Lydiate Primary School

Inspection Report Lydiate Primary School

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104891 Unique Reference Number Sefton LEA 277247 Inspection number 22 March 2006 to 23 March 2006 Inspection dates Mr Bill Keast CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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

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Lambshear Lane School address Primary Type of school Lydiate Community School category Liverpool, Merseyside L31 2JZ 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 0151 526 2657 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0151 526 2680 Fax number 340 Number on roll Mr K Conolly Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs S Webster Headteacher 8 May 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277247 22 March 2006 - 3 to 11 23 March 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

This larger than average school is situated in the village of Lydiate, on the edge of the larger community of Maghull. It has a 30 place nursery. The proportion of pupils entitled to a free school meal is below average. Very few pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds. A smaller than average proportion of pupils has identified learning difficulties and/or disabilities and no pupil has a formal statement of need. The school hosts a privately funded care provision for children aged two to five. This provision is the subject of a separate inspection.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Lydiate Primary School, 22 March 2006 to 23 March 2006

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with the school's own evaluation that this is a good school. It provides good value for money. Effective leadership and teamwork have ensured that the quality of teaching and learning is good. There are many examples of very effective practice from which all can learn. The good curriculum meets all pupils' needs well. Religious education, music and information and communication technology are particular strengths. Teachers and teaching assistants provide excellent care and support. As a result, pupils enjoy coming to school, they feel safe and their personal development is good. Their behaviour around the school is excellent and their attitudes to learning are very good. Pupils work hard and participate enthusiastically in enjoyable lessons. They learn well and all make good progress, reaching above average standards by the end of Years 2 and 6. The headteacher has been the driving force behind continuing

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Grade: 2

development and the good improvement since the previous inspection. This, coupled with the understanding that all staff have knowledge of what needs to be improved, shows the school has the capacity for further improvement. As other senior leaders gain experience and with the planned re-structuring of staffing, there is opportunity to share leadership responsibilities more widely within the team. The school works closely and effectively at all levels with the local community of schools. The quality of provision in the Foundation Stage is good. Pupils progress well and move into Year 1 with good skill levels.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that senior managers have a better balance of responsibilities. • Raise the quality of teaching further by identifying and disseminating the strong features of the most effective teaching.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' standards are above average and they achieve well. Results in the national Year 6 tests have been consistently above average for the last five years with a trend that is in line with the national trend. The school met its challenging targets in all but the proportion of pupils reaching above average levels in English. In both science and mathematics, the proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels was significantly above average. Although teacher assessment showed pupils were reaching the higher levels in English, this failed to show in the national tests because many pupils did not complete enough of the test. Pupils make good progress by the end of Year 6, from their above average standards at the start of Year 3. Pupils make similarly good progress regardless of gender, earlier attainment or learning difficulty. The majority of pupils are currently reaching their challenging year-on-year targets, showing that above

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Grade: 2

average standards are being maintained. Results at the end of Year 2 have also been above average for the last five years with a significantly rising trend. Results in 2005 were exceptionally high. Pupils make good progress in Years 1 and 2. Standards in the 2 Inspection Report: Lydiate Primary School, 22 March 2006 to 23 March 2006 Foundation Stage are good and pupils make good progress. Their experience in the nursery sets the pattern of progress and achievement seen across the school.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well being are good. Pupils enjoy school and say they feel safe from bullying. Attendance is in line with the national average but is held down by a small number of pupils who have extended holidays during term time. Pupils are thoughtful and considerate of others, adopt safe practices in moving around the school and have a very good attitude to learning. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is excellent. Pupils are confident and courteous in talking to adults. They contribute well to school development through an active school council. For example, they suggested a shortening of the lunch period and determine the charities they want to support. Pupils are well aware of the need for a healthy lifestyle. Their social and moral development is good, as evidenced by their attitudes to each other both in and out of class. Spiritual development is good. Their cultural development is satisfactory.

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Grade: 2

Pupils develop a good understanding of religious differences through the strong religious education programme but have few, regular opportunities for first hand experience of other cultures and traditions. Pupils make a good contribution to their wider community through, for example, their charity collections. The recent sponsored bulb growing for Marie Curie Cancer Research captured pupils' interest. A strong emphasis on basic skills and activities like Year 6 pupils' involvement in running the 'healthy eating' tuck shop at playtime ensure pupils are developing the necessary skills for their future well-being.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Teachers and support staff have high expectations of all pupils. They provide many intervention and booster programmes, some of which operate outside the school day, to enable pupils to achieve their potential. The commitment of all staff to work hard to capture pupils' interests and so engage them in their learning is a strength of the teaching. Rigorous planning and assessment ensure that different aged pupils in the same class make good progress. Parents value the quality of the teaching which challenges the pupils effectively, enabling them to progress well. Exemplary teaching is characterised by the provision of highly stimulating activities and well focused lessons in which pupils make rapid progress. Teachers use questioning and cross subject links to good effect. In an outstanding Year 2 English lesson, pupils produced high quality writing because the

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Grade: 2

teacher had developed pupils' thinking and extended their understanding well. Some teaching, while never less than satisfactory, does not have the energy and spark of the best. Specialist support staff, in partnership with class teachers, quickly identify and effectively support pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. 3 Inspection Report: Lydiate Primary School, 22 March 2006 to 23 March 2006

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and matches the needs of pupils, including those in the Foundation Stage, well. All statutory requirements are met. Work is enhanced by good opportunities to take part in educational visits, celebration assemblies and musical performances which involve the whole school community. These extend pupils' confidence and basic skills well and are a strength of the school. Good partnerships support the school's mission to provide its pupils with rich and diverse opportunities to develop their talents effectively. These include opportunities to play a musical instrument, to learn French or to take part in performing arts events. Pupils' personal safety and citizenship education are developed effectively within the curriculum. The school provides a good range of extracurricular activities which are popular with the pupils. A strong emphasis on adopting healthy lifestyles is particularly well supported

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Grade: 2

by the meals service. Pupils say lunches 'are great'.

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Grade: 1

The school provides outstanding levels of care, guidance and support for pupils. Risk assessment systems are rigorous and effective. Heath and safety procedures are fully in place, ensuring that pupils are safe at all times. Arrangements for child protection are robust and parents and pupils express high levels of trust in staff. A pupil, new to the school, said this was the best school because 'they really look after you'. Pupils have many opportunities to succeed through working both co-operatively and independently. Through praise and recognition of their work, much of which is well displayed throughout the school, pupils' self-confidence and self-esteem are successfully developed. Pupils know their targets and understand, through clear direction from their teachers, what they need to do to improve further. Effective, targeted support is provided for pupils who are not making expected progress. Voluntary booster sessions are very well attended and thoroughly enjoyed. High levels

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Grade: 1

of quality support provided for pupils with additional learning needs and/or disabilities, ensure that they make good progress.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The long-serving headteacher has been the driving force behind the improvement and development in the school. She is ably supported by her strong team of staff. However, she takes too much on herself and the less experienced members of the senior team have the capacity to take greater responsibility. Very supportive governors have ensured compliance with statutory requirements and use their personal skills effectively to pupils' benefit. They fulfil their responsibilities well but could be more closely involved in planning, and evaluation of its impact. The school's self-evaluation is accurate and the headteacher is well aware of the strengths and the weaker areas. Although resulting actions are effective, the 4 Inspection Report: Lydiate Primary School, 22 March 2006 to 23 March 2006 recording of the planning, particularly of what the actions are trying to achieve, is not

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Grade: 2

clear enough to enable sharply focused evaluation. Teaching is monitored well by the headteacher and the leaders in English, mathematics and science. Other subject leaders are soon to be involved in this process. Pupils' results are carefully analysed and effective action taken to tackle any identified weaker areas. Parents are very happy with the school and what it provides. Their views are sought regularly and the school responds to these. For example, parents' views were the decisive factor in a decision on school uniform. Planning also responds to pupils' views, expressed through their council. Issues identified in the previous inspection have been successfully tackled, particularly raising the standards in science and improving the provision for information and communication technology. These are now strengths in the school. The school clearly has the capacity for further improvement. 5 Inspection Report: Lydiate Primary School, 22 March 2006 to 23 March 2006

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Lydiate Primary School, 22 March 2006 to 23 March 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

As you know, a team of inspectors visited your school recently to find out if your school is giving you the education you should receive. Thank you very much for making us so welcome. We really enjoyed talking to you and finding out about what you enjoyed doing. You are really proud of your school and rightly so. Some of the things we really liked were: - the good way your headteacher and other adults look after you so well and help you to work hard - your behaviour and attitude to work which was excellent - the way in which teachers plan interesting work for you to do - how keen you are to take on responsibilities, help to make decisions about your school, and care about one another. We were very impressed with what we saw. The adults in your school have already spotted what needs to be done to improve even further and we agree with them. We have asked them to try to make sure that all teaching is as good as the best that we saw.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for helping us so much with the inspection of your school. We hope you will carry on enjoying learning and helping your teachers to improve Lydiate Primary School.

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