'Do not feel safe' - Paul McCartney's LIPA school downgraded to 'requires improvement' by Ofsted

Liverpool’s performing arts school, originally founded by Beatles star Sir Paul McCartney, has been downgraded by Ofsted with concerns that some pupils ‘do not feel safe’.

Part of the LIPA Multi-Academy Trust, run by the executive headteacher and accounting officer Greg Parker and overseen by a board of trustees, LIPA Primary and High School has two headteachers - Holly Lucas and Andrew Raven. Located on Upper Duke Street, the school first opened in 2014 and is part of the original performing academy founded by McCartney and Mark Featherstone-Witty in 1996.

Prior to this year, LIPA Primary and High School’s last graded inspection was in July 2017, when it was awarded an overall rating of ‘Good’. However, the latest visit from Ofsted inspectors on March 12 has seen the school downgraded to ‘Requires Improvement’ with concerns about pupils’ behaviour and safety.

Schools are marked based on five key areas and provided with an overall rating by Ofsted. LIPA Primary and High School was awarded ‘Good’ ratings for quality of education, personal development and early years provision. But, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management were both marked as ‘Requires Improvement’.

LIPA Primary and High School Ofsted report

In the Ofsted report published on May 14 2024, inspectors praised LIPA Primary and High School’s ‘wide range of extra-curricular activities’ and noted that ‘the curriculums in all subjects are ambitious’ for pupils attending the school.

An excerpt of the report reads: “The school has increasingly high expectations for pupils’ behaviour, attendance and academic achievement. Most pupils attend school regularly, and they enjoy their lessons. In most subjects, pupils, particularly those in the primary age phase, achieve well.”

SEND provisions were also commended, with Ofsted noting that LIPA ‘identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND quickly and accurately’ and ‘pupils with SEND access the same broad curriculum as their classmates’.

Despite the positives, concerns about behaviour and safety were addressed, with the report continuing: “During lessons, most pupils follow instructions and focus well on their learning. However, some older pupils do not behave as well as they should.

“Some pupils told inspectors that they do not feel safe in school. This is because they are worried by the behaviour of some of the other pupils, especially during break times. Added to this, some pupils do not show sufficient respect for their school environment.”

Ofsted noted that older pupils ‘do not share the same sense of belonging to the school as their younger peers,’ and added that this is party due to ‘changes in staffing and accommodation’ sometimes leaving them feeling ‘unsettled’. It added that a new behaviour policy has recently been implemented. Despite the concerns, Ofsted said attendance monitoring and actions are effective, and staff know pupils and families well.

Discussing the rating, a spokesperson for LIPA Primary and High School said: “Many aspects of LIPA’s work were reported on positively by Ofsted. Quality of education, personal development and early years were recognised as ‘good’ and we received praise for our ambitious curriculum, skilled teachers, provision of additional opportunities for students, and our inclusive support for pupils with special educational need or disabilities. We are already working to address the areas marked for improvement."