.  Governors are supportive and hold leaders to account well, but they do not yet have enough information to check regularly how well all groups of pupils are doing. Inspection report: Bishop David Sheppard Church of England Primary School, 21–22 November 2012 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 21 lessons and made a number of short visits to classrooms to observe teaching and learning. One of these was a joint observation with the headteacher. They listened to pupils read and observed the teaching of early reading skills in the school. The inspectors also looked at examples of pupils’ work.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils and inspectors spoke to pupils about their work. Inspectors held meetings with two groups of parents, the Chair of the Governing Body and three other governors, a representative of the local authority and members of staff.  In the course of the inspection, inspectors took account of eight responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), two letters from parents, the school’s analysis of questionnaires completed by parents and 16 staff questionnaires.  They observed the school’s work including the training that is being provided for trainee

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Information about this inspection

teachers. Inspectors looked at a number of documents, including a summary of the school’s self- evaluation, long-term plan and the school’s analysis of current data.

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Inspection team

Lyn Pender, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Peter Martin Additional Inspector Inspection report: Bishop David Sheppard Church of England Primary School, 21–22 November 2012 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average size primary school, although numbers have risen since the time of the previous inspection. The Reception class was over-subscribed this year.  Significant building work and changes to the learning environment have taken place since the time of the previous inspection.  Most pupils are White British. The number of pupils from minority ethnic groups continues to grow, mainly due to the increase in pupils from Eastern European backgrounds. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is larger than average and has increased in recent years.  A high proportion of pupils joins and leaves the school other than at the usual times.  A well above average proportion of pupils is supported at school action, school action plus or has a statement of special educational needs.  A high proportion of pupils is known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding.

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Information about this school

 Breakfast- and after-school clubs are provided by the governors for the pupils.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school is in partnership with Edge Hill University for Initial Teacher Training.  Awards held include Investors in People and the Basic Skills Quality Mark.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Eradicate the very small amount of teaching that requires improvement and increase the proportion of outstanding teaching so that all pupils achieve as well as possible by ensuring that: – pupils have more time to get on with their work and learn on their own – pupils are given the opportunity to check how well they are doing and are able to choose ways to improve their work – the best classroom practice that exists within the school is shared widely.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of leadership and management and its impact on pupils’ achievement by ensuring that: – governors are given regular information about how well all pupils and groups of pupils are doing – subject leaders have more opportunities to check on the quality of teaching and progress made by pupils. Inspection report: Bishop David Sheppard Church of England Primary School, 21–22 November 2012 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start Nursery with skills below and for some children well below the levels typically expected for their age. Teaching excites and captures children’s interests and encourages them to explore and find out about the world around them. They make good progress, although attainment when they start Year 1 is still below that expected for their age in reading, writing and calculation.  Since the previous inspection attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 has risen. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 has also improved and is broadly average. Fluctuations do occur in some years because of very small cohorts and large numbers of pupils who join and leave the school, particularly in the older classes.  Most pupils make the progress expected of them by the end of Key Stage 2 and a similar proportion as nationally does better than this. Although pupils make good progress overall in Key Stages 1 and 2, progress accelerates in Year 2 and Year 6 and is occasionally uneven in other

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The achievement of pupils is good

year groups.  Pupils who are new to the school often have low starting points; some are newly arrived in the country and are at an early stage of learning English. The school’s information about how well these pupils are doing shows that they make good progress and their attainment is close to average.  Pupils who remain at the school for all or most of their primary education reach at least average standards of attainment by the end of Year 6 and many achieve higher levels.  As a result of well-planned and careful use of the pupil premium those eligible for this funding make the same good progress as that of others in the school.  Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds are making similar progress to that of their peers.  Outstanding support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs ensures that these pupils achieve well. School information shows that special teaching sessions provided for

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The achievement of pupils is good

these pupils, and for pupils who have fallen behind their peers, make better than expected progress from their starting points.  Pupils say how much they enjoy reading and like the range of books provided for them. Early reading skills are developed well through careful teaching of letters and the sounds they make. A high proportion of pupils reach the higher levels in this subject by the end of Key Stage 2.  Throughout the school pupils are eager to learn. They listen well in lessons and try hard to do their best, present their work neatly and take a pride in their achievements.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Leaders’ focus on improving the quality of teaching means that most is now good and some is outstanding. This is contributing well to the improvements in pupils’ learning and progress. In a very small minority of lessons further improvements are need. The most effective teaching has many common features including: – imaginative and interesting activities well-matched to pupils’ different abilities and needs – teachers who take account of what pupils already know, check regularly how well they are doing and always expect pupils to do their best – well-organised classrooms where time is used well – effective teamwork between teachers and skilled teaching assistants, so that all pupils are given the support they need – effective questioning and regular detailed marking checks pupils’ understanding and helps them to know what they need to do to improve their work.  In an outstanding Year 1 lesson the teacher created a ‘Bus Stop’ with a queue of chairs to help

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils solve a mathematical puzzle. The teacher allowed the pupils to explore the problem Inspection report: Bishop David Sheppard Church of England Primary School, 21–22 November 2012 5 of 9

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The quality of teaching is good

together and work out the solution, posing careful questions to develop the use of shape and space vocabulary and ensuring that all were included.  In lessons where teaching is not yet outstanding there are too few opportunities for pupils to check how well they are doing and make decisions about how they can improve their work. Activities are sometimes over directed by teachers and pupils are not required to work things out for themselves.  Teachers plan interesting topics and arrange visits to places beyond the local area. Opportunities to develop understanding of other cultures are provided. For example pupils learn French from an early age. The curriculum has been thoughtfully developed to challenge pupils’ thinking and enable them to practise their literacy and numeracy skills in other areas of the curriculum.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils, parents and staff say that behaviour has continued to improve since the previous inspection. Pupils behave sensibly in class and around school. They welcome visitors warmly and are keen to talk about their work.  At playtimes pupils play happily together. They understand the issues around many of the different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying, and how it should be dealt with. They say incidents of bullying are rare and they are confident that adults are always there to help if they have a problem.  Parents’ comments and on-line responses to the questionnaire show that they value the care the school provides for their children and that they have great confidence in the headteacher and her staff.  Pupils readily take on responsible roles such as school councillors. Older pupils enjoy helping the younger ones, for example, during the shared reading sessions which take place between Year 6

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

and Year 3. This contributes to pupils’ good learning.  All pupils have a good understanding of the rewards and sanctions in place. Adults manage behaviour very well and school leaders have helped pupils take more responsibility for their own actions in class and around school.  Most pupils enjoy lessons where they can work together with a partner or in a group and do this well, although some of the older pupils still find this difficult despite the good support provided by their teachers and teaching assistants.  The concerted efforts of staff, parents and pupils have led to much improved attendance. A few pupils still have too many days absence each year but this is reducing as the school works with their families and other agencies to improve attendance still further. Pupils understand why it is important to attend school regularly and on time.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governing body and committed staff share the headteacher’s view of how successful the school can be. The areas for development identified at the last inspection have been fully tackled and the school has continued to move forward in all areas of its work. Leaders have shown that the school is capable of continuing to make improvements.  Parents are highly supportive of the school’s work and say that members of the local community recognise and value the changes that have taken place in recent years to bring about the calm and welcoming environment that now exists, Staff know all pupils well and new arrivals are welcomed and helped to settle quickly into the school community. The school treats all equally and discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.  Leaders have an accurate picture of the school’s performance. Systems to check the quality of teaching are rigorous and undertaken regularly by the headteacher and deputy headteacher.

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The leadership and management are good

Subject leaders do not yet fully contribute to the school’s drive to continually improve teaching Inspection report: Bishop David Sheppard Church of England Primary School, 21–22 November 2012 6 of 9

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The leadership and management are good

and raise standards. Performance management arrangements are in place for teaching staff and staff training is helping improve teaching even further.  The improved curriculum meets the different needs of pupils well. It excites and captures their interests and helps prepare them to live in a diverse society.  School leaders and staff take a pride in preparing the next generation of teachers. Trainees are helped to learn the craft of teaching very effectively in the school. During the inspection the fifteen trainees supported individuals and groups of pupils well and school staff skilfully helped trainees develop their ability to teach early reading skills.  The local authority provides effective support for this good school.  The governance of the school: – The governing body provides good support and challenge for the school. Members know about the quality of teaching and the steps leadership take to improve it continuously. They observe

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The leadership and management are good

the work of the school first hand and invite staff to governor meetings to talk about their work. Governors understand how the pupil premium is spent and the impact of this funding. They find the information provided about the achievement of pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 helpful but do not currently receive termly information about the progress of all year groups or groups of pupils to enable them to hold leaders fully to account. Governors receive training to keep their skills up to date. The governing body ensures that the school’s arrangements for safeguarding meet statutory requirements well and are checked regularly. Inspection report: Bishop David Sheppard Church of England Primary School, 21–22 November 2012 7 of 9

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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. Inspection report: Bishop David Sheppard Church of England Primary School, 21–22 November 2012 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 104942 Local authority Sefton Inspection number 404963

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 184 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Margaret Ellams Headteacher Karen Murphy Date of previous school inspection 23 September 2010 Telephone number 01704 227987 Fax number 01704 232698 Email address head.bishopdavidsheppard@schools.sefton.gov.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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