Norman Pannell Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to improve pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching by:
  • raising standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 so that more pupils are ready for secondary school
  • embedding good teaching and learning across the school
  • ensuring consistency of teaching and learning in science at key stage 2
  • ensuring that pupils, particularly at key stage 2, develop secure reasoning skills in mathematics
  • ensuring that pupils make strong progress in the non-core subjects.
• Improve attendance by:
  • maintaining a robust focus on working with parents and carers to reduce persistent absence
  • providing all parents with more regular reminders and information about the importance of good attendance.
• Continue to improve the quality of leadership and management by:
  • developing the work of subject leaders to ensure timely and accurate assessments of pupils’ attainment and rates of progress in the non-core subjects
  • ensuring that the school’s published pupil premium strategy more clearly identifies how the funding will improve pupils’ achievement, more incisively evaluates the impact of the spending and provides information about any unspent funding
  • ensuring that all of the required statutory information is published on the school’s website.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher, other senior leaders and governors are highly ambitious for the school’s advancement, not only as a centre for pupils’ learning and personal development but as a vital part of the local community. Leaders have successfully ensured that staff, pupils and parents share their commitment and work together to support the school’s improvement.
• Leaders have a clear focus on improving pupils’ achievement and life chances, particularly those of disadvantaged pupils, so that they are well prepared for secondary school. Teachers’ termly assessments of pupils’ standards in reading, writing and mathematics are rigorously checked to assure their accuracy. The headteacher and deputy headteacher use this assessment information in their termly discussions with teachers about pupils’ progress. Teachers are commended for their successes in improving pupils’ achievement, but also questioned about any underperformance. Decisions about additional support or challenge for particular pupils are made and their impact on pupils’ progress is followed up at the next meeting.
• Senior leaders use this assessment information well to track pupils’ progress throughout the year. This includes comparisons of progress between different year groups and subjects, as well as the progress of key groups, such as boys and girls, disadvantaged pupils, the most able and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. A display in the leaders’ meeting room of the shifting attainment of every pupil in the school ensures that the attainment of each pupil is at the forefront of leaders’ minds.
• These robust systems ensure that leaders are acutely aware of the attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils throughout the school. However, leaders’ sharp analyses and evaluations of pupils’ performance are not included in the information that the school publishes about its use of pupil premium funding.
• A wide range of training opportunities are provided for teaching and support staff and those in leadership positions. These are tailored to the school’s priorities and individual staff needs. The impact is evident in a number of areas, including improvements to the teaching of mathematics and computing. Teachers’ and leaders’ performance is rigorously managed, taking account of pupils’ achievement and personal development, and improvements in teaching and other provision.
• Leadership of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective. The leader is well qualified for the role and ensures that staff are up to date with relevant training. Staff identify pupils’ needs early on and intervene to support their learning and development. Where necessary, professional advice and support is sought and provided. Pupils and their parents are involved in agreeing and evaluating learning and other targets. Parents receive training and support so that they can help their children work towards their targets at home.
• The school uses the additional physical education (PE) and sports funding very well. Expert coaches provide high-quality teaching for pupils from the early years upwards. In doing so, they develop the skills of the school’s own teaching staff, who work alongside them in lessons. The funding has been used to enhance extra-curricular activities, engage less active pupils in sport and health-related activities and increase pupils’ participation in competitive sports. Comprehensive information is published about the use and impact of this funding but the full financial breakdown that is required is not published.
• Subject leadership in English and mathematics is strong and focused on the right areas for improvement to raise standards further in these subjects. The curriculum places significant emphasis on developing the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics. Sessions are dedicated to these subjects every day and there is a clear focus on developing literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects. These factors are having a good impact on improving pupils’ progress in these subjects.
• Strong leadership of science enabled the school to achieve a quality standard mark in this subject last year. This year, however, there is some variation in the breadth and depth of science work in key stage 2 pupils’ books. Leadership of non-core subjects is at various stages of development.
• The wider curriculum is planned effectively to increase pupils’ knowledge and skills in the full range of subjects and is enhanced with many first-hand practical experiences, visits and visitors. An extensive range of extra-curricular activities, including opportunities for pupils to undertake work with the Children’s University, helps to develop pupils’ skills as learners and increase their aspirations.
• Many photographs, podcasts and snippets of information on the school’s website keep parents well informed about what their children are learning in lessons and achieving more broadly, for example in competitive sports and extensive fund-raising. The school ensures that pupils understand the background and circumstances of the fund-raising in which they are involved.
• The school is particularly successful in extending pupils’ appreciation of British values in very real contexts and advancing their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This is illustrated well in the visit to a city centre food bank to donate harvest festival contributions. The visit made a significant impression on pupils’ understanding of the emergency support being provided for victims of civil unrest who had recently arrived in the country, as well as the poverty existing in the pupils’ own city.
• The local authority has provided good support for the school. Visits have been used well to validate leaders’ evaluations of the school’s work and to provide training and challenge for teachers, leaders and governors.

Governance of the school

• Governors contribute much to the life of the school and its strategic direction. They regularly ask probing questions about attendance, teaching, behaviour and pupils’ achievement, including that of disadvantaged pupils. However, the scope of their questions about the use and impact of the pupil premium is restricted by shortcomings in the published pupil premium strategy. These shortcomings also limit the extent to which the governing body can hold leaders fully to account for their spending decisions to improve disadvantaged pupils’ educational achievement.
• Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities for development. They are focused on raising pupils’ attainment and accelerating their progress, and regard the safety and care of pupils as paramount.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Rigorous systems ensure that staff and volunteers are suitable people to work with children. Visitors to the school are checked thoroughly and provided with a helpful leaflet that reinforces the school’s strong stance on safeguarding and child protection. This also informs visitors of what to do if they have a concern about pupils’ safety.
• Staff training on safeguarding and child protection is regular, comprehensive and up to date. Staff have a good understanding of what to do if they have concerns about a child’s safety or if a child discloses a concern to them.
• There are effective systems to protect pupils at risk of harm. These include close links with social services and other professional agencies, and constructive dialogue and support for pupils’ parents. Records are detailed and secure.
• The appointment of a full-time pastoral officer has ensured a sharper focus on attendance and persistent absence, both of which have improved this year. Where parents do not inform the school promptly of an absence, rigorous follow-up ensures pupils’ safety. The school provides parents with good information through its website to help them keep their children safe online but does not do enough to reinforce the importance of good attendance.
• The school maintains comprehensive records of behaviour incidents, including any bullying and prejudice-based behaviour. A summary analysis is reported to governors. Regular checks are also made on the behaviour, welfare and attendance of the small number of pupils attending alternative provision.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Good-quality teaching has been sustained since the previous inspection. Pupils’ books and inspectors’ observations showed some significant strengths in teaching in the early years and in both key stages 1 and 2. In key stage 2, however, there is some slight variation in how effectively teaching promotes consistently good learning. This is mainly due to the organisation of activities, routines and lesson time to get the best out of pupils.
• Teachers’ secure subject knowledge enables them to provide pupils with clear explanations and demonstrations of new ideas. Teachers are astutely attuned to how well pupils understand new learning. They use questioning well to check which pupils need more help and support and to identify those that need to be challenged further to deepen their learning. The most able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are well provided for. While being taught the same content and ideas as other pupils, they are often given more demanding tasks.
• There are strengths in the teaching of reading. Starting in the early years, well-trained teachers and learning support staff teach phonics very well. As a result, pupils quickly begin to blend letters to read words and use this skill to write. This solid foundation is built on well in key stage 2, where pupils continue to practise spellings, develop an understanding of vocabulary and learn more advanced reading skills. Teachers are very successful in promoting good attitudes and enjoyment of reading. During the inspection, pupils were excited and inspired by receiving their new class reading book wrapped in gift paper. Class books are also chosen to link with work being studied in other subjects so that reading skills are continually reinforced.
• Competent teaching of basic mathematical skills each day has sharpened pupils’ calculation skills and knowledge of mathematical facts. Teachers plan work to make learning fun, such as the ‘pass the parcel’ calculation game in key stage 1. They also teach pupils about the use of mathematics in everyday life. Teachers use resources well to help pupils better understand new learning and abstract ideas. They give pupils many opportunities to talk through new learning and help them to make connections with what they already know when solving problems. They teach reasoning skills effectively and pupils are beginning to develop skills in this aspect of mathematics.
• Teachers make meaningful links between subjects to reinforce and deepen pupils’ learning. For example, pupils in key stage 2 learned that verifiable evidence was just as crucial in history as in science. In key stage 1, colourful photographs of Kenya, which pupils are studying in geography, were used to stimulate descriptive writing about landscapes and tribal dress. Throughout pupils’ discussions, the teacher took every opportunity to extend their vocabulary and understanding of grammar. A link was made with pupils’ work in art and pupils were subtly alerted to issues of stereotyping Kenyan people and their way of life.
• Learning support staff are well trained and make a valuable contribution to teaching and learning. They teach small groups and special programmes, for example to improve pupils’ reading skills. They are especially successful in supporting the learning of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. These staff also provide good support for teachers in managing the sometimes difficult behaviour of a small number of pupils so that lessons are not disrupted.
• Teachers have good relationships with pupils. They have high expectations of their behaviour and manage behaviour well, for example by frequently praising pupils’ efforts and giving ‘dojo’ rewards.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The comprehensive programme for personal, social, health and citizenship education makes a very good contribution to their personal development. A focus on promoting pupils’ mental health, appropriate to pupils’ ages, starts from the early years and helps pupils cope with their emotions; activities include yoga and meditation.
• Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep fit and healthy. They refer to eating a balance of different foods, including fruit and vegetables, drinking water, having lots of exercise and going to bed early. Pupils are well informed about the effects of too much alcohol and the dangers of taking drugs.
• Pupils have a good awareness of different types of bullying, including cyber bullying, and a detailed awareness of how to stay safe online. Regular assemblies and activities, such as thinking about how to tackle different bullying scenarios, help them understand how to keep safe. Visits from professional agencies, such as ChildLine, first aid and basic life-support training, and visits where pupils learn survival skills, add much to this aspect of pupils’ personal development.
• The work pupils undertake with the Children’s University supports the school’s drive to help pupils believe in themselves and raise their aspirations. Pupils are given many opportunities to take on responsibility and appreciate the need to contribute to the community. They learn about fair trade and experience democracy first-hand when voting for their head boy and girl and members of the school council. In learning about the main world religions, cultural differences, and the achievements of people with disabilities, for example in the Paralympics, they gain an understanding and respect for difference.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• The vast majority of pupils behave well in lessons, at playtimes and as they move around the school. Parents consider that the school expects and achieves good standards of behaviour and deals effectively with any bullying.
• Pupils’ views of behaviour are mostly positive. Pupils are very clear about the school’s behaviour system and expectations and think they are fair. As one pupil explained: ‘Outside school people have the rule of law and in here we’ve got the rule of school.’
• In the dining room pupils chat amicably and on the playground they play well together. They enjoy and appreciate the good range of equipment provided at lunchtime. The trained pupil play leaders make sure that nobody feels left out and organise friendly races and games, such as hide and seek, table tennis and football.
• Pupils explain that there is little bullying. They know what to do if it happens to them or they see it happening to someone else, and trust the school’s staff to deal with any issues they report. They have a secure understanding of the need to respect differences between people and strong opinions about people being treated unfairly. Comments included ‘It’s nasty if people are called names because of the way they look or because people think they’re too clever or maybe not good at sports.’ Pupils consider that there is little racist or homophobic name-calling.
• The majority of parents ensure that their children attend school regularly and arrive on time. However, the persistent absence of a minority of pupils drags the overall rate of attendance down to a level that is below average. Some persistent absence is unavoidable in that it relates to medical conditions. In other cases, the school continues to work diligently with pupils’ parents and professional agencies to improve the attendance of the minority who are routinely absent.
• The rewards that are now provided for pupils for attending regularly have inspired healthy competition between year groups. Pupils eagerly await the attendance figures shared each week and are well aware of which year group is in the lead to receive a special class treat for the best attendance. Parents report that the system is motivating their children not to miss school.

Outcomes for pupils Require improvement

• In the two years since the school was last inspected, leaders and teachers have worked hard to improve pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, pupils are now making much better progress than in the past. Leaders recognise, however, that standards by the end of Year 6 are not yet high enough to ensure that pupils, especially disadvantaged pupils, are well prepared for secondary school.
• In the 2015 national tests and assessments, pupils’ standards in reading and writing at the end of key stages 1 and 2 improved, but there was little shift in standards in mathematics. In all three subjects, disadvantaged pupils did not make strong enough progress during key stage 2. The results of national tests and assessments from 2016 are not directly comparable with those from 2015. However, they reflect further improvements. In particular, pupils made faster progress in mathematics and disadvantaged pupils made faster progress in all subjects.
• The 2016 tests and assessments showed that pupils made similar progress in reading, writing and mathematics to all pupils nationally. Disadvantaged pupils who had not recently arrived at the school also made similar progress to other pupils nationally.
• The improved standards attained by pupils in Year 2 in the 2016 national assessments meant that most were well prepared for work in Year 3. Strong liaison between staff in the early years and Year 1 means that those children who do not attain a good level of development by the end of the early years are quickly picked up in Year 1 so that they do not fall behind.
• The school’s in-year assessment information for current pupils shows that the majority of pupils in all year groups are making at least the expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. There is little variation between subjects and year groups, including for disadvantaged pupils, and this reflects the school’s effective use of the pupil premium.
• The results of the Year 1 phonics check in 2016 were not as positive as the previous year. However, this was due to a very small number of pupils with particular learning needs not reaching the required standard. In the same way, a small number of pupils in Year 2 with particular learning needs did not reach the expected standard by the end of the year. In listening to these pupils read now, it is clear that they understand how phonics work and make effective use of these skills when reading unknown words.
• The high profile that the school gives to reading for pleasure and for understanding is having a very positive effect on pupils’ attitudes to reading and the development of reading skills. Pupils are very proud of their new reading garden and say they love choosing books from the well-stocked school library. They express preferences for different genres and authors and talk about the features in them that they like. The most able pupils read fluently and expressively, taking good account of punctuation and showing a keen curiosity about the meanings of new words they encounter.
• Pupils’ writing is improving. Teachers give good attention to extending pupils’ resilience and confidence to write imaginatively and at length. Talk is seen as an important stimulus for writing, as are exciting events such as visits from a touring pantomime, a poet and real owls. Grammar, punctuation and spelling skills are also improving in response to the close attention given to these aspects of writing, both in English lessons and writing in other subjects. The success of this work is evident in pupils’ books and in work on display around the school.
• In mathematics, pupils are becoming increasingly competent in calculation and their understanding of geometry and measures. The most able pupils in the upper part of key stage 2 show good reasoning skills and resilience in working out demanding problems. Other pupils in key stage 2 are at a relatively early stage of development in this aspect of mathematics.
• In 2016, the majority of pupils reached the expected standards in science at the end of Years 2 and 6. This reflected the significant focus the school gave to science last year, culminating in the award of a silver quality mark. The school’s website provides many photographs of the practical investigations pupils complete in science, and pupils’ books show good achievement in key stage 1. In key stage 2, the quality of pupils’ science work is less consistently good. In some year groups, pupils’ work is presented well and shows good progress. In other year groups, work is untidy, unfinished and shows slower progress for the term.
• It is not possible to determine whether pupils are making strong progress from their starting points in the non-core subjects. This is because pupils’ achievements are not yet formally assessed and the work in pupils’ books is not sufficient to confirm how much progress they have made. There are indications in pupils’ work that progress in history is stronger than in geography. Observations of pupils’ learning during the inspection also indicated some strong progress in computing and music.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Children’s knowledge and skills on entry to the early years varies from year to year. In most years, many children join the Nursery Year with knowledge and skills below those typical for their age. This is particularly evident in relation to children’s understanding of language, speaking skills and aspects of their personal, social and emotional development. At times, the knowledge and skills of a large proportion of children are also below what is typical for their age in many other areas of learning, including reading, writing and mathematics
• Outstanding leadership and high-quality teaching ensure that every day the children enter a rich and stimulating world that excites their senses and fires their curiosity. As a result, learning never stops and whatever their starting point, the children make exceptional progress.
• The impact is evident in the notable increase in the proportion of children attaining a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year. In 2014, only 29% of children reached this standard; in 2015 it was 59% and in 2016 it was 65%, which is close to the national average. Disadvantaged children did not attain quite as well as other children in 2016 but the large difference that existed between these two groups in 2014 has diminished considerably. Very effective use is made of the pupil premium funding to ensure that disadvantaged children achieve as well as they can. This means that by the end of the Reception Year, more disadvantaged children are now ready for work in Year 1.
• The early years leader sets an excellent example for teaching and has ensured that all staff have received specialised early years training. Adults use skilful questions that develop the children’s spoken language very effectively. These questions get children talking so that adults are able to extend children’s ideas and vocabulary successfully. Adults use what they know about children’s achievements to move their learning on.
• The children sustain good concentration in the activities that they choose. Their awe and wonder in their learning is tangible. This was evident outdoors when children marvelled at how paint of different colours merged and spread when dropped in a puddle. Indoors, children relished working at a large tray of fresh vegetables, which they joined together with cocktail sticks to make different structures.
• Indoors and outside the learning environment is rich in print and number. Writing and mark-making resources are all around and the children make use of them, for example to record their ideas and plans. Children in Nursery and Reception come together regularly either as classes or as part of smaller groups for specific, adult-led, activities, including sessions in phonics and mathematics. The secure subject and phase knowledge of all the adults who lead the phonics sessions ensures that children make great strides in their learning. Children are also taught good counting skills, how to add sets of things together and represent what they do symbolically in number sentences.
• Adults take good care of the children and are vigilant in ensuring their safety. They continually model good manners and help the children to understand their expectations of good behaviour and the need to consider others’ feelings. Yoga sessions help the children to learn how to relax, stay calm and manage their feelings.
• All adults are involved in ongoing assessments and discussion of the children’s achievements, which are used to plan the next steps in their learning. Assessments are compiled with illustrative photographs and examples of children’s work in individual learning journeys that are shared with parents. There are excellent relationships with parents, who cannot speak highly enough about the tremendous start that their children get to their education.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 104600 Liverpool 10019783 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 Maintained 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 147 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Claire Glare Robert Simpson 0151 487 7718 www.normanpannell.com norman-ao@normanpannell.liverpool.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 12–13 November 2014

Information about this school

• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about its use of pupil premium funding, the use of the primary PE and sport funding, the curriculum for modern foreign language, the school’s accessibility plan and equality objectives.
• The school is smaller than the average primary school.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic groups and of pupils who speak English as an additional language are low.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is high.
• An above-average proportion of pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The proportion with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is below average.
• A number of year groups have considerably more girls than boys and others have significantly more boys than girls.
• Last year, a higher proportion of pupils than nationally joined or left the school other than at the usual times of admission and transfer.
• Children in the Nursery Year initially attend part-time, with provision for them to attend full-time later in the year. Children in the Reception Year attend full-time.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The school provides a breakfast club, with subsidised fees for disadvantaged pupils.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in each class. They checked pupils’ work, listened to them read and reviewed the school’s assessment information about their attainment and progress.
• Inspectors held two formal discussions with pupils and spoke with others informally in lessons and at playtime and lunchtime.
• A range of school documentation was reviewed. This included the school’s evaluation of its effectiveness, school improvement plans and information about teachers’ performance. Safeguarding information and records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance were also scrutinised.
• Discussions were held with senior leaders, governors and a representative of the local authority.
• Thirty responses to Ofsted’s online survey (Parent View) were considered, including written comments from 15 parents. Some parents spoke to inspectors as they brought their children to school.
• Inspectors considered 43 responses to the online survey for pupils and 22 responses to the online staff survey.

Inspection team

Margot D’Arcy, lead inspector Joan Williamson

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector