Liscard Primary School

Inspection of Liscard Primary School Withens Lane, Wallasey, Merseyside CH45 7NQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 12 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 7 and 8 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are welcomed into this nurturing community. They enter school smiling and are happy to be there. They are reassured that staff are there to keep them safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

On the corridors and in classrooms, pupils’ behaviour is impeccable. Pupils walk around sensibly, hold doors open for each other and greet staff politely. Staff model to pupils how they want them to behave. Pupils live up to the high expectations that staff have for their behaviour. The code of conduct is simple: work hard, be kind, never give up. This helps to successfully frame pupils’ attitudes and behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high ambitions for pupils’ achievement, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There is a broad and ambitious curriculum which helps most pupils to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are treated as unique individuals. They learn that everyone is different. They treat one another with kindness and respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy having responsibilities which contribute towards building a thriving community. For example, the eco-rangers recently worked with the local community to plant bulbs. Pupils enjoy being mental health ambassadors, school councillors and digital leaders.

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better?

The school’s bespoke curriculum is thoughtfully designed. It ensures that pupils build on their learning, from the provision for two-year-olds through to Year 6. Staff have strong subject knowledge, which they use to deliver the curriculum consistently. Across the curriculum, staff use assessment methods effectively to identify and remedy pupils’ misconceptions. Teachers check regularly how well pupils remember prior learning. This helps pupils to develop their retention of knowledge over time.

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better?

The school has robust processes in place to identify any additional needs that pupils have. The school has high aspirations for pupils with SEND, who learn the same curriculum as their peers. Nevertheless, at times, the school does not clearly identify the next steps for pupils with SEND and how their learning should be broken down. This hinders some pupils with SEND from developing a deep and rich understanding of the curriculum.

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better?

Reading is a top priority in this school. Reading for pleasure and enjoyment are widely promoted. Pupils, therefore, enjoy reading and read regularly, including at home. Children in the provision for two- and three-year-olds excitedly act out familiar stories from memory. The phonics curriculum is delivered consistently across different year groups. Teachers quickly identify pupils who struggle with reading, and effective support is put in place to help these pupils to catch up. The school has successfully delivered workshops and sessions for parents and carers to help them 7 and 8 November 2023

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to support their child in reading. The school’s actions ensure that pupils develop into confident and fluent readers.

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Pupils, including children in the early years, diligently follow the routines that the school has put in place. They display motivated and excited attitudes to learning. They engage positively in lessons and are eager to learn.

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The school’s approach to improving pupils’ attendance has led to a slight improvement in the attendance of disadvantaged pupils. However, these actions have not secured improvement for all pupils, in particular those with SEND.

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Pupils benefit from a personal development programme that widens their experiences. For example, aspirational role models who have overcome personal challenges talk to pupils about resilience, perseverance and the importance of aiming high. The many trips that the school organises complement the curriculum while also expanding pupils’ life skills. For example, when visiting war rooms to enhance their understanding of the Second World War, pupils used the local rail network to get there.

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Understanding the world and others is an important part of the school’s work. Pupils grasp opportunities to learn about different cultures and religions. They spoke excitedly about a visit to a mosque and the washing ritual that they observed. The culture of inclusion is firmly embedded across the school.

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Staff know and support pupils and their families extremely well. Parents and carers appreciate the support they are given, especially in helping them to understand how to support their child’s education. For example, one programme offers parents the chance to work on carefully planned activities, such as mark making, in school with their child.

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The governing body knows the school well. It has a clear oversight of the school’s strengths and areas of development. Staff are committed, positive and feel valued. The school is mindful of staff’s workload. It has adapted a marking policy which has reduced teachers’ workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school has not ensured that teachers have the knowledge to identify the small steps that some pupils with SEND need to take. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment information carefully to identify pupils’ 7 and 8 November 2023

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specific gaps and the precise actions needed to support pupils with SEND to achieve well.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 7 and 8 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 May 2011, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has provision for two- and three-year-olds.  The school makes use of two registered alternative providers for a small number of pupils.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, other senior leaders and staff. The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair of governors. She also held telephone conversations with a representative of the local authority and the school improvement partner. 7 and 8 November 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, physical education, history and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also visited lessons in some other subjects and spoke to pupils about their work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes.  Inspectors visited after-school clubs.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self-

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evaluation and the school development plan.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses. They spoke to parents at the start of the day. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Jenny Jones, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Thompson Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 November 2023

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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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