All Saints Catholic College Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management by ensuring that leaders, governors and the trustees:
  • evaluate the design and implementation of the curriculum so that it maximises pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding and inspires them to excel
  • raise pupils’ aspirations further so that they are highly ambitious for the next stage of their education, employment or training.
• Raise outcomes for pupils by:
  • giving key stage 3 pupils more opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge to complex problems
  • ensuring that teachers use the information that they have about pupils’ prior learning to design activities that build knowledge, understanding and skills at pace.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders, governors and the trustees have rebuilt this school into a joyful, vibrant and purposeful learning community where everyone feels valued. At the heart of their improvements is the school’s mission to: ‘Be inspired. Be excellent. Succeed.’ This mission statement permeates every aspect of pupils’ learning and progress.
• The headteacher and executive headteacher have had a considerable, positive impact on improving the school. They have replaced the school’s leadership team with a very able, committed and dynamic group of people.
• Within a relatively short period of time senior leaders, governors and the trustees have stabilised staffing. They have improved the quality of teaching, reversed the trend of poor performance and secured consistently good outcomes for current pupils.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Their evaluation of the effectiveness of the school is accurate. Their plans to improve the school are closely linked to the outcomes of internal and external monitoring. As a result, the school has improved significantly since it was placed into special measures in 2016. Leaders ensure that pupils receive a good standard of education.
• At All Saints Catholic College ethical and sustainable leadership drive all aspects of school improvement. The headteacher and her senior leaders focus on building leadership capacity at all levels. Where difficult decisions are taken to remove staff, this is done with compassion and humility.
• The leadership of teaching and learning is strong. Staff have access to a wide range of training opportunities that are personalised to their needs. There is a good balance between whole-school initiatives and subject-specific developments. As a result, the quality of teaching is now consistently good.
• Leaders’ systems to monitor the effectiveness of teaching, learning and assessment are good. These are reviewed regularly to ensure that they provide accurate information.
• Leaders ensure that staff apply policies consistently well. However, at times some innovation in teaching is stifled because of the rigour that has been necessary to remove the school from special measures.
• Middle leadership is consistently good. Many new, high-quality leaders have been appointed. Middle leaders work effectively with teachers to review and refine schemes of learning and to refresh teaching strategies.
• Middle leaders have been instrumental in improving outcomes in their subject areas. They are fully involved in monitoring the effectiveness of teaching and learning and they hold their teachers to account for improvements and standards.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced. However, leaders have not evaluated the effect of the curriculum on pupils’ learning and progress at each key stage. For example, leaders have not sufficiently considered the impact that the curriculum has on raising pupils’ aspirations, or fostering a love of learning, so that pupils excel.
• There is a wide range of extra-curricular provision. For example, pupils can take part in Latin classes, classics club, sports clubs, performing arts, language classes, technology clubs, art clubs and science clubs. Pupils value these experiences.
• Leaders have taken some steps to raise pupils’ aspirations. However, due to poor outcomes in previous years, some pupils do not access appropriate post-16 courses when they leave All Saints Catholic College.
• There is a striking focus on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development. Leaders have introduced the All Saints Experience. Across the school, pupils can articulate their journey in SMSC development. For example, pupils are heavily involved in charity work, enrichment activities, collective worship, debating societies and overseas experiences through a European project. Leaders’ vision is for the school to be fully international. Pupils also experience a wide range of culture through art and performing arts. They are increasingly well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• The additional funding to support pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is well spent. It has a positive effect on the progress of this group of pupils. Equally, leaders have reviewed the effectiveness of the additional funding to ensure that it removes the barriers to learning faced by disadvantaged pupils. Outcomes for current disadvantaged pupils right across the school have improved this year.
• Leaders use literacy and numeracy catch-up funding well to support those pupils who enter the school below age-related expectations in Year 7. The funding has a very positive effect on improving pupils’ ability to work with number. It is also used to good effect to increase pupils’ reading ages.
• Leaders, governors and the trustees ensure that they protect teachers’ mental health and well-being. Staff are canvassed for their views regularly; leaders value and act upon their feedback. At this school staff morale is high.
• Leaders ensure that there are effective systems in place to communicate with parents. As a result, since the previous inspection there has been a dramatic improvement in parents’ perceptions of the quality of education that the school provides.

Governance of the school

• Governors and the trustees have been pivotal in bringing this school out of special measures.
• Governors and the trustees are effective in holding leaders to account for the quality of education that the school provides. For example, they challenge leaders with determination about how well pupils are progressing in their learning.
• Governors and the trustees are highly involved in evaluating the effectiveness of the school and shaping school improvement plans. They each take an area of the plan to check that actions are completed in a timely and appropriate way. Governors and the trustees incorporate a series of questions and measurable milestones into each development plan to enable them to question leaders thoroughly.
• Governors and the trustees ask good-quality questions about the impact of professional development on improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.
• Governors and the trustees do not have a strong enough understanding of the rationale for the curriculum or how well it is being implemented.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Leaders do all that they can to ensure that pupils stay safe and feel safe at school. For example, policies, procedures and practices are reviewed regularly. Staff receive regular training and governors review the effectiveness of leaders’ work in this area.
• Pupils told inspectors that they feel very safe at school. They too receive training on how to identify the signs and symptoms of abuse in their friends. Pupils explained to inspectors how they would know that a friend was at risk of radicalisation or child sexual exploitation.
• Online filtering systems are appropriate and are reviewed regularly. Leaders are vigilant about pupils’ use of the internet.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They have used this effectively to improve pupils’ learning and progress since the previous inspection. Pupils recognise and value the significant developments in teaching and learning. Consequently, pupils are able to achieve well.
• Teachers are reflective practitioners. They regularly debate how they can adapt teaching strategies to have the best effect on pupils’ learning and progress. Teachers benefit from a comprehensive programme of training that is tailored to their individual needs.
• Teachers implement the school’s policies relating to teaching, learning and assessment consistently well. For example, teachers use the school’s behaviour policy well to create a positive climate for learning.
• Teachers use questions well to address pupils’ misconceptions. Pupils receive regular verbal feedback about how they can improve their work. Teachers target the pupils who most need support effectively.
• Pupils respond well to the feedback that they receive from their teachers. They take time to improve the quality of their work, particularly their written work. Completing redrafts of work enables pupils to build stamina and resilience in their learning.
• The use of the small number of additional adults in the school who support pupils’ learning and progress is good. Leaders have appointed a specialist teaching assistant to the mathematics department, who is supporting pupils effectively in this subject area.
• Teachers and leaders use resources well to promote good learning and progress. For example, they ensure that the learning environment is bright, vibrant and inviting so as to engage pupils in their learning. Displays on walls celebrate pupils’ successes.
• All groups of pupils take pride of their work. Almost every book that inspectors examined was presented well and contained good-quality work.
• Pupils are proud of the progress that they make. Every pupil with whom the inspectors spoke could clearly articulate what they were learning, why they were learning it and how they were learning it. This recipe for including pupils in the learning journey is paying dividends.
• Homework is well planned; it extends pupils’ learning. For example, Year 9 pupils say that they particularly enjoy completing their 12-week project to create their own dystopia. This is because it sparked their imaginations. They especially enjoy thinking up a central character.
• Teachers have developed a ‘toolkit’ to support the progress of different groups of pupils, for example the most able. Nevertheless, there is still some work to do to ensure that teachers use the information that they have about their pupils to prepare activities that enable pupils to reach their full potential.
• The quality of teaching in mathematics and science has improved significantly. It is particularly strong at key stage 4.
• The quality of teaching in religious education, modern foreign languages, history, geography, English, art and performing arts is especially good. Pupils report that they really enjoy learning in these subjects.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• There is an exceptionally strong pastoral team. Pupils value highly the support that they receive, for example about mental health and well-being, relationships and sex education, and child sexual exploitation.
• Leaders’ work to support young carers is pioneering. The group of young carers who attend All Saints Catholic College is supported to access education, achieve well and stay healthy while caring for family members.
• Pupils confirm that bullying is not commonplace in this school. However, on the rare occasion when it does occur, it is dealt with quickly and effectively.
• Pupils have a very strong knowledge of how to stay safe online and in their local community. They articulate with ease the importance of staying healthy and fit.
• The personal, social, and health education programme is excellent. Pupils appreciate the wide range of outside speakers and activities that are planned to help them prepare to take their place in modern Britain. Pupils particularly appreciate the support that they receive to understand loans, interest rates and mortgages.
• Pupils are encouraged at every stage of their education to develop as young citizens. Pupils are taught to develop self-confidence, self-esteem and perseverance. Current pupils embody the school’s mission to ‘Be inspired. Be excellent. Succeed.’
• There are plentiful opportunities for pupils to take up leadership positions in the school. For example, the student leadership team has a powerful voice in making changes to improve the school further. Student leaders are elected by other pupils based on their potential to have the greatest impact on bringing about change.
• British values are taught exceptionally well. Pupils have a strong political awareness. A group of pupils discussed the potential misuse of power to influence the Brexit vote, particularly through online communications. Pupils also discuss the rule of law in relation to ‘sexting’, hate crime and radicalisation and extremism.
• As part of developing British values, pupils can articulate the importance of respect for our diverse society. There is a highly regarded buddy system for pupils who speak English as an additional language. Pupils who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender are exceptionally well supported. In addition, Year 10 pupils attend a gender equality conference.
• Equality of opportunity is promoted effectively. Leaders ensure, for example, that girls are given strong support to consider a career in engineering.
• Careers education, information, advice and guidance are good. Pupils know and understand the different apprenticeship routes and an independent careers adviser offers impartial advice and guidance. Pupils have access to a wide range of careers events, universities and colleges. There are also links with local industry and businesses. Nonetheless, leaders accept that they need to raise pupils’ aspirations further so that they are highly ambitious for the next stages of their education, employment or training.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• The leadership of attendance and punctuality is excellent. Pupils attend school regularly and they are punctual to lessons. Leaders have been particularly effective in reducing the proportion of pupils who are regularly absent from school to below the national average.
• During the inspection, there were practically no incidents of low-level disruption in lessons. Pupils engage well with their teachers and they take pride in their school.
• The group of parents with whom inspectors spoke believe that pupils’ behaviour is good. The responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, support this viewpoint.
• Behaviour around the school is positive. Pupils show respect for each other and for the school building. Pupils are particularly proud that the school is now seen much more favourably by the local community. A number of pupils commented that: ‘the school is a calm, welcoming place where all are valued.’
• The used of internal isolation is decreasing quickly as a direct result of high-quality leadership and good-quality teaching.
• There are still too many pupils who are temporarily or permanently excluded from school. Leaders recognise this issue and they have effective plans in place to reduce this number. Nevertheless, over time, the proportion of pupils who are excluded or temporarily excluded from school has diminished significantly. Leaders should be proud of this significant achievement.
• Pupils who attend alternative provision behave well and are kept safe.

Outcomes for pupils

Requires improvement

• When the new leadership team took over in 2015, they found a school that was broken. Pupils had suffered from a poor-quality curriculum, inadequate teaching and ineffective leadership and management. Pupils’ progress and attainment were inadequate.
• In 2016 and 2017, by the end of key stage 4, pupils’ progress and attainment continued to be inadequate in most subjects. Despite leaders’ best efforts to bridge the vast deficit in pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding, the gaps were just too wide. All groups of pupils underachieved in relation to their starting points.
• All Saints Catholic College is now a school where pupils want to excel, and they are well on their way to achieving this goal. Pupils commit to their learning and they want to attain highly. The climate for learning is strong and the quality of pupils’ work over time is consistently good right across the school.
• To judge how well pupils progress, leaders have established an assessment system that is accurate and reliable. Internal and external moderation show that leaders and teachers’ estimations of pupils’ rates of progress are grounded in secure evidence.
• Leaders’ own information shows that current pupils in key stage 3 make consistently good progress. Pupils make particularly strong progress in English, modern foreign languages, science, performing arts and religious education. Work in pupils’ books unequivocally supports the views of leaders.
• That said, leaders recognise that although strong improvements have been made to pupils’ progress in mathematics, at key stage 3 pupils need more opportunities to apply their knowledge to more complex problems.
• At key stage 4, current pupils are on track to achieve outcomes that compare favourably with the 2017 national benchmarks. Year 11 pupils have already achieved excellent outcomes in food and cookery. Throughout key stage 4, current pupils have made consistently good progress in many subjects, for example mathematics, science, English, art, humanities, religious education and modern foreign languages.
• Leaders have appropriate plans in place to ensure that pupils reach their potential in subjects that are not as strong as they should be, for example computing, business studies, graphics and product design.
• Across this school, pupils develop a love of reading because a well-resourced library is the hub of the school community. There is effective support in place to improve pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. Literacy and numeracy catch-up funding is used well.
• Although a gender gap remains, with girls outperforming boys, it is closing.
• Leaders’ plan to improve provision for the most able pupils has been effective. They now make much stronger progress.
• Current pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress from their different starting points. Leaders use additional funding to support these pupils well.
• Leaders ensure that children looked after are extremely well supported. They make good progress in relation to their starting points.
• Disadvantaged pupils now make much more secure progress across the school. In key stage 4 this year, disadvantaged pupils are on track to achieve on average a grade higher than they did last year. Leaders use the additional funding to support these pupils extremely well. The work in the books of disadvantaged pupils at both key stages 3 and 4 shows that they are progressing in line with other pupils.
• Leaders ensure that pupils who attend alternative provision at Tameside College achieve well.
• Most pupils leave the school to go on to education, employment or training. However, due to historic underachievement and low aspirations, some pupils have not accessed courses or training that reflected their true ability.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 139735 Tameside 10043619 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 Secondary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy converter 11 to 16 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 605 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Colette Garner Linda Emmett 0161 338 2120 www.allsaintscatholiccollege.com schooloffice@allsaintscatholiccollege.com Date of previous inspection 2–3 February 2016

Information about this school

• All Saints Catholic College is a smaller than average-sized secondary school. It is the only school in the St Anselm’s Catholic Multi-Academy Trust (MAT).
• The MAT has a board of trustees, comprising seven directors and a local governing body, comprising 11 members, to oversee the school.
• The school had its most recent section 48 inspection, undertaken by the Diocese of Shrewsbury, in March 2017.
• The school continues to be supported by Blessed Thomas Holford Catholic College.
• The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is much higher than the national average.
• There are six children looked after on roll.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is lower than the national average.
• The school uses alternative provision at Tameside College for a small number of pupils.
• In 2017, the school did not meet the government’s floor standards. The floor standards set the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment at the end of key stage 4.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching across both key stages and in a wide range of subjects. Some of those observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also undertook shorter learning walks jointly with senior leaders.
• Inspectors held formal discussions with groups of pupils from both key stages 3 and 4. They also held a meeting with the student leadership team. During the inspection, inspectors spoke informally with a wide range of pupils during lessons, at social times and in the school’s library.
• Inspectors undertook a very detailed scrutiny of current pupils’ work in most subjects across both key stages. Much of this was jointly undertaken with middle leaders. Inspectors also conducted an additional work scrutiny that focused on the progress made by boys, disadvantaged pupils and the most able pupils.
• Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders, the directors of the multi-academy trust, the local governing body, teachers, newly qualified teachers and the librarian. Inspector also held discussions with a range of middle leaders including subject leaders, pastoral leaders and the special educational needs coordinator.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour and conduct during social times and between lessons.
• The team considered a wide range of documentation related to the school’s work, including that concerned with safeguarding.
• Inspectors considered the 74 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.
• Inspectors also used evidence from the previous four special measures monitoring visits when reaching judgements about the school.

Inspection team

Jonathan Smart, lead inspector John Nixon Naomi Taylor Emma Gregory

Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector