Kingsley Community School

Kingsley Community School Eversley Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L8 2TU

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Kingsley is a school which is at the heart of its community and provides a caring, safe and welcoming environment for its pupils.  From starting points which are considerably lower than those expected for their age on entry to the Early Years Foundation Stage, pupils make good progress and reach standards which are broadly average by the end of Year 6.  Teaching is good overall with some examples of outstanding teaching.  Results in 2012 show an improvement in attainment at both key stages, particularly in mathematics. Progress in English at Key Stage 2 improved.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary and pupils from the wide range of different backgrounds play and work together harmoniously.  Pupils feel very safe and enjoy coming to school. Relationships between staff and pupils are highly positive.  Attendance has continued to improve since the previous inspection and is above the national

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

average.  The headteacher’s strong leadership is rightly firmly focused on improving the outcomes of all pupils and is shared by all staff.  The members of the governing body share these high expectations and with the headteacher set a clear and ambitious direction for the school. They hold leaders to account well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There are inconsistencies in the teaching of reading which mean some pupils are not making as much progress as they could.  Teachers do not always use information well enough to ensure activities always challenge pupils enough.  Pupils are not always clear about how they can improve their work and do not always have an opportunity to respond to comments made.  Not enough opportunities are given to pupils to use and apply their mathematical skills in other subjects. Consequently, these problem-solving skills are less well developed than their other mathematical skills and knowledge.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 17 lessons, including two joint observations with the headteacher. In addition, they also made a number of short visits to lessons and small group sessions.  The inspectors listened to pupils from four different year groups read, and talked with them and other groups of pupils about their lessons and school life.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, representatives of the governing body and representatives of the local authority.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised documentation relating to pupils’ progress and to school management, including the arrangements to ensure safeguarding.  The inspectors spoke to groups of parents; they took account of questionnaires completed by staff and outcomes from the school's own consultations with parents. There were insufficient responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View).

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Inspection team

Vanessa MacDonald, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Kathleen Harris Additional Inspector Clare Daniel Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Kingsley Community School is larger than the average-sized primary school. The very large majority of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds who speak English as an additional language and a small number of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs at the school action stage is above average. The proportion of those supported at school action plus is average. There are no pupils currently with statements of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium, including those known to be eligible for free school meals and those in the care of the local authority, is more than double the national average.  The school meets the current floor standards, which set the government’s minimum expectations for attainment and progress.  The headteacher is a National Leader of Education and provides support for many schools and

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Information about this school

their staff. Kingsley is a national support school, which means that staff help to support others to improve their teaching.  Since the previous inspection, there has been an increase in staff and pupil numbers due to the closure of a local school.  The school runs a breakfast club for its pupils.  The school leads Granby Children’s Centre which was not inspected during this inspection. The latest report can be found on the Ofsted website.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better by: - providing clearer guidance through marking to pupils about their next steps in learning and giving pupils opportunities to respond to these - ensuring that teachers consistently use information from pupils’ work to plan activities so that pupils are always given the right level of challenge, particularly for the more-able.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment and accelerate progress further, especially in Key Stage 1, by: - developing a consistent approach to the teaching of reading and phonics (letters and the sounds they make) - providing more opportunities for pupils to apply and develop their mathematical skills to solve problems in different contexts and subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start Nursery with skills that are well below those expected for their age. They make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes because there is a good mix of adult-led activities and those chosen by children. Adults extend children’s knowledge and thinking, rightly putting a strong emphasis on developing language. However, by the time they enter Year 1, children’s skills are still below those that are expected for their age.  Progress is slower across Key Stage 1. In the phonics check at the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ reading ability was well below the national average. This is because some pupils are at a very early stage of learning English or have additional needs but also because there is not yet a consistent approach to the teaching of letters and the sounds they make.  Pupils’ progress improves over time, however, particularly in Key Stage 2. In 2012, the proportion of pupils making and exceeding the amount of progress expected of them in English

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The achievement of pupils is good

and mathematics was in line with that found nationally and has improved, particularly in English. This represents good achievement.  Those pupils who are supported at school action, school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs also make good progress from their starting points because of the effective additional adult support they receive both in class and in small groups.  The large majority of pupils who have English as an additional language make good and sometimes outstanding progress because of good teaching but also because of the effective additional support they receive.  The majority of pupils are eligible for and benefit from the pupil premium funding as they are known to be eligible for free school meals or are in local authority care. These pupils achieve well as funding is used effectively to provide additional staff, to pay for the wide range of school visits

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The achievement of pupils is good

and visitors, including residential trips, and to support the breakfast club.  Test results in 2012 show that eligible pupils’ attainment was below that of the small number of pupils who were not eligible. The school’s own data show that gaps in attainment are closing for these groups and there is no significant difference between the attainment of pupils eligible for free school meals and that of other pupils in English and mathematics. These pupils make good and sometimes better progress from their starting points, in line with their peers.  The school promotes equality of opportunity well and ensures that all pupils make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan a range of interesting activities and give pupils work that helps them to do their best. Teachers use a range of strategies to engage pupils well, making good use of questioning to check out pupils’ understanding.  Where learning is most rapid and teaching is strongest, lessons move at a good pace and pupils are using their knowledge and skills to develop their understanding. For example, in the Year 6 class, pupils were engaged in a fast-paced lesson using their reading skills and knowledge of features of texts to very effectively distinguish different types of nouns in a topical report. They worked very well in pairs and table groups, having informed discussions to jointly arrive at decisions.  Opportunities to work in different groups support pupils in developing their use of language, particularly for pupils for whom English is an additional language. These pupils are also well

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The quality of teaching is good

supported by teaching assistants, some of whom explain things in both pupils’ home language and English.  Children are taught well in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Exciting and imaginative activities are planned for the children, both indoors and outdoors, linked to current learning. In the Reception class, children enthusiastically joined in a session involving music and movement to ‘bring the sun out’, using information technology to record their work.  The teaching of mathematics is good and pupils show a good understanding of different methods to answer questions. Teaching rightly promotes understanding of new concepts and key principles. Consequently, pupils gain secure knowledge and skills. There are too few opportunities for pupils to apply their skills to solve problems in meaningful or real-life contexts in other subjects.  The teaching of reading is improving but is not yet as good as it could be because the approach

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The quality of teaching is good

to it is not yet consistent across all classes. Some pupils use their knowledge of letters and the sounds they make well to read different books, however for others the texts are too difficult, slowing their progress.  Marking is regular and praises pupils for their efforts. However, there is not enough guidance given to pupils on how to improve their work and pupils do not have enough opportunities to respond to teachers’ comments.  There are a few occasions where teachers do not always use the information about what pupils demonstrate they already know and understand in their work when planning activities. As a result, activities are not always challenging enough to make pupils think for themselves, especially for those who are more able.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 A strong feature throughout Kingsley is the way in which pupils from different backgrounds work and play together. It is a cohesive school with a strong sense of unity. Pupils comment on how much they enjoy school; this is highly evident in the happy atmosphere and positive relationships. Parents spoken to feel the school is very welcoming and that their children are very happy and feel safe.  Staff praise and encourage pupils so that their behaviour in lessons is never less than good and often exemplary. Pupils join in lessons enthusiastically, work well together to discuss ideas and support one another, particularly when pupils are newly arrived from other countries. This makes an exceptional contribution to their own and others’ learning.  The school places a high priority on good attendance. The learning mentors provide very effective support for pupils and families who are experiencing difficulties. As a result of the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

rigorous and robust school actions, attendance has improved since the previous inspection and is now above average.  Through links with local organisations such as the police and fire services and taught sessions on cycling and e-safety, pupils have a very good awareness of how to keep safe.  Pupils understand the forms that bullying can take and say they have no concerns about such things. They are completely confident that staff would sort out any problems that any pupil might have about experiences in school or beyond; school provides additional support for this where necessary.  Pupils who attend the breakfast club are well cared for. Behaviour is exemplary and relationships with staff are highly positive, setting the same high expectations as those of the school day.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is very committed to the school and community and is highly ambitious in improving the prospects for pupils and parents. Her vision is shared by all staff, who are enthusiastic and determined to do the very best for the pupils.  The school’s checks on how well it is doing are accurate. Leaders rigorously check the quality of teaching and procedures for improving teaching. The relationship between the quality of teaching and salary increases is robust. Staff work well in teams to identify and action key areas of improvement, with training effectively supporting this approach.  The headteacher supports many other schools in helping them to improve and is held in high regard in the local authority. Other senior leaders also take key roles in developing the quality of education in the local area, supporting the work of the local collaborative.  The curriculum is well supported with a wide range of rich and memorable visits, visitors and

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The leadership and management are good

experiences which extend pupils’ learning beyond the classroom. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strongly promoted. The rich diversity within the school is celebrated and respected by pupils in equal measure. Opportunities to learn Spanish, have brass and percussion lessons and participate in sporting events further enrich pupils’ social and cultural development.  The school receives appropriate ‘light-touch’ support from the local authority. Currently the local authority is working with the school in auditing reading provision and delivering training.  Relationships with parents are very strong. Parents appreciate the warmth and family atmosphere of the school and feel that their children are very well supported, particularly given that many pupils are learning English as an additional language. Parents are actively encouraged to be part of the school community and opportunities to join in activities alongside their children,

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The leadership and management are good

such as the ‘Stay and Play’ session observed in Nursery, are particularly effective.  Safeguarding procedures are given a high priority and all requirements are fully met. The headteacher is involved in promoting good practice across the local authority.  The governance of the school: - Governors are skilled, experienced and fully committed to the school and local area. They provide good challenge and support for leaders. They know which areas need to be improved and check whether these are being addressed. They receive regular reports and information from the headteacher but ask challenging questions if they are not clear or do not agree about something. They keep checks on how well teaching is improving and how this is related to salary increases. Governors undertake training to ensure that they keep their knowledge and skills up to date and fulfil their statutory duties effectively, ensuring that safeguarding

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The leadership and management are good

procedures meet requirements. Governors have a good knowledge of data and use this information to determine how well pupils are doing. Governors monitor the school’s spending regularly, including whether the pupil premium is being used well and making a difference to the pupils eligible.

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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 131800 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 412180

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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 304 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gideon Ben-Tovim Headteacher Elaine Rees Date of previous school inspection 10 June 2010 Telephone number 0151 709 6727 Fax number 0151 708 5105 Email address kingsley-ht@kingsley.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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