All Saints' Church of England School, Weymouth Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching and raise pupils’ achievements by:
  • checking that teachers plan activities which closely match the abilities and prior attainment of pupils, particularly the most able pupils
  • providing teachers with clearer direction about priorities for improvement
  • extending the range of strategies teachers use to help disadvantaged pupils.
• Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by raising attendance so that it is at least in line with the national average.
• Improve leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that school improvement planning identifies specific actions, sets time limits and includes how success is to be measured
  • developing the accuracy of middle leaders’ self-evaluation of the strengths and weaknesses of their departments
  • providing training for new governors to develop their skills. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Senior leaders have not responded quickly enough to a drop in pupils’ performance in 2016. Senior leaders have drawn up a school improvement plan that reflects the priority areas for development. However, there is not enough detail about the actions required and the criteria for success are not clear. This makes it difficult for senior leaders and governors to evaluate the effectiveness of the changes being made.

• Leaders carry out checks on the quality of teaching but they do not use the information from these activities effectively to challenge staff about their performance. For example, leaders have highlighted aspects of teaching that require improvement but they have not been rigorous enough in making sure that they improve rapidly in all areas.
• The quality of middle leadership is uneven. Some middle leaders have not ensured that teaching is consistently good in the subjects they are responsible for. For example, teaching in English has improved significantly but developments in some other subjects have been slow. This has resulted in variable progress for pupils. Some middle leaders have an over-generous view of the quality of teaching because they do not focus on the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress.
• Last year, leaders did not target additional funding for disadvantaged pupils well enough and consequently these pupils did not make the progress of which they were capable. Leaders now systematically review the support that individual disadvantaged pupils receive and modify plans where necessary. As a result, disadvantaged pupils’ progress and their attendance are now improving.
• The headteacher has ensured that relationships across the school are positive. He has fostered a climate of trust in which staff are increasingly well motivated, willing to share ideas and take part in professional development activities. This climate extends to the pupils. One pupil’s comment was typical of many: ‘We respect the headteacher, he knows what we are doing and he congratulates us when we have done well.’
• Newly qualified teachers are supported well, as are those teachers who aspire to middle or senior leadership. For example, some staff are being helped to study for further leadership qualifications.
• A well-planned curriculum enables pupils to study a broad range of mainly GCSE subjects from Year 9 onwards. Pupils are now given effective guidance about subject choices and so more are taking an appropriate balance of academic courses. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 are given a good grounding in the key skills they need to succeed and so are becoming more resilient learners. The curriculum develops a good understanding of and respect for different cultures and religions through a programme of personal, social and health education. Pupils have many opportunities to think carefully about life in modern Britain and so understand the importance of democracy and the rule of law.
• Pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities including public speaking, Latin club and the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme. These help pupils to develop their self-confidence. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong because it is threaded through all parts of the curriculum including a thoughtfully constructed series of assemblies.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well because their individual needs are identified and extra funding for them is used wisely.
• Funding allocated for Year 7 pupils who need to catch up in their literacy and/or numeracy skills is used well to provide extra support. These pupils make good progress and so are now beginning to achieve as well as their classmates.
• Staff are very supportive of senior leaders; the great majority are proud to work at the school and believe it is improving. This contributes to the increasingly aspirational culture.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a good understanding of the school’s performance and have identified strategic development priorities. They communicate well with senior leaders and offer a good level of support. However, governance requires improvement because, until recently, the governing body has not challenged senior leaders to speed up the rate of improvement.
• The governing body has undergone significant change in the last year as several governors have left and been replaced by new volunteers. Consequently, some governors are new to their roles and are still developing their skills.
• The chair of governors and the governing body are committed to the school and its pupils. They are determined to see pupils’ achievement rise while maintaining its inclusive, compassionate culture. They now take a more rigorous approach to the use of pupil premium funding, for example.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

• Leaders, including governors, have ensured that safeguarding is a priority at the school. Up-to-date policies and procedures are in place which are followed by staff when they have concerns. Leaders carry out appropriate checks to make sure that all staff are suitable to work with children.
• Pupils have a good understanding of risk, including radicalisation. They say they feel safe and are taught how to stay safe, including when using the internet.
• A team of staff provide good support for vulnerable pupils. Pupils are comfortable discussing any worries they may have because they are confident in the skills and abilities of these staff.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is improving but remains inconsistent across the school. Pupils do not yet receive consistently good teaching and so their progress is not as rapid as it could be.
• Teachers do not use information about pupils’ performance to plan activities to suit different levels of ability. Consequently, pupils are sometimes given tasks which do not stretch them and help them to learn.
• Teachers’ expectations of the most able pupils are not high enough. In several subject areas these pupils do not achieve the top grades at GCSE.
• Disadvantaged pupils have not received the support they need in the past and so have not made good progress. Teachers are becoming better at recognising the individual needs of these pupils and as a result of more effective help, their achievement is rising.
• Teachers do not use questioning effectively to check pupils’ understanding and clarify misconceptions. For example, in science and in religious studies gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not recognised by teachers and subsequently misunderstandings persist.
• The quality of teachers’ feedback to pupils about their work is sometimes not in line with the school’s policy and so it does not help pupils to understand how to improve their work.
• The quality of teaching in English has improved rapidly as a result of strong leadership. Teachers are clear about their objectives and they work as an effective team. Pupils are now making much stronger progress than in the previous year because of this.
• Teaching is strong in geography, history and art. Pupils are motivated in these subjects, they learn well and make good progress. Pupils produce vibrant artwork which is used to good effect in numerous displays around the school.
• The school is able to recruit well-qualified staff and therefore most subject teachers are specialists in their field.
• Teaching assistants provide timely support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and contribute well to the improving progress these pupils are making.
• Pupils in key stages 3 and 4 are provided with programmes to help them catch up and develop their literacy and numeracy skills. These programmes are successful. Pupils value the support they get, for example from well-trained older pupils acting as ‘reading buddies’.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.

• Pupils are very proud of their school. They have a strong sense of social responsibility and as a result they look after each other, saying this is ‘the All Saints way’.
• Pupils report that bullying is tackled effectively by teachers if it occurs. The majority of parents agree that the school deals with bullying well.
• Pupils say they feel safe at school and are helped to keep themselves safe. They are made aware of the dangers of the internet and so understand threats such as cyber bullying and the promotion of extremist views.
• Pupils with challenging needs such as emotional difficulties, mental health needs or medical needs are very well looked after by the ‘well-being team’ in school. School leaders also provide effective support for pupils through partnerships with external agencies.
• Pupils are provided with good-quality advice about possible careers. For example, effective guidance is given to Year 8 pupils about their GSCE choices. The majority of older pupils have a clear idea of where they are going when they leave.
• The school offers a breakfast club facility to pupils and this provides many of them with a calm and nutritious start to the day in a safe environment.
• Parents believe that the school is a nurturing environment in keeping with its Christian foundations. They say their sons and daughters enjoy school and are well cared for; inspectors agree.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement because attendance is below the national average. The school’s efforts to increase attendance have produced some improvement but the overall rate of attendance is still too low and too many pupils are persistently absent from school.

• Disadvantaged pupils’ attendance has, however, improved substantially in the last year and this has contributed to the rising achievement of this group.
• The headteacher has taken a firm line on behaviour since his appointment in January 2016. As a result of higher expectations, the number of exclusions rose in this period but is now showing signs of falling.
• Relationships between pupils and teachers are good. Teachers are conscientious and dedicated; they often provide extra help for pupils at lunchtime and after school. Pupils appreciate this and say it encourages them to work hard and behave well.
• Low-level disruption in classes is not common now because teachers are prompt in using the school system for dealing with poor behaviour.
• Pupils’ behaviour around the school site is generally calm and well mannered. Consequently, the school is an orderly environment with a positive, inclusive atmosphere.
• The overwhelming majority of parents would recommend this school to another parent.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Pupils enter the school with attainment which is broadly average. Pupils’ progress in 2016 was below the national average and consequently many pupils, including the most able pupils, left school with GCSE results which were below their capabilities.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ progress was well below average in 2016. Leaders’ use of additional funding for these pupils in the past has not helped them to achieve well. The progress of disadvantaged pupils is now being closely monitored. Teachers are more aware of the individual needs of these pupils and provide better support for them. As a result, the progress of disadvantaged pupils, including those who are most able, is improving but is not yet good.
• Pupils do not make good progress in science and religious studies. Teaching does not address pupils’ misconceptions in these subjects and so gaps in their knowledge and understanding persist.
• Pupils’ progress in GCSE mathematics in 2016 was in line with the national average. Pupils’ progress in GCSE English was below average in 2016 but has improved as a result of better teaching this year. The school’s information about the performance of current pupils shows that pupils are now making good progress in both English and mathematics.
• Teaching provides a good level of challenge to pupils in geography, history and art. Pupils are motivated in these subjects in both key stages 3 and 4; they rise to the challenge and develop skills well.
• Where pupils join the school in Year 7 with below-average attainment in literacy and numeracy, the school provides good-quality teaching to enable them to catch up. The school’s assessment information shows that these pupils improve their basic skills quickly.
• Pupils in key stage 4 with weaker literacy and numeracy skills also receive effective extra help. They are becoming more confident and are making better progress across a range of subjects as a consequence.
• Historically, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities have not achieved as well as they could. Senior leaders have put in place new arrangements for the support of these pupils. Pupils are now gaining the skills they need at a much faster rate.
• The school’s arrangements for providing good-quality, impartial careers advice and guidance ensure that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Virtually all pupils find places in education, employment or training when they leave.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 113896 Dorset 10025137 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 comprehensive School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary aided 11 to 16 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 870 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Paul Taylor Kevin Broadway 01305 783391

http://www.allsaints.dorset.sch.uk office@allsaints.dorset.sch.uk

Date of previous inspection 19–20 June 2013

Information about this school

• A new headteacher was appointed in January 2016.
• Since the previous inspection, several governors have stepped down and a number of new volunteers have been appointed.
• This school is an average-sized secondary school.
• The large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.
• The proportion of pupils who are supported through pupil premium funding is average.
• The school runs a breakfast club for pupils in Years 7 to 11.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 11.
• The school is part of the Chesil Education Partnership, which is an informal collaboration of 22 schools in the local area.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in across a wide range of subjects and age groups some of which were conducted jointly with senior leaders, and scrutinised a wide range of pupils’ written work.
• Inspectors looked at a range of documentation including minutes of governors’ meetings, development plans, analysis of pupils’ progress, attendance and behaviour logs, safeguarding documents and the school’s review of its own performance.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, governors, senior leaders, middle leaders and groups of pupils in key stages 3 and 4.
• The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with the school improvement partner, who provides advice for senior leaders about the school’s development.
• Inspectors took account of 52 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, 23 responses to the pupil questionnaire and 17 responses to the staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Paul Williams, lead inspector Richard Butler Benjamin Antell Gillian Carter Malcolm Davison

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