Corinthian Community Primary School

Corinthian Community Primary School Inigo Road, Stoneycroft, Liverpool, Merseyside L13 6SH

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 Corinthian is a rapidly improving school. The determined leadership of the headteacher and deputy headteacher has resulted in improvements to the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils, which are now good.  The school is a happy place. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour make an important contribution to their learning. Pupils are polite, respectful and behave well in all areas of the school.  Subject leaders have helped to develop a consistent approach to teaching across the school. Teachers work well as a team and share good practice, so that all groups of pupils, including the disadvantaged, make good progress.  Good leadership of the early years has resulted in good teaching and improved outcomes for children. Children are ready for learning in Year 1.  Governors are actively involved in the life of the school and are regular visitors. The school community knows the governors well. They are actively involved in monitoring the school’s

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This is a good school

performance, know the school well and hold leaders and staff to account for the standards achieved.  Leaders have ensured that pupils are safe and feel safe at all times. Strong relationships between adults and pupils help to ensure that pupils are well looked after. Parents agree that school leaders keep pupils safe.  The curriculum engages pupils because it is interesting and varied. The local area is used well to develop children’s learning. The school also has strong links with other schools around the world, which helps to broaden the horizons of pupils.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Occasionally, the work set for pupils, in particular the most able, is not challenging enough.  Teachers’ marking does not always help pupils to improve basic skills, such as spelling and punctuation.  The outcomes for pupils in writing are not yet as strong as they are in reading and mathematics.  The setting of homework does not consistently allow all pupils to practise their new learning at home.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching by ensuring that: teachers always have clear expectations for all pupils and set work that challenges them, in particular the most able writing has a high profile across the school, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage, so that pupils’ enjoyment and outcomes in the subject improve the marking of pupils’ writing consistently highlights basic errors in spelling and punctuation homework activities are set consistently and allow all pupils to practise new skills or prepare for new learning at home.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher accepted previous weaknesses and responded very positively to the issues raised in the last inspection. As a result, leadership is now far more effective. With strong support from the deputy headteacher and governors, he has driven school improvement forward. The culture of the school is ambitious and all staff want the very best for pupils.  The leadership team has been strengthened, with good support from the local authority. Subject leaders have accessed training to help them to develop as effective leaders and they now play a major part in improving the quality of teaching across the school. Teaching staff receive regular training and work closely together, and good practice is shared well. They also have opportunities to attend meetings with staff from other schools to discuss and share good practice.  Leaders, including governors, know the school well and have an accurate picture of how well the school is

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

performing. They regularly look at work in pupils’ books, observe lessons and review the progress all pupils are making. Leaders use the results of monitoring activities to plan further actions in an ongoing drive for improvement.  Pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural awareness is developed well. They learn about the monarchy and have recently completed work relating to the Queen becoming the longest serving monarch. They are involved in democracy, for example when selecting school councillors. A carefully planned series of school assemblies has also ensured that pupils learn about tolerance and respect for all. Where pupils have different faiths or beliefs, this is celebrated and shared with other children so pupils develop an awareness of other cultures. The school’s international links with other schools allow pupils to develop an understanding of how life is different for people around the world. The school prepares pupils well for life

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

in modern Britain.  The curriculum is broad and balanced. Pupils say that they enjoy working in maths and art and taking part in a range of different sports. Teachers make use of the local area in their lessons as well as a having a global focus. The school has well-established links with other schools in Catalonia, Italy, France and Turkey, and other schools in the UK. By working together with these schools to develop common themes, such as developing outdoor spaces, pupils learn how to apply their skills in real-life situations and also learn the value of enterprise.  The pupil premium is used effectively to ensure that disadvantaged pupils take a full part in school life, including educational visits and clubs. It has also been used to support disadvantaged pupils in their learning and this has ensured that these pupils are making good progress.  The PE and sport premium is used well. Pupils take part in a wide range of sporting activities and the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

level of competitive sport is high. Pupils have opportunities to compete with other schools in football, cross-country, basketball and athletics. Specialist activities, such as fencing, have given opportunities for pupils to progress to higher levels and secure representation in regional events. Sports coaches also visit the school regularly to complete a range of activities with pupils, and staff training is secured to develop their expertise in teaching sport.  The local authority have provided extensive challenge and support to the school. It has been instrumental in the drive for improvement and in providing the expertise and training to address weaknesses. The impact of local authority support is strong.  The governance of the school The governing body is effective. The structure of the governing body has changed since the last inspection. Following an audit of skills, governors are now closely linked to areas of expertise and this

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

enables them to support and challenge school leaders well. Governors have a firm understanding of how well the school is performing. They take part in regular monitoring activities with school leaders and with representatives from the local authority. As a result, they know the strengths of the school and where it still needs to improve. They are not reliant on information from the headteacher to monitor how well the school is performing. They receive copies of all local authority visits and spend time with other school leaders to see how action plans are progressing. Governors are regular visitors to the school and are well known by staff and pupils. They communicate well with parents by sending out a termly newsletter. Governors attend staff meetings, assemblies and training sessions. They have a good understanding of performance management procedures and ensure that leaders and staff are held to account. They also have the skills to ensure that

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

underperformance is tackled and good teaching is rewarded. Governors ensure that the school budget is spent wisely. Spending is matched to school priorities for improvement. They check that additional funding, such as the pupil premium and PE and sport premium, is used effectively.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Regular and appropriate training for staff is undertaken and is up to date. Rigorous and robust systems are understood by all staff, and effective partnerships with other agencies ensure that pupils are kept safe. Parents who responded during the inspection agreed that the school keeps pupils safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching at Corinthian is characterised by strong relationships and a positive learning environment. Classrooms are calm and pupils are engaged by purposeful tasks. Pupils openly share their ideas with others and teachers help to move pupils’ learning forward with effective questioning. Most staff have high expectations of what all pupils can achieve.  The teaching of reading is particularly strong. The profile of reading has been raised, for example by all pupils joining the local library. The school has invested in quality reading books, which help to engage pupils in the subject, and pupils have many opportunities to read, both in school and at home.  Teaching assistants provide valuable support to the quality of teaching and learning in all classes. They are well informed by teachers, so they know how to intervene when pupils are struggling.  The quality of marking has improved since the last inspection. Marking usually informs pupils how they

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

can improve their work and gives them opportunities to correct their mistakes. Although the marking of writing usually informs pupils how well they have understood the daily task, teachers do not routinely correct errors in basic skills, such as in punctuation or spelling.  Leaders of mathematics and English have worked hard to improve the overall quality of teaching across the school. Pupils, in both subjects, are given opportunities to think about their learning and share their ideas with others. However, at times, teachers’ expectations of what all pupils can achieve are not always high enough, especially for the most-able pupils.  The teaching of writing is improving. Pupils are taught how to sequence writing well so they learn all of the steps, building up to a final extended piece. They are given opportunities to write for a range of different purposes. New arrangements allow pupils to redraft their work, so they can improve it, working

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

on points for development. Writing in pupils’ books shows that they are now making better progress.  The teaching of mathematics has improved. The adoption of a whole-school calculation policy has ensured that all teachers are clear how calculations should be taught in each year group. This has allowed pupils to more confidently progress to more challenging calculation methods as they move up through the school. Pupils are also given more opportunities to use reasoning and to solve problems in their work, including the use of resources outside the classroom.  Homework is generally set for pupils across the school, but the systems are inconsistent. Pupils do not always have regular opportunities to practise new learning at home.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are confident and are keen to share their experiences of school with visitors. They speak enthusiastically about their learning and what they enjoy about school, such as playtimes, sport, reading and the wide range of clubs that they are able to attend. Older pupils enjoy positions of responsibility, such as being prefects who show visitors around the school or ‘buddies’ who organise games for younger pupils at lunchtime.  Pupils know what is expected of them and they know how to become successful learners. They say that marking in their books helps them to improve their skills and understanding. As one older child remarked, ‘We learn from our mistakes.’ They also know how to behave, both in and out of the classroom. Pupils respond well to all staff in school.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school and they know how to stay safe, including online. Lessons about

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Personal development and welfare

safety are taught through the curriculum and assemblies are used to remind children about safety, for example the dangers of Bonfire Night. Displays around school remind pupils how to stay safe. Pupils also speak warmly about staff in school and would be comfortable in talking to an adult if they were really worried about anything.

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Behaviour

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. Their conduct within classrooms and around the school environment is consistently strong. Pupils are well mannered and respectful, for example when holding open doors for visitors. Classrooms are calm and purposeful places where pupils respond well to adults and are quickly called to attention when needed. They say that instances of bullying are very rare and when they do happen, they are quickly dealt with by staff. Some pupils benefit from spending time in the ‘nurture’ playground, where they can learn the social skills required, in a calm, caring environment, to be confident in the large playground.  Pupils’ attendance is improving and is now in line with the national average. The number of pupils who are persistently absent is also reducing. There are effective procedures in place to support those pupils who have difficulty in attending school regularly.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 In most classes, in reading, writing and mathematics, the rate of pupils’ progress has improved. More pupils are now making consistently good progress from their different starting points. In 2015, pupils made good progress in Key Stage 1 and generally met the standards expected for their age. By the end of Key Stage 2 in 2015, the standards reached by pupils in reading, writing and mathematics were also broadly in line with those expected for their age.  Pupils make good progress in reading because the provision is good. Leaders have invested in high- quality reading books and reading has had a high profile in the school over the last two years. In Year 1, the proportion of pupils passing the national phonics (the sounds that letters make) check has risen steadily over the last three years and is now broadly average. The vast majority of pupils who do not pass this check in Year 1 go on to pass it in Year 2.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils are now making better progress in mathematics, so that by the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 the numbers of pupils achieving the expected levels for their age are broadly in line with national averages.  Disadvantaged pupils make good progress in all classes across the school and any gaps in attainment with their classmates and other pupils nationally are closing. Leaders monitor the progress of disadvantaged pupils closely and ensure that they catch up quickly if they start to fall behind.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress in reading and mathematics to reach standards that are broadly average. However, their progress in writing is less strong. Current progress information held by the school and work in pupils’ books shows that pupils are starting to make better progress in writing. Pupils whose outcomes were low at the end of Key Stage 1 catch up well and all of these pupils made the progress expected of them by the time they left the school

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Outcomes for pupils are good

in 2015.  The outcomes for the most-able pupils are improving. At the end of Key Stage 1 in 2015, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels in reading and writing was broadly average but slightly below average in mathematics. At the end of Key Stage 2 in 2015, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels in reading and writing was broadly average and above average in mathematics. However, inspection evidence shows that the most-able pupils are not always consistently challenged to achieve as well as they should in all classes. This is an area which needs continued focus so that the outcomes for the most able continue to improve.  In 2015, the progress made by some pupils in writing at the end of Key Stage 2 was not as high as other pupils nationally. As a result, leaders have worked closely with specialists from the local authority to devise a new system of teaching writing across the school. Work in pupils’ books shows that the progress

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Outcomes for pupils are good

made in writing, by pupils currently in the school, is improving.

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Early years provision is good

 Most children start Nursery with skills that are typical for their age. However, a small proportion of children have skills which are below typical. Children make good progress in their acquisition of communication and language, physical and personal and social skills because the environment is welcoming and provides children with a range of different activities to engage them.  Children’s starting points when they enter Reception are below those typical for their age but not significantly so. Children generally progress well in Reception. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development, by the end of Reception, has increased steadily over the last three years and is now broadly average. However, children’s progress in reading and writing is stronger than in mathematics and there are insufficient opportunities for children to engage in reading, writing and mathematical activities

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Early years provision is good

outside the classroom. Overall, children are ready for learning when they enter Year 1.  Leadership of the early years is good. Staff work well together to identify the different needs of children and ensure that activities are planned to stimulate them, based on accurate assessment. Strong partnerships with the children’s centre and on-site day care greatly enhance the quality of provision for children and their parents. This includes access to learning support, including a language specialist, and additional services such as parenting classes.  Children are happy to come into Nursery and Reception. Adults engage well with children to help them to develop ideas, ‘have a go’ and persevere. Children have a good range of activities to complete, which motivates them to learn. For example, some children were engrossed in making cakes in the mud kitchen, while others enjoyed finding different ways to move ducks along lengths of guttering. Staff are

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Early years provision is good

developing children’s language well, for example using vocabulary for quantities of capacity and measure.  The teaching of phonics is given high priority in Reception. Children are taught in small groups appropriate to their stages of development by teachers who have secure subject knowledge. A range of phonic activities were observed, including a group learning the ‘g’ sound, finding objects starting with the same sound. Another group were blending sounds to make simple words and recording these on whiteboards. Children gained confidence and improved accuracy as a result of the teacher’s correct pronunciation and articulation of sounds and words. Most children engaged well in these sessions. However, on occasion when the pace of the activity slowed or when the teacher focused on individual children, a small number of children became distracted.  Parents are encouraged to contribute to children’s learning and are able to access this learning through

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Early years provision is good

an online system. Staff visit all families prior to the children starting in Nursery and these visits have established positive partnerships with parents in supporting children’s learning.  Children are well cared for and well-established routines and regular checks on equipment ensure that children are kept safe. Policies and procedures are implemented consistently and there are no breaches of statutory welfare requirements. Consequently, safeguarding is effective.  The small number of disadvantaged children in the setting have not achieved the early learning goals at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage for the past two years. Although leaders are aware of the needs of each individual child, additional funding has not always been effectively targeted. Leaders understand that they must measure the impact of this funding more closely.

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School details

Unique reference number 104530 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 10002223

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 440 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jeff Stone Headteacher Gary Crockett Telephone number 0151 228 5806 Website www.corinthianprimary.org.uk Email address corinthian-ao@corinthian.liverpool.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 30–31 October 2013

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is close to the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after.  The proportion of pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs is close to the national average.  In 2014, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Since the previous inspection, the governing body has completed a restructure and there are fewer governors than at the previous inspection.  The school manages a pre-school provision for children aged from birth to three years in conjunction with the children’s centre that is on the same site. This provision is subject to a separate Ofsted inspection and

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Information about this school

the report can be found on the Ofsted website at www.ofsted.gov.uk .  The school is part of a British Council Comenius project with schools from Catalonia, Italy, France and Turkey.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed lessons in all classes and in a range of subjects. Two joint observations took place with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms and assessed the school’s promotion of social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. Inspectors observed pupils in the playground and during lunchtime.  Inspectors looked at work in pupils’ books and in the learning journals of children in the early years.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinators and subject leaders. An inspector met with four members of the governing body, including the Chair of the Governing Body. A meeting was also held with the school improvement advisor from the local authority.  A group of pupils discussed their opinions about the school and their learning with inspectors. Inspectors also spoke informally with pupils in the playground.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors took account of 12 staff questionnaires. Forty-three responses to Ofsted’s online parent survey (Parent View) were also considered and inspectors spoke with several parents before and after school.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including minutes from meetings of the governing body, information on pupils’ outcomes, the school’s evaluation of its own performance and its development plan. Behaviour and attendance records and information relating to safeguarding were also scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Ian Hardman, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Pippa Jackson-Maitland Her Majesty’s Inspector David Deane Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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