King David Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Rachel Rick Headteacher King David Primary School Childwall Road Liverpool Merseyside L15 6WU

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Short inspection of King David Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 26 September 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in December 2012.

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Short inspection of King David Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Leaders have established a caring and calm ethos throughout the school. You have created an environment that has the well-being of pupils and staff at its core. Staff morale is high and pupils are happy.

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Short inspection of King David Primary School

You and your staff work hard to make sure that the school is an inclusive, safe and caring environment. Leaders welcome pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Targeted support is implemented swiftly to ensure that their individual needs are met. Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy attending. As a result, the vast majority of pupils have good attendance. They listen well in lessons and their attitudes to learning are good. Pupils are articulate and mature. They are a credit to the school and their families.

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Short inspection of King David Primary School

Since the previous inspection, leaders have implemented improvements across the school. Leaders and governors know the school well and have a good grasp of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The school’s self-evaluation is detailed and thorough. It ensures that the school’s priorities for improvement are well matched and accurate. Leaders’ rigorous and detailed checks of pupils’ progress quickly identify any pupils who need extra support. As a result, pupils’ progress has increased across the school. Relationships between pupils and staff are a strength of the school and are valued by pupils. They are keen to say that the teachers are the ‘best thing about the school’. Most parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, are positive about the school and the support that their children receive. They are in agreement that their children make good progress. Leaders have different systems in place to

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Short inspection of King David Primary School

communicate with parents regarding pupils’ progress at different stages throughout the year. Parents feel able to approach all staff and are well informed about their children’s progress. As one parent commented, ‘The report mechanisms are excellent, with many opportunities to meet the class teacher face to face while the written reports provide clear information about progress over time.’

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Short inspection of King David Primary School

You have responded effectively to the areas for improvement identified in the last inspection. One of the aspects you were asked to improve was pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching. Work in pupils’ books shows that progress is good across the school in a wide range of subjects. This is because of the effective teaching that they now receive. Leaders have established appropriate systems to support teachers’ professional development. These actions have improved the quality of teaching and learning across the school. Teachers assess pupils’ work accurately to ensure that pupils’ work is pitched at the right level. Pupils enjoy their learning, and they actively participate in high-quality discussions. Teachers and teaching assistants support pupils effectively through the use of probing questions. Additionally, immediate feedback given to pupils enables them to address any misconceptions in their learning. As a result, pupils make good progress.

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Short inspection of King David Primary School

Another area that you were asked to improve was the role of the teaching assistants. Leaders have empowered teaching assistants across the school. They now have clear roles and responsibilities. Professional development has been utilised to strengthen their skills. Regular reviews by leaders ensure that additional support is used well across the school. Teaching assistants are clear about their role in lessons and when working with pupils who need additional support to catch up. Teaching assistants support effectively pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Short inspection of King David Primary School

Safeguarding is effective. Safeguarding policies and procedures are fit for purpose and staff and governors receive appropriate training. The designated safeguarding leader is quick to take action when concerns are raised about pupils’ safety. Leaders have developed strong relationships with external agencies to ensure that pupils are safe. Leaders prioritise pupils’ safety above all else and staff are constantly vigilant. They use clear systems to raise any concerns. Those who are responsible for staff recruitment have completed training at the appropriate level. As a result, vetting procedures for the recruitment of staff and governors are thorough.

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Short inspection of King David Primary School

Pupils speak passionately about how safe they feel at school. They say that leaders ensure that the building and site are safe. Pupils know how to stay safe when using the internet and social media. They also have a deep understanding of different types of bullying and what they mean. Pupils say that bullying is rare at the school. Leaders ensure that if pupils have concerns they know what to do. Pupils agree that adults at the school respond quickly to their concerns. Most parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, felt that their children were safe and happy.

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Inspection findings

 At the start of this inspection we agreed on a number of key lines of enquiry. The first looked at how effectively leaders are improving outcomes for the most able pupils in key stage 1. This was because in 2016 the proportion of pupils who achieved the higher standard was below the national average. Information that you provided showed that these pupils are currently now achieving in line with the national expectation at greater depth. Leaders have ensured that teachers have opportunities to improve the accuracy of their assessments. This is still at an early stage and you acknowledge that this is an area that could improve further across the school. The changes made to teaching and learning in writing and mathematics, in key stage 1, have ensured that achievement at the highest standard improved in 2017. However in reading, although the most able pupils made good progress from their starting points, we agreed that pupils’ attainment

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Inspection findings

at the highest standard remains an area for improvement.  The second line of enquiry considered the progress that the most able pupils make in key stage 2. This was because in 2016 the progress of this group was below the national expectation. The rigorous assessment systems enable leaders to have a deep understanding of the progress these pupils make from their starting points. Teachers use this information to ensure that learning is appropriately challenging and interesting. In pupils’ books, and in the lessons that we observed, it was evident that pupils have opportunities to challenge themselves. This is particularly strong in mathematics, where the most able pupils have opportunities to develop problem-solving and reasoning skills. Pupils told me that they now thought mathematics was the best subject in school. Pupils are in agreement that they enjoy the challenges that they receive. The most able pupils’ progress in mathematics is now a strength of the school. In

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Inspection findings

2017, their progress was much improved. In writing, pupils have many opportunities to write across the curriculum, for example when writing instructions on how to make a Roman road as part of their history topic. As a result, most-able pupils’ progress in writing is good across key stage 2. Despite improvements made to teaching, learning and assessment in key stage 2 for the most able pupils, these pupils’ reading progress remains slower than in writing and mathematics. You have identified this as an area for improvement in the school and have already taken steps to ensure that progress rises.  Another key line of enquiry considered was the attendance and persistent absence of disadvantaged pupils. In 2016, persistent absence was high for these pupils. Leaders have established effective systems to check attendance. Appropriate action is taken when necessary to support these pupils. Leaders use the funding for disadvantaged pupils to remove barriers that some pupils face.

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Inspection findings

Additionally, and when necessary, you work closely with external agencies and the local authority. Individual case studies show that, as a result of your actions, the attendance of these pupils has improved.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 teachers are provided with opportunities to develop even greater consistency and accuracy in assessing the most able pupils’ progress  the most able pupils are challenged appropriately in their reading, so that they achieve at the highest standard.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Liverpool. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I met with you and the deputy headteacher. I spoke with the chair of the governing body and an officer from the local authority. I spoke with a group of pupils and heard pupils read. Documents were scrutinised, including the school’s self-evaluation document, the school’s improvement plan, external audits, attendance information and safeguarding checks. I reviewed pupils’ achievement records and your checks on the quality of teaching. I also visited lessons with you to speak with pupils, look at examples of their work and observe their behaviour during lessons and as they moved around school. I examined child protection information and minutes from meetings of the governing body. I took account of the 78 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 77 free- text responses. I took account of the 15 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire and the 59 responses to the pupil questionnaire. I also completed a review of the

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