Linacre Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership and management, including governance, by:
  • making sure that all improvement plans accurately indicate what the school needs to do to improve, giving clear measures of success
  • ensuring that governors have a well-informed view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, especially in relation to pupils’ performance
  • developing comprehensive systems for monitoring pupils’ behaviour
  • ensuring that the school’s assessment and feedback policy is consistently implemented by teachers
  • implementing effective systems for monitoring the quality of teaching.
• Improve the quality of teaching and learning and raise levels of achievement across the school in reading, writing and mathematics by:
  • broadening pupils’ knowledge and appreciation of a wider range of authors and writing styles
  • providing more opportunities for pupils to write at length across the curriculum
  • developing pupils’ ability to apply their mathematical skills to practical problem-solving activities
  • ensuring that tasks and activities in class challenge all pupils to achieve to the very best of their abilities, including disadvantaged pupils and the most able
  • developing pupils’ resilience to learn from their mistakes and pupils’ ability to find things out for themselves.
• Improve pupils’ attendance so that it is at least in line with the national average. An external review of governance should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of pupil premium funding should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Standards reached by pupils have not been sustained since the previous inspection. A high turnover of staff has played its part, as has a legacy of teaching that was not good enough. At the time of the inspection, the headteacher was not in school. The deputy headteacher has been acting headteacher since November 2016.
• Standards in reading, writing and mathematics were well below average at the end of both key stages in 2016. Over time, the quality of teaching has not been good enough to improve outcomes for pupils.
• School improvement plans do not have clear targets for improving the quality of teaching or raising levels of achievement. Senior leaders have been overly generous in their assessments in these areas. As a result, senior leaders are not sufficiently clear about what is helping to improve standards or where revisions need to be made.
• Systems for monitoring the quality of teaching are not rigorous enough. Senior leaders’ views do not reflect the below-average standards reached by pupils, confirmed by evidence of pupils’ work in their books. These factors indicate that teaching over time requires improvement. Advice to teachers from leaders has had limited impact on improving the quality of teaching.
• Inspection evidence indicates that the school is beginning to turn a corner. For example, a comprehensive system is now in place to track pupils’ progress, enabling teachers to see exactly how well different groups of pupils are performing. This is helping senior leaders to target support more effectively and raise standards.
• Most parents who spoke to inspectors were pleased with much that the school does. However, they have several well-founded concerns, mostly relating to staff turnover, which they feel is adversely affecting the standard of education for their children. Most free text responses during the inspection were positive. The views expressed on Parent View were also mainly positive.
• There are signs of improvement in pupils’ outcomes, with evidence that this year most pupils are working at the standard expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics. Some pupils are making rapid progress and exceeding expectations.
• Standards in writing are improving because the school’s new approach is consistently implemented by all teachers and helping pupils to formulate more accurate, detailed sentences. There is a sense of urgency and momentum taking the school forward. The introduction of the ‘pen licence’ scheme is making a difference. Pupils are fully conversant with the criteria for acquiring a licence. Their writing is neater and their spelling, grammar and punctuation are improving.
• Continuous professional development is targeted where it is most needed. Most teachers who spoke with inspectors were appreciative of training opportunities, which they say are improving their teaching practice.
• The school receives a high level of support from the local authority. This has included human resource support to stabilise staffing, training for the subject leaders of English and mathematics and a review of teaching and learning. Support is effective and helping to move the school forward.
• The curriculum is beginning to broaden further beyond reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils enjoy Spanish in key stage 2 and benefit from various educational trips and visits. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 look forward to their annual residential learning opportunities. Key stage 1 pupils enjoy trips to the theatre and museums. All of these activities are helping to improve pupils’ progress.
• The school’s work to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effective. Pupils engage in ‘religious week’ and know of the main world faiths, including Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism and Islam. Pupils enjoy art, music and drama. Year 4 pupils regularly hone their skills at playing brass instruments, including the trumpet and trombone.
• Pupils appreciate British values and understand that with their rights come responsibilities. Recently pupils enjoyed participating in mock general elections and conducting their own referendum. Pupils put democratic principles into practice when weighing up the merits of various school council candidates. Pupils’ knowledge of the culturally diverse nature of British society is not quite as well developed as it could be.
• Leaders are making effective use of additional sports funding to employ specialist coaches who are helping to develop the confidence of staff in teaching various sports. Pupils benefit from weekly coaching sessions in several sports including dodgeball and athletics. Pupils have participated in various competitive sports in the ‘Mini Olympics’ and ‘Highland Games’.
• Funding to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is spent effectively to train caring, nurturing staff. Their work is effective in helping to raise levels of achievement for these pupils.
• Until recently the performance of disadvantaged pupils was weak across the school in all subjects, except in the early years. There are now signs of improvement. Most of these pupils are meeting expectations; some are exceeding them. However, information is sketchy on the precise impact of additional funding. The acting headteacher understands this to be a priority area for development.

Governance of the school

• Governors take their responsibilities seriously and are passionate about the school. However, they accept that standards have declined since the previous inspection and that they have not been sufficiently informed about how well different groups of pupils are performing.
• Governors have not challenged senior leaders enough and have been overly reliant on the headteacher’s reports, and the school’s self-evaluations, neither of which accurately reflected the extent of improvements necessary for Linacre Primary School to be judged a good school.
• Governors are starting to ask more challenging questions about the quality of teaching and are determined to work with the local authority to stabilise staff and recruit the right teachers to improve standards.
• Governors accept that they do not have a precise knowledge of the impact of the pupil premium funding on improving disadvantaged pupils’ performance in reading, writing and mathematics. They welcome a review of governance, and a review of the use of the pupil premium funding. Governors are determined to use their position to make a difference and improve all aspects of the leadership and management of the school.
• Governors are trained well in areas such as safer recruitment and are invited to staff training sessions in school. They make no excuses for falling standards and are committed to working with the local authority to improve their skills further, especially in relation to understanding data and pupils’ performance.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Staff and governors are trained well and keep themselves up to date with the latest government guidance on keeping children safe in education. All staff, as well as governors, have been trained in and are familiar with the government’s ‘Prevent’ duty to protect pupils from extremism and radicalisation.
• Staff and governors know exactly what to do if a pupil approaches them with a concern relating to their safety or welfare. They take prompt action and work with a range of professionals.
• Designated safeguarding leaders have had enhanced training, as have staff responsible for safeguarding vulnerable pupils.
• The school’s central record of checks on the suitability of staff to work with children is up to date and contains all the necessary information. This ensures that risks to pupils are minimised.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Some aspects of teaching are weak. Teaching is not yet consistently good. This is particularly the case when tasks and activities in class do not match the different skills and abilities of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils.
• Work in pupils’ English and mathematics books shows that all too often pupils are learning the same thing as each other. This limits the progress of some groups of pupils. Teaching is having much more of a positive impact on learning in the early years than in key stages 1 and 2.
• The quality of the feedback that teachers give to pupils on their work is inconsistent and not always in line with the school’s feedback and assessment policies. As a result, most pupils’ understanding of what they need to do to improve their learning is limited.
• The quality of phonics teaching is inconsistent. Good phonics teaching in the early years is not always replicated in key stage 1. Here phonics teaching sometimes lacks structure, causing pupils to disengage and lose interest. On such occasions, pupils do not fully appreciate the relationship between different sounds and words. This impacts adversely on their reading and phonic skills, as shown in the below-average proportion of Year 1 pupils who reached the expected standard in the national phonics screening check in 2016.
• Pupils’ books show that teaching in mathematics is not always effective. Over time, there have been too few opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills to problem-solving activities. As a result, too few pupils have a full appreciation of the importance of mathematics in everyday life.
• Over time, pupils’ books show few examples of them writing at length across the curriculum. However, the school’s new approach to writing is helping to improve pupils’ grammar, punctuation and spelling. It is also enhancing their creativity and getting them to think hard about what constitutes an engaging piece of writing. This was evident in a key stage 2 class where there was much excitement as pupils thought of a range of verbs, including ‘whooshed’, ‘splattered’ and ‘exploded’ to describe an erupting volcano.
• There are signs that mathematics teaching is improving. Evidence of this is in pupils’ most recent books. The impact of improvements in the quality of teaching is evident in classes where pupils can clearly explain what they are learning and why. In a key stage 1 class, pupils indicated that they were learning to work things out systematically using different methods to solve problems.
• Pupils show that they can be attentive learners who follow instructions well and participate fully in classroom activities. This was evident in a class where pupils confidently responded to questions, and recounted the days of the week, in Spanish and used various physical actions to help them with their new vocabulary.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• Pupils are not yet confident, resilient learners. While they behave well in class, they are over-reliant on support from their teachers. Too often they seek help before exploring their learning and finding things out for themselves.
• Though developing, pupils’ knowledge of the world beyond the school and local community is not as comprehensive as it should be. Pupils do not have a full appreciation of the culturally diverse nature of British society.
• The effective work of staff, including learning mentors, ensures that pupils are well cared for within the nurturing environment of the school. Pupils say that they feel safe and confident to talk to any member of staff if they have any concerns.
• The breakfast club gives pupils a good start to the day. Here they enjoy playing football and demonstrate good levels of engagement, participation and cooperation with their peers.
• Some aspects of the school’s work to support pupils in acquiring the skills they need for the next stage of their learning are effective. Pupils enjoy taking on various responsibilities as ‘buddies’, school council members, digital leaders and ‘spuddies’ (sports ambassadors). They enjoy having their say, and are proud of their recently drawn-up rules to ensure that pupils take turns, play safely and adhere to the rules when playing various outdoor sports.
• Pupils say that bullying is rare, and always dealt with. They have a good understanding of racism, which they say never happens in school. The school’s work to ‘show racism the red card’ has had a positive impact on raising pupils’ awareness. Pupils know what homophobic bullying is. They say that the word ‘gay’ is sometimes used in a negative way, but is always challenged by adults.
• Pupils have a good understanding of cyber bullying. They say people should ignore anyone who ‘messages bad things’ and ‘block them’. Pupils say that personal information should never be shared online with anyone, even friends, because ‘you might fall out’.
• The safety of pupils is of paramount importance to the school. Effective procedures are in place for monitoring and checking punctuality and following up on absences.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement because the attendance of some groups of pupils remains stubbornly below average.
• Attendance has fluctuated in recent years. However, it has shown little sign of improvement since the previous inspection. Senior leaders have taken various steps to improve attendance. However, actions to improve pupils’ attendance are not yet fully effective.
• It is not clear whether incidents of poor behaviour are increasing or declining over time. This is because the school does not have a system to help staff monitor trends. Inspectors were provided with individual records. These showed that all incidents of poor behaviour are recorded and followed up.
• A small but significant minority of parents expressed concerns about declining standards and inconsistencies in dealing with poor behaviour. This they linked to recent staff changes, particularly in key stage 1.
• Pupils say that behaviour is good most of the time. They indicate that when there are disputes they are quickly resolved as adults intervene. In addition, pupils say the behaviour rules they have drawn up are working. Most staff, and governors, are of the view that behaviour is good.
• Pupils are polite. They were very welcoming to inspectors and were proud to show their work, particularly their writing. Pupils take pride in their appearance. The presentation of their work is rapidly improving.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• At the end of Year 6 in 2016, pupils’ progress from their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics was well below average. At this time, an above-average proportion of pupils attained the higher standard in mathematics and an average proportion attained greater depth in reading. No pupils attained greater depth in writing.
• At the end of Year 6 in 2016, pupils’ performance in subjects such as spelling, grammar, punctuation and science was broadly average.
• Pupils’ attainment in all subjects was below average at the end of Year 2 in 2016, with very few pupils attaining greater depth in any subject.
• Historic data indicates that the trajectory of standards at the end of both key stages 1 and 2 has been downward since the previous inspection, with only recent signs of recovery.
• Signs of improvement are now evident, as pupils’ progress across the school is improving. However, due to previous teaching which was not effective, current pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and the most able, still have a lot of ground to make up to attain the standards of which they are capable. Outcomes for pupils require improvement because the progress they make is not consistently good.
• Phonics teaching is not as strong as it has been in previous years in key stage 1. In 2016, a below-average proportion of pupils reached the expected standard in the national phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 and Year 2. Targeted teaching is helping to improve current pupils’ competence.
• Pupils who read for inspectors were enthusiastic readers. All read books appropriate to their age and ability. Those who found reading difficult used their phonic skills well to sound out and read unfamiliar words. However, pupils’ knowledge and appreciation of different writing styles and authors are limited to a small number of genres and well-known writers.
• The whole-school approach to teaching writing is paying off, as shown in the carefully written work in pupils’ books, particularly in key stage 2. Pupils’ spelling, grammar and punctuation are improving too. This is because teachers take a consistent approach to checking these aspects of pupils’ work. Opportunities to develop pupils’ well-crafted extended sentences into longer pieces of work are too often missed, limiting the development of pupils’ writing skills.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well catered for. They benefit from the secure partnerships that teachers have with specialist organisations. The detailed individual learning plans in place for each pupil are helping to boost pupils’ progress, especially in reading and mathematics.
• Effective mathematics teaching was observed during the inspection. However, pupils’ work in books indicates that over time progress is variable across different year groups. The coordinator for mathematics is working with staff to support them in raising the quality of their teaching, but this is yet to fully impact on raising standards.
• The school’s own current data and assessment information for this academic year indicates that progress is improving for all groups of pupils in most classes. Currently, there are no significant differences in the performance of any groups of pupils, including pupils from minority groups and those who speak English as an additional language.
• Pupils who need to catch up to their peers are making rapid progress. Pupils’ books show that work is set at the appropriate level to ensure that these pupils improve their reading, writing and mathematical skills.
• While some pupils’ books show evidence of difficult work, the most able pupils are yet to be consistently challenged by all teachers. For example, too few opportunities are available for the most able pupils to read, and appreciate, difficult texts. As a result, these pupils do not reach the high standards they are capable of.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ performance is not yet in line with that of other pupils nationally. However, outcomes for these pupils are clearly improving in reading, writing and mathematics, and subjects such as science, where a large proportion are meeting the expected standards. A small proportion of disadvantaged pupils are exceeding expectations.

Early years provision Good

• The leadership and management of all aspects of the early years provision are good. This includes teaching, staff training and safeguarding procedures. Outcomes at the end of Reception Year have significantly improved since the previous inspection.
• Rightly, senior leaders are pleased with the impact of their tightly focused work to raise standards, particularly for boys and disadvantaged children. For example, at the end of the Reception Year in 2016, almost all boys attained a good level of development in reading, writing and mathematics. This was a much higher proportion than for boys nationally. Similarly, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils attaining a good level of development was higher than that of other pupils nationally.
• The school’s baseline assessment information indicates that children enter the Nursery class with weak skills in most areas of learning. Speaking and listening skills are under-developed, as are skills in number recognition. However, children get off to a good start and make good progress through the Nursery and Reception classes. Most are ready for the next stage of their learning in Year 1. Children have got off to a good start this year too and are progressing well.
• Teachers and teaching assistants make learning interesting. This was shown in the Reception class where some pupils were using brushes to remove blue sand from objects, revealing dinosaur fossils, while others were digging up letters and matching them on a letters mat. Good questioning focused children’s attention on the letters in the word ‘blue’ and ‘fossil’, improving their letter recognition and reading.
• Carefully planned indoor and outdoor learning and playing areas support children’s learning and development well. There are good opportunities for them to read, write, explore the properties of different materials, play musical instruments, refine their computer skills and engage in role play.
• There are lots of opportunities for pupils to enhance their physical development, for example balancing on wooden stepping stones, manoeuvring objects up a hill and driving passengers on an imaginary train to Southport. Role play areas and a well-resourced kitchen area help to develop children’s understanding of the world and of adult roles.
• Behaviour is good. Children behave sensibly and considerately, including when playing on their wheeled toys outside and when moving around the classroom. Children listen carefully and follow instructions well, including when drinking and eating their healthy snacks.
• In both classes, adults encourage children to listen carefully, talk clearly, cooperate and follow instructions. This was shown in the Nursery class when children were listening attentively to the story ‘The Naughty Bus’. After the story, different groups of pupils worked together on various activities. One group photographed the naughty bus in different situations, while another made pages for their naughty bus book.
• Phonics teaching is effective and improving. This was evident in the Reception class where children were enjoying singing the alphabet song while reading the words. The most able children all responded in unison and sounded out ‘sh’, ‘qu’, ‘ch’, and ‘th’. The class teacher built on their prior learning well and introduced new sounds to develop children’s reading and writing skills further.
• Staff monitor children’s progress in the different areas of learning and provide children of different abilities with tailored activities to ensure they achieve well. Children’s progress is recorded in their ‘learning journeys’ and shared with parents. Parents who spoke to inspectors said they were pleased with their children’s progress and with their safety and welfare.
• Safeguarding is effective. Staff ensure that children’s welfare requirements are met. Children settle into the Nursery and Reception classes well and form strong bonds with adults.
• Leaders are aware that to improve provision even further all groups of children must attain a good level of development at least in line with the national average. They have made it a priority to observe and learn from outstanding provision in other settings.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 104853 Sefton 10024372 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 179 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Isobel Macdonald-Davies Caroline Wheatley Telephone number 0151 922 1466 Website Email address www.linacreprimary.co.uk/ admin.linacre@schools.sefton.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 21–22 November 2012

Information about this school

• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of specified information on its website. The website does not include links to the DfE performance tables for 2016, nor to the school’s previous Ofsted inspection report.
• Since the previous inspection, there have been a number of staffing changes. Several teachers have been employed, including a newly qualified teacher. The governing body has been re-organised to include several new governors, including the chair of the governing body.
• At the time of the inspection the headteacher was absent from school. The deputy headteacher is currently acting headteacher. Several members of staff, including teachers, were not in school due to illness or maternity leave. The local authority is working closely with the acting headteacher and brokering support to minimise any adverse impact on pupils’ progress due to staff absence.
• The school is much smaller than the average primary school. Half of all pupils are disadvantaged and in receipt of support paid for by the pupil premium funding.
• A well below average proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic groups. Few speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is average, as is the proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan or a statement of special educational needs.
• Children in the early years are taught on a part-time basis in the Nursery class. Children are taught full-time in the Reception class.
• The school runs a breakfast club. This is managed by the governing body and was evaluated as part of this inspection.
• The school experiences high levels of mobility, with pupils entering and leaving the school at times other than at the beginning or end of the school year.
• The school does not meet the government’s floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed a range of lessons in all year groups, as well as the teaching of small groups of pupils and sessions aimed at helping pupils learn to read. Three observations were carried out jointly with senior leaders.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read and held discussions with pupils from across the school. Pupils’ work in books was scrutinised in class and separately with senior leaders.
• Inspectors read 19 text responses submitted by parents during the inspection and met informally with parents at the beginning of the school day. Inspectors considered 15 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. Responses to the inspection questionnaire completed by 17 members of staff were also considered.
• A meeting was held with three governors, including the vice-chair of the governing body. Meetings were held with various leaders, including those responsible for English and mathematics. Meetings were also held with leaders responsible for assessing pupils’ learning and progress, the early years provision and provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• A meeting was held with a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors examined a range of documents. These included various records of pupils’ attendance and behaviour, the school’s checks on the quality of teaching and reviews of its own performance, development plans, information about pupils’ progress, and safeguarding documentation.

Inspection team

Lenford White, lead inspector Kathy Nichol Sheila O’Keeffe

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector