Lister Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Eradicate inconsistencies in teaching, so that pupils make consistently good progress, and attainment, including at greater depth, improves in reading, writing and mathematics, by ensuring that:
  • all staff use the detailed information that the school collects on pupils‟ progress to plan work that challenges pupils sufficiently, particularly the most able
  • teachers plan tasks that inspire pupils effectively, so that they remain focused and fully engaged with learning
  • pupils respond consistently to the feedback that they receive about their learning, so that their work improves more quickly
  • the good practice that is evident in much of the teaching at school is systematically shared across all classes.
• Further improve the quality of leadership and management by continuing to develop the skills of subject leaders so that they can contribute more fully to school improvement.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The dedicated and inspirational leadership of the headteacher has ensured that the drive for improvement has continued since the last inspection. With strong support from the aspirational governing body, she has created a new, extended leadership team and is implementing an ambitious improvement plan with determination.
• The headteacher has been relentless in tackling underperformance and weak teaching in the school. However, the resulting high turnover of staff since the last inspection has slowed the pace of improvement. Consequently, though improving, the quality of teaching and learning in the school still requires improvement, and pupils‟ progress and attainment remain below the national averages in most areas.
• The capacity of leaders to improve the school further is good because leadership is now distributed across an effective, extended team. A robust system for checking pupils‟ progress has been introduced and phase leaders have a detailed knowledge of individual pupils‟ progress. They analyse this information frequently to make sure that pupils who are falling behind are the target of successful interventions. Leaders are now working with class teachers to support them in using this information more effectively to plan work that is more closely matched to the individual needs of the pupils.
• Very high levels of staff absence, across several years, have also hindered the drive to improve the quality of teaching. These absences have had a negative impact on the progress of the pupils. Since taking up her post, the headteacher has worked relentlessly with staff to reduce this absence through a higher level of monitoring and accountability. Although staff absence has now reduced significantly, it is still very high and continues to slow down the pace of improving teaching and learning across the school.
• Leaders have improved the arrangements for checking teachers‟ performance to ensure that teaching is effective. Teachers‟ targets are rigorous and are closely linked to the priorities for school improvement and to pupils‟ achievement. Teachers say that they receive a high level of support to meet their targets. They are very appreciative of the regular discussions that they have with their phase leader to identify the training that they need to improve their practice further. The arrangements for checking the performance of teaching assistants are equally strong.
• The curriculum is broad, balanced and engaging. Pupils experience a cross-curricular, topic-based approach to the curriculum that covers all subjects of the national curriculum. The curriculum is enriched by extra-curricular activities and clubs. During the inspection, Year 5 pupils were eagerly anticipating their forthcoming day trip to Filey and Year 6 pupils were planning enthusiastically for their residential trip to Whitby. Staff make good use of the local area, so pupils have opportunities to walk in Lister Park, visit St Paul‟s church and have lessons in Carlton Bolling College. All these activities enrich the pupils‟ life experiences considerably. However, while leaders track the progress of the pupils in English, mathematics and science, they do not do so in other subjects. This means that teachers are unclear about how quickly pupils are gaining knowledge, skills and understanding in subjects such as history and geography.
• The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is an integral part of the curriculum. Fundamental British values are lived and breathed in the day-to-day life of the whole school community. For example, there is a democratically elected school council. Pupils have a high level of respect for people from other backgrounds, faiths and cultures and understand the importance and value of diversity.
• Leaders use the pupil premium funding effectively. As a result, disadvantaged pupils in the school are making better progress and, since the last inspection, the difference between their progress and that of other pupils nationally is diminishing.
• Leaders make good use of the additional physical education (PE) and sport premium funding. They employ a specialist sports coach as a full-time member of staff to ensure that all other members of staff receive strong coaching to develop their skills in teaching PE. Pupils enjoy a wide range of sporting activities and competitions. However, leaders recognise that they have not been rigorous enough in checking the impact of this funding to ensure that the activities that they choose fully meet the needs of the pupils. They are taking action to address this.
• The additional funding the school receives to support pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is used well. The leader for this aspect of the school‟s work has ensured that carefully focused actions are put into place to meet these pupils‟ needs. She has high expectations for these pupils and any underachievement is identified and addressed effectively. Steady improvements in their progress can be seen as a result of this.
• School leaders recognise that middle leadership still needs further development. While the leadership of some subjects, for example science, is strong and well established, many subject leaders are new in post. They are beginning to develop the skills to contribute more fully to school improvement and receive strong support from phase leaders. They have good opportunities for training and professional development to develop these skills further.
• Parents say that their children are happy in school, and they are very supportive of the school‟s work. They recognised the improvements that have taken place over the recent years. One told inspectors that, „My children are happy and doing well. I would recommend the school to other parents.‟ Parents are particularly enthusiastic about the regular workshops that the school provides for them. They say that these are very valuable in developing their own basic skills so that they are better equipped to support their children with their work at home.
• The local authority and other external partners have worked closely with the headteacher and governing body. These partners have been effective in strengthening the school‟s leadership team to increase the capacity for further improvement across the school. The local authority has an accurate view of the school‟s effectiveness and provides a high level of challenge and holds leaders to account to ensure that the drive for improvement does not wane.

Governance of the school

• The governing body has many new members. Only three of the governors present at the previous inspection are still in post. After the last inspection, governors recognised the need to improve the way that they work and have made many changes. These changes have resulted in a positive impact on the strategic leadership of the school. Governors have a clear and insightful knowledge of the school‟s strengths and weaknesses. They are highly ambitious for the school and are strongly committed to ensuring that the pace of improvement accelerates.
• Governors visit the school regularly to gain first-hand evidence of the quality of provision. The records of governors‟ meetings show that governors ask challenging questions and contribute effectively to the school‟s self-evaluation and planning. Governors are knowledgeable about how the funding for disadvantaged pupils is spent, and they check what difference this is making to the progress of these pupils.
• Governors work closely with an external partner to manage the performance of the headteacher rigorously. They have a good overview of the arrangements for managing the performance of other staff in the school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong culture of vigilance and leaders ensure that safeguarding pupils is everyone‟s priority. Staff receive regular training and updates on safeguarding and child protection procedures, based on current, statutory requirements. Staff are clear about their responsibilities and know what to do if they have any concerns relating to a child‟s safety. Staff also receive annual training about preventing radicalisation and extremism.
• The school‟s systems for checking and recording the suitability of staff are robust. These are checked routinely by a designated member of staff and by governors.
• Staff work closely with parents and carers to keep pupils safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• There has been a legacy of weak teaching over time. Although the quality of teaching is improving, it is not yet consistently good. There are still areas of weakness in the school and these are not confined to one specific phase. The recent improvements in teaching in some parts of the school are not yet sustained enough to have a positive effect on the progress of all pupils. Pupils say that they are not always given work that is challenging enough.
• Where teaching is effective, teachers plan relevant, challenging tasks that inspire and engage the pupils well. Inspectors saw a good example of this in a Year 6 mathematics lesson. Pupils were involved in planning an itinerary for their forthcoming residential trip to Whitby and had a set budget for the task. Groups of pupils worked together enthusiastically, making good use of their knowledge about the units of time and money. Skilful questioning by the teacher ensured that all pupils were suitably challenged.
• Where teaching is not effective, staff do not use the detailed information that the school gathers about pupils‟ progress consistently enough to plan tasks. As a result, the work is not sufficiently focused on what pupils need to do to make good and rapid progress. This is particularly the case with the most able pupils. When this happens, some pupils lose their focus and become disengaged and, sometimes, this disturbs the learning of other pupils.
• Staff do not always follow the school‟s assessment policy consistently. Teachers do not always ensure that pupils respond to the feedback that they receive about improving their work. As a result, pupils‟ work does not improve quickly enough.
• Teaching assistants work diligently to support pupils‟ learning well. Teaching assistants receive effective training and professional development. This ensures that they have the necessary skills to help pupils to make better progress. Leaders actively seek out and develop the individual skills and interests of the teaching assistants. When asked to take on and develop a specific role that she felt nervous about, one teaching assistant told inspectors that: „I didn‟t think I could do this but my phase leader said, “Of course you can – I‟ll help you!” So I worked hard to develop my skills and it‟s the best thing I ever did! I know that I really make a difference.‟
• Staff are developing a coordinated approach to the teaching of mathematics across the school. Leaders monitor the provision for mathematics more robustly and make better use of the various sources of performance information. As a result, teachers are becoming more confident and competent in teaching the subject and pockets of improved progress are evident in most areas of the school. However, teaching is not yet good enough to ensure that progress in all year groups is speeding up sufficiently and consistently.
• The teaching of phonics is structured and effective. When reading to inspectors, younger pupils made good use of their knowledge of the sounds letters make, to help them read complex, unfamiliar words, such as „anxiously‟ and „captured‟.
• The development of reading is a school priority. Teachers make use of a commercially produced scheme which is targeted at pupils who are new to English. This has been effective in improving the reading skills of these pupils, and also in helping them to understand the nuances of the English language. A new, whole-school approach to guided reading is in place. Teachers promote a love of reading across the school, and pupils who spoke with inspectors also shared this. As a result of this focused work, the progress of groups of pupils is starting to improve, but this is not yet consistent across the school. Outcomes in reading have remained low for several years.
• Writing across the school is improving more rapidly, and most pupils make better progress in writing than in reading. Pupils also have increasing opportunities to write in subjects other than English. Teachers have introduced a more effective approach to the teaching of spelling, and this has helped more pupils to make better progress.
• The teaching of science is strong. The school has recently gained the silver Primary School Quality Mark for science. Pupils‟ work shows that they have ample opportunities to engage in interesting investigations and experiments and to solve problems. Pupils also have good opportunities to use and apply their mathematical and English skills in their science work.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school‟s work to promote pupils‟ personal development and welfare is good.
• There is a strong sense of community in the school. Pupils and staff have a high level of respect for each other and, despite the size of the school, there is a real „family feel‟ throughout. Pupils trust the staff and know that they can rely on adults in the school to support and help them whenever they have a problem.
• The school places a very strong emphasis on teaching the pupils to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations. Pupils are knowledgeable about road safety and understand how to keep themselves safe when using the internet and social media. They are quickly learning the dangers associated with drugs and other addictive substances, such as alcohol and tobacco.
• Pupils, generally, have good attitudes to their learning and are keen to do well. However, where teaching is not challenging enough, some pupils lose concentration and their progress slows. Occasionally, this affects the learning of other pupils. Pupils agreed that, in a small number of lessons, behaviour is not always as good as it should be.
• Pupils enjoy the range of opportunities that they have to develop their confidence and independence. Older pupils have opportunities to apply for specific posts of responsibility in school, and all pupils have the opportunity to be elected to serve on the school council. This is good preparation for the next stage of their education.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Staff have high expectations of behaviour. Pupils know, understand and follow the school‟s code of conduct and understand the consequences of poor behaviour. As a result of this increased understanding, the school has made no fixed-term exclusions this year.
• The conduct of pupils is good. They move around the school in an orderly manner and have good manners. They wear their uniform with pride and keep the school environment tidy and free from litter.
• The attendance of the pupils has continued to rise and is now in line with the national average. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Leaders have worked hard with families to tackle persistent absence, which was well above the national average. As a result of their work, the figure for this year is now below the national average.

Outcomes for pupils Require improvement

• Outcomes require improvement because, over time, pupils in all years have not made consistently good progress across the curriculum. There are still many pupils who have gaps in their knowledge and understanding because of weaker teaching over several years. Leaders are successfully tackling this legacy of underachievement and their actions are now starting to have a positive effect on the progress of some of the current pupils, in some parts of the school.
• At the end of key stage 1, pupils‟ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was amongst the lowest in the country in 2016 and 2017. However, although still below national averages, there was a marked improvement in attainment in all subjects, including at the greater depth standard, in 2017.

• Previously, the attainment and progress of pupils in English and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 were significantly below average, reflecting pupils‟ underachievement. In 2017, Year 6 pupils‟ writing outcomes improved to bring them in line with their peers nationally. When evaluating the progress and attainment of pupils currently on roll at the school, improvements are evident. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 have made improved progress in mathematics this year. While there are pockets of improved progress in all subjects across the school, this is too inconsistent for outcomes to be judged as good overall.
• Low prior-attaining pupils across the school achieve well and make good progress. Outcomes for middle and high prior-attaining pupils are less strong. Leaders recognise this and have identified it as a school priority. Disadvantaged pupils in all groups made better progress last year than they did in 2016. The difference between their progress and that of other pupils nationally is diminishing.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are supported well. This is because teachers work closely with teaching assistants and with the school‟s SEN leader to ensure that they plan work which meets the individual needs of these pupils. The support that pupils receive in class and through additional interventions is effective. As a result, pupils are making progress which is increasingly in line with that of pupils with similar starting points nationally.
• From being in line with the national average in 2015, outcomes in phonics fell in 2016 and in 2017. However, stronger teaching in key stage 1 this year has resulted in improvements so that the proportion of Year 1 pupils who are currently on track to meet the expected standard in the phonics screening check is, once more, in line with the national average.

Early years provision Good

• A large proportion of children enter the Nursery and Reception classes with knowledge, skills and abilities that are below, or well below, those typical for their age, especially in the area of language and communication. Many children are new to English and are silently processing language for long periods of time as they work and play. These children are supported effectively by staff who communicate with them, both in English and in their home language. The inspection evidence and assessment information provided by leaders indicate that the majority of children make good progress during their time in the early years. The proportion of children attaining a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year is increasing and was in line with the national average in 2017.
• The early years leader provides strong leadership and has built a cohesive and enthusiastic team. She has an in-depth knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision and is implementing an effective action plan to meet the development needs. Staff carefully track the progress of the children across the year in each area of learning. However, staff do not track and compare the progress and attainment of different groups of children – for example of boys and girls, or of those who are disadvantaged and their classmates – to check whether any group is falling behind and needs additional support or different activities. The leader has identified this as an area for further development and has plans in place to refine the process.
• Staff are dedicated and well trained. The quality of teaching is good. They know the needs of individual children very well and have high expectations for them. Transition arrangements at all of the stages between home and Year 1 are secure. This means that the children‟s rate of progress is sustained across the early years and they are well prepared for Year 1.
• Parents are very happy with the quality of provision the early years provides for their children. One parent told inspectors that: „My son loves Nursery. He woke up at 6.30am and wanted to go straight away because he missed his teacher! They are very caring and children learn a lot.‟ Parents are actively involved in their children‟s learning. As many parents are also new to English, much of the assessment information that they provide about their children‟s learning is given verbally and recorded by staff. Parents are invited into school at the start of each session and many stay for a while to play alongside their children. During the inspection, the team observed a group of parents participating enthusiastically in a phonics session with Nursery children.
• Staff in the early years provide a wide range of exciting and stimulating activities which promote children‟s learning effectively. There is a strong emphasis on learning through creative play. Some children were enthusiastically retelling the story of Red Riding Hood with puppets and a „house‟ that they had built from blocks. Another group invited the inspector to a tea party with tea and cakes. In the outside area, some children were fascinated by the snails that they had caught. The teacher encouraged the children to describe the snails and then helped the children to develop their vocabulary further through showing them and discussing some books about minibeasts.
• Staff ensure that their teaching of phonics is strong. At the time of the inspection, Nursery children were already beginning to learn the sounds for some letters. Reception children use their knowledge of phonics well to make good progress in reading and writing. They develop their mathematical skills effectively, through a good range of practical activities. Staff have provided additional challenge in mathematics for most-able children and, as a result, a higher proportion of children are on track to reach the higher standard in this area of learning this year than in 2017. Leaders and staff work together to ensure that safeguarding is effective. All of the welfare requirements are met. Children move safely around the setting and become increasingly aware of how to keep themselves safe. One child explained to inspectors how important it was to „wash your hands to get rid of the germs‟. Children‟s behaviour is calm and they play happily together. Rules and routines are well established.

School details

Unique reference number 134053 Local authority Bradford Inspection number 10031021 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 442 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jonathan Gascoigne Headteacher Gaynor Kilmister Telephone number 01274 401 060

Website www.lister.bradford.sch.uk Email address office@lister.bradford.sch.uk

Date of previous inspection 9 10 June 2015

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• Nursery children attend the school for either the morning session or the afternoon session.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils in school is above average.
• Most of the pupils in school are of Asian or Asian British Pakistani heritage. A very high proportion of pupils are learning English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who have support for SEN and/or disabilities is well above average. The proportion of pupils who have a statement of SEN or an education, health and care plan is above average.
• In 2017, the school did not meet the government‟s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils‟ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The school meets the Department for Education‟s definition of a coasting school, based on key stage 2 academic performance results in 2014, 2015 and 2016.
• The senior leadership team has been restructured since the last inspection. It is now made up of the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and five assistant headteachers. There has also been significant turbulence in staffing: 30 members of staff have left the school since the last inspection, including 14 teachers. There have also been many changes to the constitution of the governing body.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in all classes. Some observations were carried out with the headteacher. Inspectors also scrutinised a wide range of pupils‟ work.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read and talked with pupils about the work in their books. Inspectors also spoke with a group of pupils about their enjoyment of school and their opinions on behaviour and safety.
• The inspection team considered a wide range of school documents. These included: the school‟s review of its own performance, the school development plan, governing board documents, behaviour and attendance records, information about the progress of the pupils, action plans for various subjects and documents relating to safeguarding.
• Inspectors held discussions with staff and governors. The lead inspector met with a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors considered two free-text responses to Ofsted‟s Parent View and 43 responses to the school‟s own, similar survey. They also considered 11 responses to the pupil survey and 24 responses to the staff survey. Inspectors met with groups of teachers and teaching assistants to hear their views and spoke with parents in the playground.

Inspection team

Heather Mensah, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Louise Greatrex Ofsted Inspector Natasha Greenough Ofsted Inspector