Liscard Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are welcomed into this nurturing community. They enter school smiling and are happy to be there. They are reassured that staff are there to keep them safe.

On the corridors and in classrooms, pupils' behaviour is impeccable. Pupils walk around sensibly, hold doors open for each other and greet staff politely. Staff model to pupils how they want them to behave.

Pupils live up to the high expectations that staff have for their behaviour. The code of conduct is simple: work hard, be kind, never give up. This helps to successfully frame pupils' attitudes and behaviour.

The school has high ambitions for pupils' achievement, including pupils with special edu...cational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). There is a broad and ambitious curriculum which helps most pupils to achieve well.

Pupils are treated as unique individuals.

They learn that everyone is different. They treat one another with kindness and respect.

Pupils enjoy having responsibilities which contribute towards building a thriving community.

For example, the eco-rangers recently worked with the local community to plant bulbs. Pupils enjoy being mental health ambassadors, school councillors and digital leaders.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school's bespoke curriculum is thoughtfully designed.

It ensures that pupils build on their learning, from the provision for two-year-olds through to Year 6. Staff have strong subject knowledge, which they use to deliver the curriculum consistently. Across the curriculum, staff use assessment methods effectively to identify and remedy pupils' misconceptions.

Teachers check regularly how well pupils remember prior learning. This helps pupils to develop their retention of knowledge over time.

The school has robust processes in place to identify any additional needs that pupils have.

The school has high aspirations for pupils with SEND, who learn the same curriculum as their peers. Nevertheless, at times, the school does not clearly identify the next steps for pupils with SEND and how their learning should be broken down. This hinders some pupils with SEND from developing a deep and rich understanding of the curriculum.

Reading is a top priority in this school. Reading for pleasure and enjoyment are widely promoted. Pupils, therefore, enjoy reading and read regularly, including at home.

Children in the provision for two- and three-year-olds excitedly act out familiar stories from memory. The phonics curriculum is delivered consistently across different year groups. Teachers quickly identify pupils who struggle with reading, and effective support is put in place to help these pupils to catch up.

The school has successfully delivered workshops and sessions for parents and carers to help them to support their child in reading. The school's actions ensure that pupils develop into confident and fluent readers.

Pupils, including children in the early years, diligently follow the routines that the school has put in place.

They display motivated and excited attitudes to learning. They engage positively in lessons and are eager to learn.

The school's approach to improving pupils' attendance has led to a slight improvement in the attendance of disadvantaged pupils.

However, these actions have not secured improvement for all pupils, in particular those with SEND.

Pupils benefit from a personal development programme that widens their experiences. For example, aspirational role models who have overcome personal challenges talk to pupils about resilience, perseverance and the importance of aiming high.

The many trips that the school organises complement the curriculum while also expanding pupils' life skills. For example, when visiting war rooms to enhance their understanding of the Second World War, pupils used the local rail network to get there.

Understanding the world and others is an important part of the school's work.

Pupils grasp opportunities to learn about different cultures and religions. They spoke excitedly about a visit to a mosque and the washing ritual that they observed. The culture of inclusion is firmly embedded across the school.

Staff know and support pupils and their families extremely well. Parents and carers appreciate the support they are given, especially in helping them to understand how to support their child's education. For example, one programme offers parents the chance to work on carefully planned activities, such as mark making, in school with their child.

The governing body knows the school well. It has a clear oversight of the school's strengths and areas of development. Staff are committed, positive and feel valued.

The school is mindful of staff's workload. It has adapted a marking policy which has reduced teachers' workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the school has not ensured that teachers have the knowledge to identify the small steps that some pupils with SEND need to take. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment information carefully to identify pupils' specific gaps and the precise actions needed to support pupils with SEND to achieve well.