Lister Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Lister Junior School Green Lane, Liverpool, Merseyside L13 7DT

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 January 2022

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Outcome

Lister Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lister Juniors is a welcoming and happy school. Teachers expect all pupils to achieve well. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are eager to learn and they work hard in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel well cared for and safe at school. Pupils from different backgrounds get on well with each other. They behave well in lessons and during breaktimes. Pupils who spoke with the inspector said that if bullying were to happen, staff would deal it with quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, such as sports and visits to museums and residential outdoor centres. They recently enjoyed a forensic science workshop and a visit by a Tyrannosaurus-rex dinosaur. Pupils have won competitions in performing arts and water polo. Older pupils love taking on positions of responsibility, such as supporting younger pupils with their reading.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many parents and carers are very positive about the work of the staff and the support that their children receive. A typical comment was, ‘The nurturing care provided by the school is second to none. My child is encouraged and supported to do well.’

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and governors are ambitious for all pupils. Pupils learn the full range of national curriculum subjects. Staff organise a range of visitors and workshops to enhance pupils’ learning.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have thought carefully about the knowledge that they want pupils to learn in many subjects. This helps teachers to know what should be taught and when. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to revisit what they have learned. This contributes to pupils’ strong achievement. However, in some subjects, the curriculum lacks clarity about the important content that leaders want pupils to learn. This means that some pupils are 18 and 19 January 2022

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not developing the building blocks of knowledge that they need as they move through the school.

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Leaders have established ways to check what pupils know and can do in some subjects, such as mathematics and English. However, in some other subjects, teachers’ checks on pupils’ learning are not as effective. They do not give teachers enough information to help plan for future learning. This means that, in a small number of subjects, pupils’ learning does not build on what they already know.

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Leaders have prioritised reading, so that pupils who enter Year 3 without a secure knowledge of phonics are helped to catch up quickly. Teachers are well trained in helping pupils to know the sounds that letters represent. Pupils deepen their knowledge by reading books that match the sounds that they know. Leaders have introduced high- quality texts that help pupils to develop their comprehension skills well. Pupils said that they enjoy reading and they read daily in school. By the time they leave Year 6, pupils are confident and fluent readers.

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Pupils with SEND are supported well. They have their needs identified quickly. Teachers adapt their teaching and use resources carefully to ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are met. Leaders work effectively with a wide range of external agencies to support these pupils. Pupils with SEND have access to the full the curriculum and achieve well.

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Pupils are respectful towards each other and their teachers. Lessons are rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. Leaders place a high priority on supporting pupils’ mental health. There is a calm and orderly atmosphere in the school. Leaders help pupils to become active and responsible citizens. For example, useful links with a local organisation are raising pupils’ awareness of sustainability issues. Pupils have the opportunity to learn about different cultures and religions through visits to different places of worship. This helps them to develop tolerance of others.

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Governors know the strengths and areas to develop in the school. They support and challenge leaders effectively. For example, they have worked with leaders to improve the security of the site.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They said that leaders are considerate of their workload. Staff work together as a team. They appreciate the training that they receive to develop their subject knowledge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular safeguarding training. This helps them to recognise signs of potential abuse. Staff know what to do if they have any worries about a pupil. Leaders follow up any concerns promptly. They work closely with families and external agencies to keep pupils safe. Leaders know the local safeguarding risks and they provide opportunities for pupils to learn about these risks through the curriculum. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe when working online. 18 and 19 January 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not identified the most important knowledge that they want pupils to learn. This means that sometimes pupils cannot build on what they already know. Leaders should ensure that the knowledge they want pupils to acquire is clear in all subject curriculums. This will enable teachers to design new learning that supports pupils to know more and remember more.  Teachers are less well equipped to check how well pupils have learned the curriculum in subjects other than English and mathematics. At times, this prevents teachers from building on what pupils already know and can do. Leaders should ensure that teachers have the skills and expertise to assess how well pupils are learning and remembering what they have been taught.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 18 and 19 January 2022

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 18 and 19 January 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

10 and 11 March 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new vice-chair of governors has been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school shares the site with Lister Infant School.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and staff.  The inspector met with four members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. The inspector held a telephone call with a representative of the local authority. 18 and 19 January 2022

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 The inspector spoke to pupils about their experience of school and their views on behaviour and bullying. He also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes.  The inspector reviewed a wide range of evidence, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans. He also looked at minutes of governing body meetings.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector looked at safeguarding policies and reviewed leaders’ record of checks on the suitability of staff and governors. He met with the designated safeguarding lead. The inspector also spoke to pupils and staff about safeguarding and considered parents’ views.  The inspector did deep dives in early reading, geography and mathematics. He visited a sample of lessons in these subjects, met with subject leaders, reviewed pupils’ work and had discussions with teachers and a small group of pupils. The inspector reviewed leaders’ curriculum plans and pupils’ work in a range of other subjects. The inspector

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observed pupils reading to familiar staff.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the responses to the staff surveys. The inspector spoke with parents before the start of the school day to gather their views. No responses were received to the online surveys for pupils.

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Inspection team

Ahmed Marikar, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 18 and 19 January 2022

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regulates and inspects to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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