Lydiate Primary School

Lydiate Primary School Lambshear Lane, Lydiate, Liverpool, L31 2JZ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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.  Pupils’ behaviour in class is outstanding. Pupils are dedicated to their school work, eager to please their teachers, exceptionally well mannered and always courteous.  For several years pupils’ overall attainment by the end of Year 6 has been significantly above average in reading, writing and mathematics.  All pupils, including those with disabilities and special educational needs and those entitled to support through the pupil premium, make at least good progress in reading and mathematics by the time they leave school at the end of Year 6.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage receive very effective help and support and soon gain confidence, enjoy learning and make good progress.  Much teaching is outstanding. Teachers have exceptionally high expectations of pupils and ensure that they are given demanding activities and challenging questions during lessons.  The curriculum is exemplary. Pupils have

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

access to a wide range of rich and stimulating learning experiences in music, sports, dance and French.  The headteacher is dedicated to his school, staff and pupils. He is very ‘hands on’, and is determined to ensure that all pupils have the best possible learning experience and achieve to the best of their ability.  With the full support of his senior leadership team, governors and fully committed and experienced teachers and teaching assistants, the headteacher ensures that standards continually improve.  The overwhelming majority of parents are happy with the education of their children and say that they are safe and well cared for. This view is supported by inspection findings.  The governing body is increasingly effective in supporting and challenging the school to help it become even better.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ attainment in mathematics in Key Stage 1 is below average and not as good as it has been in previous years.  Governors’ understanding of exactly what the school needs to do in order to secure further improvements is not yet precise enough.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 19 lessons, including parts of lessons, as well as the teaching of small groups of pupils and sessions aimed at helping pupils to learn to read using phonics (the link between letters and the sounds they make).  Inspectors listened to pupils read from Years 2, 3, 4, and 5, and held discussions with pupils from across the school. Pupils’ work in books was scrutinised during lessons.  Inspectors considered 63 responses to Parent View, the school’s own surveys of parents’ and pupils’ views, a letters from a parents and ad hoc discussions with parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors also took account of 17 questionnaires completed by members of staff.  A meeting took place with a representative from the local authority’s school improvement service  Two meetings were held with a total of four governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body.  Various school documents were examined. These included reports to the governing body, data

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Information about this inspection

on pupils’ progress, external school evaluations, records of the school’s checks on the quality of teaching, the school’s development plan and review of its own performance, records of pupils’ attendance, behaviour records and safeguarding documentation.

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Inspection team

Lenford White, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Maureen Coleman Additional Inspector Anthony Buckley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is well below the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well below average.  The school receives additional funding through the pupil premium for a below average proportion of its pupils. The 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 by the local authority.  The school has a very small proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups, and very few speak English as an additional language.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection the school has appointed four new teachers and nine teaching assistants. Nine governors have been appointed, including a new Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body.  The school runs a breakfast club and offers a wide range of clubs and during lunch time, and before and after school. Pre-school and after-school care services operate from the site, both of which are subject to a separate inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching in mathematics in Key Stage 1 so that more is outstanding by:  sharing the best practice from across the school and helping pupils to use their mathematical skills even more effectively to solve problems in all subjects  Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that all governors know precisely what the school needs to do to secure further improvements.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children’s skills and abilities on entry to nursery are broadly average. Good teaching by skilled teachers and teaching assistants ensures that they make good progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage and enter Year 1 with an overall attainment which is much higher than average.  Pupils’ progress through Key Stage 1 in 2013 was not as good as in previous years, particularly in mathematics. However, current data show that pupils are making accelerated progress through Year 3, and that Year 2 pupils are on track to attain above average standards in national tests by the end of the year.  Results of assessments at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2013 show that pupils’ achievement in reading and mathematics was outstanding. Their progress in writing was not quite as good, but their attainment was significantly above average.  The teaching of phonics (the link between letters and the sounds they make) has improved.

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The achievement of pupils is good

Pupils who read to inspectors said that they enjoyed reading books from a wide range of styles and authors. Less-able pupils said that their reading was improving all the time because help was available to them whenever they needed it.  Excellent teaching and an insistence that pupils think carefully about their methods and calculations in mathematics have helped to ensure that performance in this subject in Key Stage 2 is outstanding.  Senior leaders regularly monitor the quality of pupils’ writing. As a result of, for example, encouraging Year 1 pupils to write longer sentences and encouraging older pupils to write detailed accounts of visits, progress in this subject across all year groups is at least good, and rapidly improving.  Pupils with disabilities and special educational needs are exceptionally well supported by caring and well-trained teachers and teaching assistants. They are currently making at least good

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The achievement of pupils is good

progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school’s most-able pupils benefit from extra challenges in class and ‘booster sessions’. They make exceptional progress across all year groups and in all subjects. Their performance in Year 6 in reading and mathematics is exceptionally strong.  Because there were very low numbers at the end of Year 6 in 2013, it is difficult to make meaningful comparisons between the performance of pupils entitled to support through the pupil premium, including those eligible for free school meals, and their class mates. However, well- targeted support has helped to ensure that the overall progress made by entitled pupils so far this year is in line with their class-mates in mathematics and reading, but slightly below in writing.  The school has very few pupils from minority ethnic groups or who speak English as an additional language. However, the performance of all pupils is regularly checked. Current data

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The achievement of pupils is good

show that pupils from these groups are making outstanding progress in mathematics and reading.

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The quality of teaching is good

 School leaders and governors regularly check on the quality of teaching which is continually improving. Most teaching observed during the inspection was at least good, with much that was outstanding, consequently pupils learn quickly.  Teachers care greatly about their pupils. They set them exceptionally high standards and aim to ensure that they achieve to the very best of their ability. Teachers make clear to pupils what they are going to learn and activities are interesting, engaging and are set at just the right level of challenge.  Behaviour during lessons is impeccable. During reading sessions, for example, pupils are fully focused on what they are doing and work in silence as they write down notes from their texts. However, when they are asked to ‘talk to the person next to you’ there is a buzz of excitement as pupils share their ideas about what they have been reading.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is exceptionally well developed. Questions are used well to deepen

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils’ understanding and ensure that pupils always work things out for themselves. This was the case in a Year 5/6 English lesson where pupils were having difficulty defining the word ‘omit’. The teacher persevered while giving lots of examples to help pupils to think the answer through until finally one pupil said ‘it’s when something is left out’.  The overwhelming majority of pupils know exactly what they need to do to improve their learning. They know their targets for individual subjects, as well as their whole-school targets and regularly set their own challenges.  Pupils’ work is marked extremely conscientiously and clearly indicates to them how to correct errors and improve work. Older pupils are highly skilled at marking each other’s work and are happy to discuss their thoughts about their learning with their teachers and fellow class-mates.  Teaching assistants are well deployed and work well with teachers to ensure that all groups of

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils are able to understand and enjoy their learning and make good progress in lessons.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are supported very well by teachers and other adults who help them to develop their speaking and listening skills. This was exemplified in a Reception class, where adults gave a good demonstration of making pancakes while linking pupils’ learning to writing and healthy eating.  All teachers are eager to learn from the best practice in mathematics teaching. However, in Key Stage 1 there are insufficient opportunities for pupils to use their mathematical skills to solve problems in all subjects in order to ensure that their achievement in this subject is outstanding.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is outstanding, as is their behaviour in corridors, around the school, at play and during lunch time. They have exemplary attitudes to learning and are prepared to ‘go the extra mile’ to push themselves to achieve to the best of their ability, and to please their teachers.  Pupils are exceptionally well mannered and courteous. They enjoy showing visitors around their school, hold doors open for one another and staff and show a genuine concern for the well- being of others.  Behaviour is exceptionally well managed by staff, who very rarely need to enforce school rules. This is because all pupils know exactly what is expected of them and display the highest possible standards of behaviour.  School uniforms are worn by all pupils with pride and their attendance is good. Pupils are happy to represent their school in the many sporting, music and choral events that they participate in.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

Visitors regularly compliment the school on the behaviour of pupils, as do those who meet pupils when they are out on school trips.  The overwhelming majority of parents who completed Parent View, as well as those parents who spoke to inspectors and completed the school’s own surveys, are of the opinion that behaviour is outstanding. Teachers and pupils are of this view, as are inspectors.  The school’s behaviour logs reveal that even the smallest incident, or claim of bad behaviour, is recorded, followed up and dealt with.  The school’s work to ensure that pupils are safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils are adamant that bullying rarely happens and say that they are confident in reporting any concerns to adults. Pupils show a well-developed awareness of most forms of prejudice-based bullying and say that no one should be treated differently because of the colour of their skin, their religion or how

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

they look.  Pupils have a highly developed understanding of how to stay safe while using the internet. They know exactly what cyber bullying is and know that they should never give personal information out on social networking sites. They know that if they are in doubt about any aspect of‘surfing the internet’ that they should always talk to their parents or a teacher.  The school’s work in personal, social and health education and its annual ‘safer programme’ help to ensure that pupils know about risk, and safe and unsafe situations.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, supported by a very able senior leadership team, all staff and governors is determined to move the school from good to outstanding. He is fully involved in teaching, knows all pupils exceptionally well and manages to effectively balance a wide range of responsibilities to the benefit of the school.  Teachers are hard working and conscientious and are prepared to give up their own time to run ‘booster sessions’ in mathematics and English and organise clubs and activities before and after school and during lunch times. Teachers are well trained. They are appreciative of the professional development that they receive and the opportunities that they have to share ideas with other schools through their consortium.  Middle managers know what the school needs to do to improve further. They know that their action plans are helping to raise standards and say that they have many opportunities to discuss

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The leadership and management are good

their ideas for school improvement with members of the senior leadership team and with governors.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceedingly well. This is evident in the way in which pupils care for each other, in their love of music, dance and languages and in their knowledge and understanding of world faiths.  Many opportunities are provided for pupils to practise their writing skills across the curriculum. This is evident in their religious education, history and science books, and in teachers’ ability to skilfully emphasis the use of literacy when developing pupils’ use of mathematical language.  The school has achieved the Gold SingUp Award and 75% of pupils engage in extra-curricular activities. The school is well known within the community for the outstanding achievements of its choir and its excellence in music. Opportunities are available for pupils to play both string and

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The leadership and management are good

woodwind instruments and pupils in Years 2 and 3 learn to play the recorder.  The school has a good relationship with the local authority which has recently supported it with developing pupils’ grammar, punctuation and spelling, and preparing pupils for higher level reading tests.  The school uses its physical education and sport fund well to, for example, buy new equipment for clubs and playtimes, and to fund the work of a specialist teacher who is helping to develop the skills of teachers in performing and teaching dance.  Safeguarding procedures are followed closely and meet requirements.  The governance of the school:  All governors are working towards developing a full understanding of exactly how the school is performing and precisely what it needs to do to become outstanding. They know that the achievement of most groups of pupils is exemplary and that pupils’ performance in mathematics in Key Stage 1 is improving, as is their progress in writing across the school.

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The leadership and management are good

Governors are aware that the one-to-one teaching provided by well-trained staff is helping to drive up standards and make a difference for those pupils known to be entitled to support through the pupil premium.  Governors hold the headteacher to account and only accept his recommendations for promotions or pay increases for teachers after they are satisfied that they have met challenging targets. They are aware that the headteacher and all staff are exceptionally hard working and that the professional development that they have endorsed for teaching has improved their practice since the last inspection.  Governors keep themselves up-to-date with new developments in education. The Chair of the Governing Body is currently carrying out a full audit of governors’ skills to ensure that all are well placed to both support and challenge the school in its journey to becoming outstanding.

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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 104891 Local authority Sefton Inspection number 439512

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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 325 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair J Graham Headteacher D Batchelor Date of previous school inspection 22 March 2006 Telephone number 0151 5262657 Fax number 0151 5262680 Email address admin.lydiate@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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