Lister Infant and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Lister Infant and Nursery School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Respect, kindness and honesty are at the heart of school life at Lister Infant School. Pupils understand and appreciate these values, which they live up to.

Leaders and staff promote and celebrate them around school, in lessons and assemblies.

The school is very much part of the local community. Parents agree, with one comment, typical of many, being, 'The teaching staff and support staff make the school such a welcoming place to be.'



Leaders aspire for pupils to thrive. They ensure that attention is given to pupils' emotional well-being. Pupils are of...ten asked, 'How full is your bucket?', which helps them to understand their well-being and to consider that of others.

Leaders expect pupils to behave well. Pupils meet these expectations. They work hard and concentrate in lessons.

Pupils understand the 'three Bs' of 'be safe, be respectful, be involved'. One pupil commented, 'Everyone is kind here; people look after us. They make our dreams come true.'

Pupils feel happy and safe. On rare occasions when pupils do not behave well, teachers help them to understand how they can improve. This helps pupils reflect on how their behaviour affects others and ensures incidents of bullying are rare and dealt with well.

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

Leaders have created a well-structured curriculum that sets high expectations for all pupils. They have identified the important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to know and remember. This is carefully sequenced so that pupils build their knowledge over time.

For example, in geography, pupils draw maps of the local area after carrying out a local walk. Leaders ensure that teachers receive the training they need to deliver the curriculum well. In lessons, teachers check pupils' learning regularly and provide support to pupils who need it.

They encourage pupils to reflect on their learning and apply it to different contexts. As a result, pupils achieve well.

Leaders prioritise reading.

It is at the centre of the curriculum. Staff are highly skilled and receive regular training in reading. Phonics lessons begin as soon as pupils join Reception.

Pupils enjoy reading a range of books in school and at home. They learn about and experience an array of different authors and genres. They also read in many subjects.

This helps them to develop a love of reading. Pupils who have fallen behind in their reading are supported well to catch up quickly. Pupils become confident and fluent readers over time.

Teachers use assessment strategies well. They systematically check that pupils have understood what has been taught. When gaps in knowledge are identified, teachers skilfully adapt their teaching to ensure that these gaps are closed.

Children make a good start to school life in the early years. There is a real focus on developing children's early language skills from the start so they are ready for key stage 1. For example, in mathematics, children learn about the language of pattern and shape through stories read by the teacher.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive good support and are fully included in all aspects of school life. This is particularly so in English and mathematics. Staff receive regular and effective guidance about how to support pupils with SEND.

Parents of pupils with SEND feel that 'their hand is held' in supporting them. This means that the needs of pupils with education, health and care plans or those with significant needs are very well catered for. Occasionally, for some pupils with SEND, in some subjects, such as geography, support is not always matched closely enough to their needs.

Pupils behave well in lessons. They enjoy the activities that teachers plan for them. In lessons, pupils behave well because lessons are stimulating and interesting.

Pupils' positive behaviour is celebrated on 'recognition boards' in class.

Leaders prioritise pupils' personal development. It is a strength of the school.

Pupils learn from sharing stories that everyone is welcome, and they comment, 'It doesn't matter if we are different; it would be boring if we were all the same.' Leaders broaden pupils' horizons by planning visits to the city's museum or arranging visits to school from professionals, such as architects and dentists. Pupils are given opportunities to contribute to school life by being school councillors or reading and mathematics ambassadors.

They feel that they make a positive contribution.

Relationships between leaders and staff are overwhelmingly positive. Staff are very appreciative of the way leaders care for their well-being.

Governors know the school well. They provide effective support and challenge to leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding at this school. All members of staff attend regular training sessions to update their knowledge and raise their awareness of the risks to pupils. Staff are confident to identify and report concerns.

Leaders have effective systems in place to follow up any concerns they might have. They support families and work well with external agencies when pupils are at risk of harm.

Teachers make pupils aware of any risks they may encounter in their daily lives.

They teach pupils how to avoid being exposed to danger. They raise pupils' awareness of the risks that exist online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, teachers do not always adapt learning well for pupils with SEND.

This means that pupils with SEND do not always make as much progress as they could in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that support for pupils with SEND is closely matched to fully meet pupils' needs to help them to learn more.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2011.

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