Evelyn Community Primary School

School report Evelyn Community Primary School

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Evelyn Avenue, Prescot, Merseyside, L34 2SP

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Pupils are very proud of their school and say they enjoy everything they do, which is one reason why their attendance is above average.  Achievement is outstanding and standards are well above average. Pupils, including those who find it difficult to learn and those known to be eligible for the pupil premium, make good or better progress.  Outstanding teaching builds on pupils’ interest and enthusiasm, so they are very keen to learn and work hard. Reading is taught very well and pupils use their skills in all subjects.  Parental responses show that they are pleased with the quality of education and that their children are happy, well looked after and safe at school.  Excellent behaviour was observed in all situations. Pupils say, ‘Everyone is there for each other’, so they feel very safe, follow the school’s well known code of values and show great respect and consideration for others.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The innovative curriculum provides rich opportunities that promote pupils’ academic and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development extremely well.  Inspiring leadership is ably supported by the very strong, highly committed team of staff and governors. Their aim to make the school even more successful is demonstrated in rigorous checks on the quality of teaching, with a positive impact on improving achievement and teaching.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 15 lessons, visited small groups at work, heard some pupils read and observed pupils at play time and lunchtime.  The team met with staff, pupils, parents, members of the governing body, and a representative of the local authority.  They looked at school and national data on pupils’ progress, documents and procedures for gathering an accurate picture of the school’s performance and assessing the quality of teaching and learning. Pupils’ workbooks and progress records were scrutinised and safeguarding arrangements were checked.  The 23 responses in the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and the views of parents in the school’s 2012 survey were taken into account.

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Inspection team

Kathleen McArthur, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sharon Bruton Additional Inspector Maureen Hints Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The great majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium has risen in recent years and is now a third, which is above the national average. Pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children that are looked after.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below that found in most schools.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further accelerate progress in mathematics so that it always at least matches progress in English by:  embedding strategies to speed up pupils’ recall of number facts when solving problems  giving wider opportunities for pupils to use and apply their skills in a variety of ways, in particular, making fuller use of information and communication technology.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children’s skills on entry to the Early Years Foundation Stage are close to those typical for their age, a little weaker in language and mathematics. They soon feel safe, secure and keen to investigate the range of stimulating activities. A skilfully planned message from Captain Blackbeard really captured the imagination of the Nursery children and was used most effectively to teach letter sounds. Reception children used their knowledge of letter sounds to write simple sentences about the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk. Children make very rapid progress in all areas of learning and enter Year 1 with skills expected for their age, with a significant number working above this.  Attainment at the end of Year 2 is well above the expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics.  Attainment at the end of Year 6 has typically been significantly above national expectations, with a high proportion of pupils exceeding the progress expected of them. In 2012 however,

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

attainment dipped and was in line with national expectations. The school’s analysis shows this resulted from circumstances specific to the year group, in particular, significant movement into the cohort during Key Stage 2. Nonetheless, over half the pupils did better than the expected level in reading, and more pupils than nationally exceeded the expected level in mathematics.  Rigorous actions to reverse this dip, including intensive additional support closely matched to individual needs, have made a positive impact. School data that tracks pupils’ progress and the work in pupils’ books show that a high proportion of pupils currently in Year 6 are securely on course to meet and exceed the progress expected of pupils nationally.  The school’s analysis shows progress and attainment in mathematics are a little weaker than in English. Pupils do not always recall number facts quickly and have few opportunities to

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

develop mathematical skills in different ways, such as by using information and communications technology.  Reading is taught well and pupils make rapid progress. The recently introduced system for teaching letters and their sounds has enhanced their enjoyment. Throughout the school, pupils widely read for pleasure and use their skills in all subjects. Older pupils particularly enjoy fantasy books, discuss different genres knowledgeably, and one said ‘The school has inspired me to read more’.  Funds for pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium are carefully directed to provide additional support and small-group activities, such as, with the school ‘Reading Ambassador’. This enables them to make progress at the same rate as their classmates. Although their attainment is almost a term behind that of others in the class, the gap is rapidly closing.  Well led and organised provision, closely directed to the abilities of disabled pupils and those

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

with special educational needs enables them to make progress at the same rate as their classmates.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Pupils say their work is fun and at the right level. They enjoy a challenge, and one commented, ‘Harder work helps us get better’. Excellent learning behaviour and relationships were observed. Pupils have keen attitudes, show joy in learning, and cooperate happily with their groups, partners and teachers so their progress is good or better.  Carefully planned and structured lessons move along briskly, keeping pupils busy with their tasks. Rich learning environments and well organised classrooms are evident across the school, with lots of prompts and ‘tool kits’ on each table to aid learning. Colourful displays celebrate pupils’ hard work and best efforts.  High expectations and very skilled open-ended questioning stimulate ideas and promote thinking and reasoning skills. For example, Year 3 pupils were challenged to pick out the words an author used to add suspense and Year 2 pupils examined a variety of books to

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

identify features that make a fantasy story.  The skilled teaching assistants are well deployed. They provide valuable support, particularly for pupils who find it difficult to learn and those whose circumstances make them vulnerable, so that they make as much progress as their classmates.  Pupils say they know their learning targets. Older pupils say they sometimes set their own targets and challenge themselves, and their parents are invited to contribute. The school’s informative tracking system enables leaders and staff to monitor progress rigorously and implement support swiftly where needed.  The work in pupils’ books is marked thoroughly, most gives points for improvement and pupils say their teachers' comments are helpful.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The well-established ‘Values for Living’ code ensures pupils learn, play and flourish socially in a calm, safe and harmonious atmosphere and supports their outstanding progress. Pupils and staff show respect, care and consideration for each other and pupils are always friendly, polite and ready to help.  The clear behaviour management system is applied consistently and there have been no exclusions. Pupils think behaviour is good. They say the school rules are fair and understand that they are in place to keep everyone safe.  Pupils say they feel very safe in school, are taught how to keep themselves safe and that, ‘Teachers are always around’. They know staff listen to them and quickly sort out any problems that may arise. Some older pupils are trained ‘Peer Mediators’, and value their roles in helping pupils sort out any playground disputes amicably.  Although a few parents think bullying is not dealt with well, pupils say it is not a problem in

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

school and inspectors agree. Pupils know bullying may occur in different ways, such as racism or cyber-bullying. They are confident about what to do if they encounter any unpleasantness, and found the recent anti-bullying play, ‘Bully Busters’ informative.  Attendance levels have risen over time, and pupils arrive on time each day. The school has successfully reduced the incidence of holidays taken in term time.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Senior leaders have a highly ambitious vision of how good the school can be. The very effective team of staff and governors is fully committed to this vision, placing the highest priority on ensuring all pupils have equal opportunities for high-quality learning.  Staff morale is very high. Regular, rigorous checks on the quality of teaching are supported by professional training and staff know they are fully accountable for their pupils’ progress. School monitoring records show the proportion of outstanding teaching has increased and inspection evidence supports this. The vast majority of parents are pleased with the quality of teaching.  The curriculum’s richly varied imaginative experiences instil in pupils a genuine love of learning. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted particularly well, shown in pupils’ excellent behaviour and attitudes. Sports coaching, learning a foreign language or

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The leadership and management are outstanding

musical instrument and visits out of school enrich classroom learning. After-school clubs are very popular and most pupils attend at least one.  The ‘Student Exit Profile’ celebrates the range of knowledge, hobbies and interests developed during each individual’s time in school. Pupils are very well equipped with academic skills for further learning and for their role in society, but less well prepared for the digital future. Apart from the multi-media room and broadcasting on ‘Radio Evelyn’, pupils have limited opportunities to use technology in class or for homework, for example to use and reinforce their mathematical skills.  Arrangements for safeguarding meet all statutory requirements. The school site is well maintained, and child protection and first aid training are up to date.  The local authority provides appropriate light-touch support, for example in developing the local consortia of schools to share and extend good practice.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  The very well informed governing body asks searching questions that challenge leaders rigorously. Governors make full use of assessment data to compare the progress of pupils in the school with that in others locally and nationally. They know the strengths of the school, the quality of teaching and learning, and what is needed to ensure ongoing improvement. For example, actions to reverse the attainment dip of 2012 have been carefully considered. Governors manage finances very carefully and check how effectively pupil premium funds are used to enable those known to be eligible to make strong progress. They ensure the outcomes of staff performance reviews are related to any rewards for good teaching and are used to improve teaching and develop the skills of leaders at all levels.

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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 104446 Local authority Knowsley Inspection number 412351

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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 287 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Lesley Campbell-Hunter Headteacher Carole Arnold Date of previous school inspection 23 September 2008 Telephone number 0151 4778570 Fax number 0151 4778571 Email address evelyn.de@knowsley.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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