Kingsley Community School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Embed improvements to teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that:
  • teaching is consistently good in all classes
  • the most able pupils are consistently challenged to reach their potential
  • all staff adhere to the school’s agreed policy for teaching phonics.
• Continue the drive to raise attainment, ensuring that:
  • by the end of Reception, the proportion of children attaining a good level of development at least equals or is much closer to the national average
  • the proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard in the Year 1 and Year 2 phonics screening checks at least equals the national averages
  • by the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics equals or is much closer to the national average.
• Further improve leadership and management, by:
  • evaluating the effectiveness of the intervention programmes for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities
  • ensuring that the school has assessment information to show how well pupils are achieving in all subjects
  • developing the roles of subject leaders in improving provision and outcomes in their subjects across the school.
• Improve pupils’ personal development and welfare, by:
  • ensuring that pupils learn about different families and relationships so that they are fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The school’s motto, ‘learning together, respecting each other’, is a tangible aspect of the school’s culture and extends well into the heart of the local community.
• On joining the school in January 2016, the headteacher recognised the strengths that had been developed since the school opened in 1999 and which continue to characterise the school’s ethos. However, rigorous evaluations identified weaknesses in aspects of the school’s work, including teaching.
• The last inspection identified weaknesses in the teaching of reading. The year following that inspection, 2014, the school’s results in the national end-of-key-stage-2 reading tests fell to significantly below average. This was also the case in writing. In both areas, progress was well below average and significantly below what might be expected, given pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 1. Although the 2015 results indicated improvement, the current headteacher’s evaluations of teaching and learning found that these masked poor progress in many year groups. Pupils’ weak performance in the 2016 national reading tests and writing assessments reflected the weaknesses which the headteacher had identified.
• Improving teaching and tackling underachievement have been the main focus of school improvement during the headteacher’s time at the school. Staff turnover has been considerable, but unavoidable, during this period. Changes have been managed well. Almost all of the staff who completed the online survey said that leaders do all they can to motivate staff and ensure that they are respected and effective.
• The headteacher’s high expectations of teaching are mirrored by the strong senior leadership team that she has established. Together, this team accurately identify the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They prioritise the most important areas for improvement and regularly check that action taken to address these issues is working.
• In checking pupils’ work and observing lessons, senior leaders are skilled in identifying the aspects of teaching that work and those that do not. Their feedback to staff recognises strengths, but leaves no doubt about the areas to improve. This rigour underpins the improvements to teaching that have occurred. Staff consider that the training and support which leaders have provided has improved their teaching.
• Leaders know that there is more work to do to ensure that teaching is consistently good in all classes. Changes to important systems, such as assessment and staff accountability through appraisal, are used effectively to improve teaching and pupils’ progress. A current priority is to evaluate more precisely the impact of the many additional teaching programmes to support pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• Leaders have high aspirations for pupils. While acknowledging the notable barriers to learning faced by many pupils, there is no lowering of the bar in relation to what pupils may achieve. The much-improved reading and writing results at the end of key stage 2 this year reflect this. Similarly, the increased proportions of pupils attaining the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check and a good level of development by the end of Reception demonstrate the school’s raised expectations. Nonetheless, reading and writing correctly remain areas for further improvement, as does achievement by the end of key stage 1 and the early years, and for the most able pupils.
• Despite the necessary focus on ensuring that pupils acquire the basic skills of literacy and numeracy, learning in other subjects is not sidelined. Pupils have lots of opportunities to be creative, work scientifically, use technology, and to learn about the world, past and present. Lessons in physical education (PE) are frequent and enable pupils to experience a range of different sports. Excellent use is made of the school grounds and forest environment to provide outdoor learning experiences for pupils in all year groups. A good range of interesting visitors and visits, including residential visits, enhance the curriculum. This is also true of the wide range of popular lunchtime and extra-curricular activities offered to pupils from Year 1 upwards.
• Subject leaders have identified various actions needed to further improve curriculum provision in their subjects. Formal assessment of pupils’ achievement is a next step for many. As such, the extent to which pupils make strong progress in all subjects is not known. There is some good teamwork. However, not all subject leaders have a good enough understanding of the quality of teaching and learning across both key stages and the early years.
• Leaders recognise the importance of using the curriculum to educate pupils about fundamental British values, equality and diversity. In many ways work in this area is exceptional. In lessons and assemblies pupils learn to respect and value diversity and equality of race, culture, religious belief, gender and disability. There is no provision, however, to help pupils understand about different types of families and same-sex relationships. Although the unique worth of every individual is embodied in the school’s ethos and culture, this gap does not ensure that pupils are as fully prepared for life in modern Britain as they might be. Senior leaders’ recent audit of the school’s provision for fundamental British values rightly identified this as an area for development.
• Parents are extremely positive about the school’s work. They value the education and high quality of care provided for their children. Parents are also very appreciative of the help that they are given, as parents, to support their children’s learning at home and in relation to many issues that affect their lives.

Governance of the school

• Governors bring a range of expertise to their roles. This year, a number of new governors have joined the governing body. All are highly committed to playing a constructive part in the school’s improvement. To this end, governors have undertaken a range of pertinent training. They have commissioned an external review of their work to shape the development and accountability structure of committees and for governors with specific responsibilities.
• Governors share senior leaders’ high expectations of teaching and aspirations for pupils. They are well informed about the quality of teaching and learning.
• Governors ask probing questions of leaders about pupils’ achievement. They make good use of performance data to focus these questions, including about the achievement of particular groups.
• Governors want to know how well the money allocated to specific initiatives and for particular groups of pupils is making a difference to their achievement and personal development. They keep a close eye on how the pupil premium is spent and the impact it is having on disadvantaged pupils. They receive good information to evaluate the impact of the PE and sport premium. In relation to the money allocated to support pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, governors are currently seeking more information about the value of each of the various resources and support programmes for these pupils.
• Governors are proactive in checking the school’s safeguarding arrangements, including checking vetting and recruitment procedures, observing senior leaders’ meetings about safeguarding and discussing safety with pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Protecting children is a high priority. The checks that leaders undertake on the suitability of adults to work with children are thorough. Leaders ensure that staff safeguarding training is current. Parents are given useful information about safeguarding on the school’s website.
• This aspect of the school’s work is led very effectively by a core team of knowledgeable and well-trained senior leaders. All staff, however, are fully aware of their safeguarding responsibilities and vigilant in carrying these out.
• Leaders and staff know pupils and their families well. They keep a careful watch over pupils to ensure that they are supported and kept safe. Close working relationships with the children’s centre add to leaders’ understanding of current and potential safeguarding issues. Staff are alert to and proactive in responding to any potential issues of extremism, radicalisation or cultural traditions that affect pupils’ safety.
• Records of serious concerns about pupils’ safety and well-being and leaders’ communications with professional agencies on these matters are meticulous. Where the headteacher considers that the right help and action is not forthcoming, she is relentless in her pursuit of this.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Since the headteacher’s appointment, the quality of teaching has improved. Most is now typically good or better and having a positive impact on pupils’ learning across the whole curriculum.
• There is strong teaching in all year groups. There is, however, variation between and within some year groups. While this is not widespread, it means that while pupils in different classes in the same year group are taught the same things, key differences exist in how well they are taught. The result is some differences in the depth of learning and extent of progress between classes.
• In most lessons, there is a real buzz of excitement and teachers satisfy pupils’ thirst for learning. Teachers’ strong subject knowledge allows them to explain new ideas, such as refraction, gravity and equivalent fractions, clearly and confidently.
• Most teachers have high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. They get the best out of pupils by providing challenging work, making good use of resources and giving pupils opportunities to work in different ways. These features motivate pupils and sustain their interest.
• The majority of teachers use questioning well to assess pupils’ understanding. They involve many pupils and use what they know about pupils to pitch questions at the right level. While pupils work, teachers keep a close eye on them and provide further help or challenge, as necessary.
• Teachers are very aware of the need to widen pupils’ vocabulary and deepen their understanding of English. Most do this extremely well by extending pupils’ sentences and providing a good model of spoken English. There are occasions, however, when teachers and teaching assistants use colloquial language and drop word endings. Some of these feature in pupils’ writing.
• Improving writing is one of the school’s priorities. Pupils’ work shows that writing is being taught well, with teachers finding interesting opportunities to develop writing across the curriculum. In a geography lesson, for example, pupils were using the features of persuasive writing to create holiday advertisements. In design and technology, younger pupils used good handwriting to label the different features of wheeled vehicles, paying good attention to correct spelling. In almost all classrooms, teachers provide very useful displays to support pupils’ writing. These regularly change in relation to the aspect of writing being taught. Pupils make good use of these to structure and improve their work. Grammar, punctuation and spelling are mostly taught well and reinforced in different subjects.
• The teaching of reading has improved significantly in the last year. There is a strong focus on developing pupils’ enthusiasm for reading and this is very well embedded. There is also a more consistent and effective approach to teaching different aspects of reading, such as phonics and comprehension. Nevertheless, in the early years and key stage 1 some inconsistencies remain in the quality of phonics teaching and the approach used.
• In key stage 1, phonics is now taught in a systematic and structured way. Each day, at the same time, pupils are taught in groups organised on the basis of their phonics skills. In the main this works well. Most teachers and teaching assistants have good technical knowledge of how to teach phonics. They use an appropriate and varied range of methods and activities to maintain pupils’ attention and move learning on. At times, however, the activities and pace of teaching are not matched well enough to pupils’ needs. This mostly affects lower-attaining pupils and pupils who are at an early stage of learning English. Often, pupils in both of these groups have a shorter attention span. They easily lose concentration when teaching is not sufficiently varied or does not involve them enough and their learning slows. In the early years, the weakness issue is more about mixing approaches, including using more than one phonics scheme.
• Mathematics is taught well in most classes. Teachers require pupils to explain the strategies they use for calculations and problem-solving tasks. They provide good opportunities for pupils to use reasoning skills. Class displays strengthen pupils’ understanding of written methods of calculation and help them absorb mathematical language. Teachers regularly draw pupils’ attention to mathematics in other subjects, for example when studying time zones and daylight hours. In researching information about Spain, pupils’ understanding of four-digit numbers was reinforced while estimating population numbers. Around the school, displays show how mathematics is used by people in different jobs, for example by the school caretaker and office staff.
• Leaders’ and inspectors’ observations and review of pupils’ books show that less effective teaching is typified by some weaknesses in subject knowledge, for example in mathematics, and by insufficient challenge, especially for the most able pupils.
• The impact of the very high number of learning support staff is good overall. As with teaching, however, there is some variation. Leaders are using the school’s appraisal process to enhance consistency.
• Learning support staff receive training for their roles. Many are significantly involved in teaching that supports pupils’ English language development and the learning of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. Some are trained to teach specific reading and mathematics programmes, designed to help pupils catch up with aspects of their learning. The impact of teaching in all of these programmes has yet to be thoroughly evaluated by leaders.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils enjoy school and value all it has to offer. Many are inspired by the school’s clear message that they can be successful and achieve well in life. They know that the key is doing their best, behaving well and respecting each other. The school’s motto is something they understand and hold fast to.
• Pupils are very proud of their school and use phrases such as, ‘we are a school with diversity’ and ‘we are all different but all equal’ to explain what it is like to be a pupil at Kingsley. Pupils have a genuine commitment to the principle of valuing and respecting difference. To the extent that they have been helped to understand the full range of diversity and the laws that apply to groups with protected characteristics, pupils have a good understanding of diversity and equality. The gap in their understanding is evident in discussions about prejudice-based behaviour. Pupils are very clear why racist comments and prejudicial comments linked to gender or disability are unacceptable and cause hurt. However, while they know that using the word ‘gay’ in a derogatory fashion is wrong, their explanations for why such language is unacceptable are far less well informed.
• Pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values is very good. In discussing various aspects of democracy, for instance, one added, ‘It is not a dictatorship.’ Pupils explained how British values provide people with the freedom to make choices. They understand the purpose of rules and laws and were able to explain differences between British laws and sentences and those of other countries.
• Pupils show great empathy for pupils who join the school midway through a year, possibly from another country and unable to speak English. They play an admirable role in helping these pupils to settle into school life, enhancing the excellent processes the school has in place.
• Pupils are similarly moved by the circumstances of people less fortunate than themselves. They explained that they were moved by seeing homeless people on the streets of Liverpool and voted to raise funds for a local charity to help these people.
• Pupils say that they feel safe and cared for in school. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including when using technology. They know the importance of a healthy lifestyle and what it takes to achieve this.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are extremely polite and welcoming to visitors. They treat staff respectfully and generally get on very well with each other.
• At breaktimes and when moving around the school pupils behave very well. Pupils know the different forms bullying can take and the difference between bullying and occasional misbehaviour. They say that if bullying happens it is dealt with effectively by staff. School records show that this and other types of behaviour, including racist and homophobic name-calling, are closely monitored and effectively followed up.
• Most pupils have very positive views about behaviour, both in lessons and at breaktimes. Those who are not as positive are clear about why. They say that some pupils talk and ‘mess around’ in lessons and that this ‘gets on [their] nerves’. Inspectors did not observe this sort of behaviour. However, they noted some low-level misbehaviour and lack of attention that resulted from work not being sufficiently challenging. While most pupils think that teachers pitch work at the right level, in discussions with inspectors and in the online pupil survey, some, including the most able pupils, said that work is not always challenging or helping them to do their best.
• In most lessons, pupils listened with interest to their teachers and were keen to quickly get on with their work. Pupils’ books show that they take pride in presenting work neatly. Pupils attend school regularly and very few are persistently absent.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• After a period of decline, good leadership is now ensuring that pupils make more consistent progress in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, standards are rising.
• Since the school’s last inspection, a new curriculum has been introduced and pupils are now expected to attain higher standards by the end of both key stages. In 2017, Year 6 pupils reached these standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Consequently, they were well prepared for secondary school. In relation to their prior attainment at the end of key stage 1, they made good progress in these subjects.
• Standards at the end of Year 2 in 2017 were not as positive, being significantly below average in reading, writing and mathematics. However, even before the new expected standards, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 had been significantly below average in these subjects for many years. The reasons for this are varied. A high proportion of pupils have low standards of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics on starting Year 1. At this point, many pupils are also still at a relatively early stage of learning to speak English. In addition, the number of pupils joining during the key stage can be high, with some having had no previous experience of school. There have also been teaching weaknesses in key stage 1, which have limited some pupils’ progress and attainment.
• Teaching at key stage 1 is now better. Current pupils are making good progress and standards are rising. This is particularly so for those pupils who have been in the school since Nursery. Standards in phonics are rising. In 2017, the proportion of pupils attaining the expected standard in phonics, while still below average, was the highest the school had ever achieved. The drive to raise standards by the end of key stage 1 remains a priority to ensure that pupils are better prepared for work in key stage 2.
• To this end, attainment by the end of Reception also needs to improve, so that when pupils begin Year 1 they are better prepared for the key stage 1 curriculum. A good start has already been made. This is evident in the proportion of children attaining the good level of development needed to be ready for work in Year 1 in 2017. Although the proportion was still below average, it was more than double what had been achieved in previous years. Children’s reading and writing skills remain the weakest aspects of their achievement by the end of Reception.
• In key stages 1 and 2, pupils’ enjoyment of stories and reading shines through. One Year 6 pupil said of reading, ‘It’s great, like watching TV, but in your head.’ Older pupils are eager readers. They know many authors and can explain their styles. In talking about inference, pupils explained how authors leave clues in the text to make people think hard about the characters and plot. Some pupils who say they initially struggled with reading explain that they now enjoy challenging themselves to read more difficult books and enjoy learning the meaning of new words. Many Year 6 pupils read fluently and expressively, paying very good attention to punctuation. A small number of Year 3 pupils who needed extra support with phonics are now using this skill effectively to help them read.
• Pupils like the new approach to writing. The discovery of a mysterious space rocket on the school grounds and evidence of dinosaurs around the school have provided strong motivation for writing. Pupils are also very enthusiastic about mathematics and say that they like the challenges.
• While there are some variations in progress, the school’s assessment information is now showing greater consistency of progress between year groups in reading, writing and mathematics. However, very few pupils, including some of the most able, are assessed as working at greater depth or attaining the higher standards in the national end-of-key-stage tests.
• Pupils’ progress and the depth of their knowledge and skills in many other subjects are not as clear because their achievements are not assessed. Pupils’ work in science shows that they are developing a good understanding of different scientific ideas. In computing, they enjoy the challenge of debugging a software program, while in PE they have learned to plan, execute, evaluate and improve their movements.
• Effective use of assessment information identifies where pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities need additional support. While there is some variation in progress, most pupils in this group achieve well in relation to their specific needs and prior attainment.

Early years provision Good

• The provision for two-year-olds, new since the school’s last inspection, is very effective. Staff have a thorough understanding of the needs of children of this age. The learning space is organised to ignite children’s curiosity and develop their learning. At the same time it provides a home-like atmosphere that helps children feel safe.
• The children form close bonds with caring and sensitive staff. As a result, the children are confident to explore the variety of resources and activities. Staff interact well with the children and join in with their play. They support children’s language development effectively and encourage the children to use all their senses in their learning. For example, the children loved grinding spices and mixing them with other ingredients to make natural colours. Some showed strong fascination in using their hands to spread paint and watch the changing state of sand as they squeezed it.
• Children’s social skills are promoted very effectively throughout the session and at times when all come together to sing songs and rhymes. The children participate enthusiastically, learning the days of the week, colours and the sounds and pattern of language. Children have plenty of opportunities for physical play indoors and outside.
• On beginning Nursery, a substantial proportion of children do not demonstrate all of the elements of learning typical for their age. This has long been the case. However, the early years leader and Nursery staff have noticed an improvement in children’s readiness to learn, resulting from their good experiences in the provision for two-year-olds. The highly effective Nursery provision further enhances this.
• Children enjoy and benefit immensely from their time in the Nursery. Experiences are rich, stimulating and magical. They provide extremely well for the development of essential skills and the characteristics of good learning. Staff work continuously and very effectively to overcome the barriers to learning faced by many children. They constantly reinforce children’s language and their personal, social and emotional development. Children enjoy sharing books with adults and learning about letters and numbers. The children progress well in all areas of learning, but their attainment is still below what is typical for their age by the end of the year.
• Children’s transition into full-time schooling is smooth, not least because most children are familiar with the setting. In Reception, the day is more structured, with direct teaching of literacy and numeracy. However, children continue to have plenty of opportunities to follow their interests and ideas and staff support learning effectively in these. Writing resources are in many areas and the children are happy and confident to use these. Similarly, there are plentiful resources and activities to develop children’s understanding of mathematics.
• Phonics is taught daily in both classes. The approach is systematic and structured. However, there are some inconsistencies in organisation and approach that have not been evaluated in relation to their impact on children’s achievement in reading and writing. One is that staff in the early years make use of more than one phonics scheme. This differs from what happens in key stage 1. Moreover, it does not reflect the previous inspection’s recommendation about ensuring consistency of approach in the teaching of phonics.
• Across the early years, children have good opportunities to be creative, learn about the world and develop their physical skills. Outdoor provision is extensive and includes very worthwhile opportunities for children to use the forest environment. Here, among many other things, they learn cooperation and how to keep safe. The outdoor area is a priority for improvement, however. Staff have identified that children do not sustain interest in activities as well as they do indoors. Leaders are currently investigating the reasons for this.
• Children’s progress is regularly assessed. Teachers use the information effectively to plan children’s next steps. There is an effective process for sharing children’s achievements with parents. Day-to-day communication with parents is strong across all early years classes and parents are helped to understand how they can support their children’s learning at home.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 131800 Liverpool 10043210 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 2 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 448 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address John Murphy Alison Whittaker 0151 7096727 kingsley.liverpool.sch.uk kingsley-ao@kingsley.liverpool.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 16–17 April 2013

Information about this school

• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the curriculum on its website and has not published the school’s equality objectives.
• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. Since the school was last inspected, the number of pupils on roll has increased by over a third.
• The vast majority of pupils are from minority ethnic groups who speak English as an additional language. A high proportion of children speak little or no English on entry to the early years. Throughout the rest of the school, a significant minority of pupils are at an early stage of learning English.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is high.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is high. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who join and leave the school other than at the usual times of admission and transfer is high. This includes pupils new to the country or seeking asylum, some whom have not previously attended school.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and/or progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• Since the school’s last inspection, early years provision has been increased to include part-time provision for two-year-olds. Children in the Nursery attend part time. Children in the two Reception classes attend full time.
• A new headteacher was appointed in January 2016 and a new deputy headteacher in April 2017.
• Leadership encompasses Granby Children’s Centre, which shares the school site. This provision was not inspected during this inspection. The latest report for the children’s centre can be found on Ofsted’s website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all year groups. They looked at pupils’ work in books and on display and listened to some pupils read. Assessment information about current pupils’ attainment and progress was considered.
• Inspectors reviewed a range of school documentation, including leaders’ evaluations of the school’s effectiveness and their plans for improvement. They examined safeguarding information, records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance and information about teachers’ performance.
• Three formal discussions were held with pupils. Inspectors spoke with other pupils informally in lessons and at breaktimes.
• Inspectors held discussions with the school’s senior and subject leaders. The lead inspector had a discussion with seven governors and a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors took account of nine responses to Ofsted’s online parent survey, Parent View, including five written responses. They also considered two letters from parents and the findings of a large parental survey that was recently conducted by the school.
• Inspectors considered 18 responses to the online staff survey and 33 responses to the online pupil survey.

Inspection team

Margot D’Arcy, lead inspector Moira Atkins Leon Bernstein

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector