Lyme Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:
  • developing the skills of the newly appointed middle leaders so that they can monitor their areas of responsibility effectively and improve the quality of teaching consistently across the school
  • ensuring that improvement plans are focused on what needs to be done and how.
• Improve teaching in order to raise pupils’ outcomes, especially in key stage 1, by:
  • embedding high expectations for the presentation and quality of writing across the school to ensure that pupils make the progress they should from their starting points
  • increasing the rates of progress across school, and for disadvantaged pupils in particular, to ensure that pupils are ready for the next stage in their education.
• Improve personal development, behaviour and welfare by:
  • improving the attendance of disadvantaged pupils so that they attend school regularly and on time. An external review of pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Considerable changes to the teaching staff and leadership structure since the last inspection have slowed the pace of improvement at the school. Consequently, pupils’ outcomes have declined over time. Recent improvements are beginning to have a positive impact on the progress that pupils are making, particularly in key stage 2.
• Too many disadvantaged pupils do not attend school regularly. This is hindering their achievement. The appointment of the learning mentor, and the effective action she has taken to build relationships with the most vulnerable families, is beginning to improve the attendance for this group of pupils.
• Leaders do not set out detailed enough targets in order to measure the impact of the actions they are taking to diminish the gap for disadvantaged pupils. As a result, the progress is not as rapid as it should be for this group of pupils.
• The school’s own evaluation judgements do not always match the assessment information and information gathered through monitoring.
• Actions for improvement are not always specific with clear milestones for improvement. This is particularly true for the action plan to improve the progress and achievement of the disadvantaged pupils, and in ensuring the consistency of good-quality teaching and high expectations.
• Appropriate training has been accessed for the newly appointed middle leaders but there is still work to do to ensure that they have a greater influence on the quality of teaching and learning and improving pupil achievements.
• The headteacher, with the support of the governors, has been rigorous in her approach to tackling weak teaching. New appointments to the school have strengthened the capacity for improvement and contributing to an improved picture of teaching, especially in key stage 2. However, these changes are all relatively new and have not had time to have an impact on outcomes for pupils across the school.
• Newly appointed staff said that they feel supported by leaders, valued and listened to. Processes and procedures were clearly explained during their induction and their professional needs are being met through focused training opportunities.
• Sports premium funding is used effectively to improve teacher skills and pupils’ participation in after-school clubs and local sporting competitions, including football and rugby.
• Leaders have used the additional funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively. Through the work with a range of outside agencies staff receive appropriate training and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making similar progress to other pupils.
• The work done through the development of the rights of the child is embedded across school. This work prepares pupils effectively for life in modern Britain and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. Pupils feel valued, safe and appreciate the opportunities they have at school.
• The school’s breakfast club caters well for pupils, providing a healthy breakfast and a range of suitable activities. Staff engage with pupils and ensure a calm start to the school day.
• The development of the curriculum is strong. It provides opportunities for pupils to learn across a wide range of subjects, for example by studying artists such as Kandinsky and Van Gogh, and links they have with the local nature reserve to study habitats. Work completed by the pupils is celebrated in the high-quality displays around the school and shared with parents through assemblies and published on the website.
• The work in books for some pupils shows how they are applying their knowledge in a range of other curriculum subjects. Work typically starts with a question, for example ‘How did that blossom become an apple?’, followed by a pre-learning assessment of what they already know. This develops into a rich bank of evidence from a range of activities, culminating in a celebration of their learning. There is clear evidence of the progress the pupils have made and their ability to answer the question that sparked off the area of learning.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a realistic picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They work closely with the headteacher in making the changes necessary to bring about improvements in staffing and outcomes for pupils.
• They have been proactive in recruiting new governors with the skills needed to move the school forward. There is a new drive for improvement.
• They make regular visits to the school and as a result are now well placed to challenge the headteacher. This is reflected in the minutes of committee meetings.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Concerns around child protection issues are dealt with promptly by key staff. Staff are rigorous in following up issues to make sure that action is taken to keep children safe.
• Designated staff are suitably trained and an up-to-date policy is in place. Pupils know whom to go to if they need help and commented that ‘if you have any worries you know who to go to and it will be sorted out.’
• All staff have received timely training updates, including on the ‘Prevent’ duty and how to keep children safe in education. New staff receive training as part of their induction from the headteacher.
• Staff and governors are aware of their responsibilities to keep children safe and individual concerns are dealt with and monitored with vigilance.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Inconsistencies in the quality of teaching over time, particularly in key stage 1, has led to a decline in progress for pupils. Recent changes in staffing have not had enough time to bring about the improvements necessary.
• Teachers do not always have high enough expectations of pupils and as a result there is a lack of rapid progress, particularly in writing.
• At times pupils do not settle quickly enough to the learning tasks and are not consistently challenged. This slows their progress.
• In some classes, teachers do not always address misconceptions, which leads to pupils repeating the same mistakes over again in their written work. This hinders the progress that they can make.
• Challenge for disadvantaged pupils is inconsistent across the school. Where teaching and the support from additional adults in the classroom is effective, they are making stronger progress.
• In classes where learning is rich and challenging, pupils make progress.
• The school’s recent focus on improving the way that mathematics is taught across the school has led to increased rates of progress and outcomes for pupils. This is particularly true for the most able pupils and disadvantaged pupils.
• Additional support for individuals or groups of pupils is effective. Pupils benefit from high-quality questioning which reminds them of things they already know and encourages them to develop their thinking further.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making similar progress to other pupils as a result of the support they receive from additional staff, both in the classroom and in small groups or individually.
• Most teachers have strong subject knowledge which allows them to support pupils’ learning well. They are encouraged to develop and apply a wide range of skills, work well together and solve problems. This is particularly strong in upper key stage 2, where pupils were working in small groups to tackle a problem linked to their recent residential trip.
• Where teachers have used assessment effectively, activities match the needs of the pupils accurately. The pupils are challenged appropriately, and make progress over time.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The implementation across the school of the rights of the child underpins the personal development and welfare of the pupils in school.
• The appointment of the learning mentor in 2015 has been fundamental in driving forward improvements in the way school works with the most vulnerable families.
• A range of incentives, for example the poems competition about being on time and attending school regularly, has led to a wonderful display of high-quality work. Pupils understand how important it is to attend school regularly.
• Pupils have a strong sense of their place in the world, how they should be treated and how they should treat others. The work they do within school is led by the articles laid down under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. As a result, pupils have a strong moral compass. They respect differences between people. Pupils explained that ‘we are all unique in our own way.’
• Pupils take pride in the roles of responsibility they have in school, particularly looking after the younger pupils at lunchtime. The school council take their duties very seriously. They are proactive in the fundraising they do for local and national charities and school events such as the Halloween disco and the forthcoming ‘Lyme’s Got Talent’ show.
• Pupils have been taught how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations and how to look after each other. E-safety is promoted well.
• The variety of clubs and activities on offer has allowed many pupils to develop their creative talents and physical well-being. Pupils’ achievements away from school are celebrated each week with the ‘Lyme Star Award’. This includes a variety of pursuits, including playing rugby for the local team, dancing and darts. It has instilled a greater sense of self-confidence and pupils said that they enjoy learning new things in a fun way.
• The majority of parents spoken to, and those who responded to Parent View, were very positive about the school. A small number raised concerns about how inappropriate behaviour is tackled in school. However, pupils said that it is dealt with swiftly by adults and that behaviour for the majority of pupils is improving.
• Pupils and parents said that they appreciate the opportunities the school provides through visits and visitors. These are celebrated throughout school in displays and pupils talked excitedly about the Spanish lessons, and the recent residential trip.
• Pupils in Year 6 said that they are confidently looking forward to moving to high school, meeting new people and making new friends.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Despite the proactive actions carried out by the learning mentor, persistent absence is still high for a number of pupils. This is limiting the progress these pupils can make in their learning.
• Behaviour to support learning is not consistent across the school. Misconceptions are not always addressed and acted upon effectively in lessons and books, which slows progress.
• The new behaviour policy, developed with the school council, is promoted consistently by all staff in school. It is clear and understood and most pupils have responded well to the positive changes. Recorded incidents of poor behaviour have fallen since it was introduced last year. Pupils said behaviour has improved and they appreciate the incentives and rewards celebrated by the whole school each week.
• Although some pupils commented on the inappropriate behaviour of a small number of pupils, they said that bullying was not an issue and that any incidents are dealt with swiftly by the adults.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• The results for pupils in key stage 1 over time are below the expected standards seen nationally for reading, writing and mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils in particular did not make enough progress to meet the standard expected by the end of Year 2.
• The difference is diminishing for disadvantaged pupils in Year 1 as teachers are building on from the improvements in the early years. This is not true for disadvantaged pupils in Year 2 where progress stalls. As a result, not enough pupils are ready for key stage 2.
• Despite rapid progress from the end of key stage 1, pupils are not yet working at the expected standard for Year 3. This is hindering the standards that pupils can reach.
• There is clear evidence that pupils’ outcomes are beginning to improve. Pupils’ books show that many have made strong progress since the start of the year, particularly in mathematics. However, this is not the same for writing.
• Current progress and attainment information, and the learning observed during the inspection, indicate that there are improvements. Nonetheless, outcomes are not yet good across the school. Too high a proportion of pupils are not making sufficient progress, particularly in writing.
• The results for pupils in key stage 2 were above the expected standards seen nationally for reading, spelling, punctuation, grammar and mathematics.
• The most able pupils are challenged effectively in most classes and as a result, progress is made from their starting points.
• Pupils in Year 1 met the expected standards for the phonics screening check for the second consecutive year and are in line with other pupils of the same age. Pupils who read with the inspectors made good use of their phonics skills.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making similar progress to other pupils in some classes. Where support is specifically focused to meet their needs, they are making better progress.
• Observations and work in pupils’ books clearly show that the work done by leaders to improve the quality of the teaching and assessment of mathematics is beginning to help teachers to identify gaps in learning and address any misconceptions. This has led to increased rates of progress across the school, particularly for the disadvantaged pupils, and they are now making stronger progress. Pupils are able to apply these skills in other areas of the curriculum effectively.

Early years provision Good

• Leadership of the early years is good. Leaders have accurately evaluated the effectiveness of the provision. Effective systems are in place to ensure that the majority of children are making good progress and are ready for Year 1.
• Leaders have developed links with local providers and they work together to moderate assessment information and share good practice. Leaders make visits to local pre-schools and, as a result, children settle quickly into Reception.
• Welfare requirements are met and safeguarding procedures are in line with the rest of the school.
• Children’s skills and knowledge are below those typical of children of a similar age when they start Nursery. Evidence shows that they make good progress from their starting points. For the third consecutive year, an increasing number of children are now reaching a good level of development by the end of Reception and are in line with others typical for their age nationally.
• The additional funding to support disadvantaged children is used well and the gap is beginning to diminish as the children move into Year 1.
• All staff contribute to purposeful and individualised assessments, which are used well to inform planning and target additional support for identified individuals. Children are catching up quickly.
• Staff have worked hard to ensure that the curriculum and environment both stimulate and excite the children to ensure that they reach their full potential.
• The children are encouraged to wash their hands and help each other to tidy up, promoting independence and a sense of responsibility for their learning environment.
• Parents said that they are kept well informed of their child’s progress and appreciate the care given to their children by the staff. The children settle quickly and are happy coming to school.
• Adults use questions well. They develop children’s ideas and tackle any misconceptions so as to clarify children’s thinking and understanding. This strong feature of early years teaching makes a very good contribution to children’s progress.
• Adult interactions are kind and friendly and help to develop the children’s spoken language. For example, a group of children were using their fine motor skills to make pirate hats and treasure maps. The adult developed their learning further by encouraging the children to talk through their ideas and label the areas of a treasure map to help others find the treasure. This enabled children to apply their writing and phonic skills effectively.
• Children’s physical development is promoted well through a range of activities. A group of children were challenged to build a wall together outside and see who could build the safest structure. They demonstrated good cooperation skills, taking turns and helping each other when handling the tricky blocks.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 104776 St Helens 10024187 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 All-through primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 240 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Carl Bretherton Marie Cribb 01744 678350 www.lyme.st-helens.sch.uk marie.cribb@sthelens.org.uk Date of previous inspection 19–20 March 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Lyme Community Primary is smaller than the average-sized primary school and includes a nursery. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage and a small number of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who receive additional support for special educational needs is above average.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, is above the national average.
• The school meets the current floor standards, which set the government’s minimum expectations for attainment and progress.
• The school runs a breakfast club and after-school club for its pupils.
• The school has a number of awards including Artsmark, Quality Mark, St Helens chamber member award, Green Flag Eco Schools Award and the UNICEF Rights Respecting School Award.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited all classrooms to observe teaching and learning, including some joint visits with the headteacher. They visited the breakfast club run by the school. They also spent time looking through pupils’ books and listening to a number of children read.
• Meetings were held with members of the governing body and a call was made to a representative from the local authority. Inspectors also held discussions with senior and middle leaders, and staff new to the school.
• Inspectors spoke with a number of parents at the start of the school day and took into account the 84 views expressed on Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire.
• There was a discussion with pupils from the school council, as well as other conversations with pupils in school. Views from pupil and staff questionnaires were also taken into account.
• Inspectors analysed a range of assessment information presented by the school, and key school documents, including those related to safeguarding.

Inspection team

Amanda Stringer, lead inspector Liam Trippier Aleksandra Hartshorne

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector