All Saints CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further strengthen the impact of leadership by targeting the use of the pupil premium funding more precisely and ensuring that the plan contains specific targets and measurable success criteria, so that leaders and governors can evaluate the impact of the funding more thoroughly.
• Further improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by:
  • planning work that is sufficiently challenging for the most able pupils, particularly in English and mathematics
  • addressing basic errors in punctuation consistently so that pupils do not repeat mistakes
  • embedding the improvements to the way in which reading is taught so that pupils make strong progress in their comprehension skills.
• Improve the quality of provision in the early years by ensuring that:
  • activities and resources are sufficiently challenging for middle- and high-attaining children
  • there is purposeful learning in all activities, particularly in the outdoor area.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The highly skilled headteacher and deputy headteacher are relentless in their aim to ensure that every pupil receives the very best education. They receive strong support from middle leaders, staff and governors, who are thoroughly committed to developing the school further. As a result, the quality of education is good and constantly improving.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of what the school does well and what could be better. They identify the right areas for improvement and communicate these clearly to staff and governors. Leaders make regular checks to ensure that their actions are making a difference.
• The headteacher has cultivated a strong learning culture in which all staff are keen to improve. A comprehensive programme of professional development supports leaders and teachers to hone their skills. Staff are reflective about their practice and value the opportunities they have to learn from one another and from staff in other schools. Morale is high. All staff who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire say that they feel well supported and are proud to work in the school.
• Leaders make meticulous checks on the quality of teaching. They regularly visit lessons, look at pupils’ work and talk to pupils about their learning in a wide range of subjects. As part of these checks, leaders keep a close eye on the progress of different groups of pupils. They provide teachers with detailed and constructive feedback about how well pupils are learning and how teachers can improve their practice. Leaders also use their findings to target support and training.
• Leaders know individual pupils well and monitor their progress carefully. They work closely with teachers to identify any pupils who are falling behind and ensure that these pupils receive the support they need to catch up quickly.
• The leaders for English and mathematics have had a positive impact on school improvement. Both leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in their areas of responsibility. In English, leaders have implemented a new approach to the teaching of reading to improve pupils’ comprehension skills. This approach is beginning to bear fruit, and current pupils are making good progress. The mathematics leader has responded swiftly to a slight dip in pupils’ progress in 2018, putting in place effective strategies to develop pupils’ reasoning and problem-solving skills.
• The rich, vibrant and highly creative curriculum is a strength of the school. Teachers plan an extensive range of inspiring experiences that capture pupils’ imaginations and bring their learning alive each day. As a result, pupils of all ages and abilities are motivated and enthusiastic learners. Visitors and trips further enrich the curriculum and ensure that pupils develop a deep understanding of the topics they study.
• Leaders use the primary physical education (PE) and sports funding well to enhance the quality of the PE and sports curriculum. Specialist sports coaches work alongside teachers to develop their skills in teaching PE and there is an abundance of after-school sports clubs for pupils to choose from, including football, dance, mountain biking, cricket and golf. Participation in these clubs is high.
• Through the curriculum, assemblies and the breadth of extra-curricular activities, leaders provide good opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. British values are threaded through the curriculum, and pupils learn about different faiths and cultures, including making visits to places of worship. Pupils value difference and show respect for the views and beliefs of others. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• The leadership of provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective. Leaders assess the needs of these pupils accurately and put support in place to help them to learn well. They monitor the progress of this group of pupils closely and make adjustments to the interventions that support them. As a result, pupils with SEND make good progress from their different starting points.
• Leaders ensure that teachers address any barriers to learning that disadvantaged pupils might have. This approach has been successful in raising the achievement of this group of pupils, particularly in key stage 2. Overall, leaders’ use of the pupil premium funding is effective. However, they do not target this funding precisely enough to ensure that disadvantaged pupils achieve equally well in all year groups and subjects.

Governance of the school

• The governing body shares the ambition of school leaders. Governors receive regular reports from senior leaders and subject leaders about the actions they have taken and the impact that these have had on improving teaching and pupils’ outcomes.
• Members of the governing body visit the school regularly to undertake monitoring activities alongside senior leaders. As a result, they know the school well and have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities. Governors are not complacent and provide effective support and challenge to leaders to continually improve the school.
• Governors have a good range of skills. They keep their knowledge up to date through training linked to school improvement and safeguarding. Consequently, governors understand their statutory responsibilities and undertake these diligently.
• The governing body has a clear overview of how additional funding, such as the PE and sports premium and pupil premium, is spent. However, it does not have a thorough enough knowledge about the impact of the pupil premium funding on disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes across the school. This is because plans do not contain precise enough targets and success criteria.

Safeguarding

• There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Pupils know that they can talk to staff if they are worried or upset, because of the positive relationships that exist.
• Staff and governors receive regular training and updates on a variety of aspects of safeguarding. Staff meetings contain safeguarding scenarios to check staff’s understanding of the key messages from training and to keep their knowledge current.
• Staff can clearly explain their responsibilities for keeping pupils safe. Safeguarding records show that they are alert to the signs that indicate a child might be at risk of harm. Staff report concerns in a timely manner and leaders respond swiftly to these, liaising closely with external agencies when necessary.
• Leaders make the required checks on all adults who work in the school. They ensure that new staff are made aware of the school’s safeguarding procedures before they start work.
• Pupils say that they feel safe in school. Almost all parents and carers who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and all staff who responded to the staff questionnaire, agreed that pupils are kept safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching is good, with some examples of strong practice. As a result, pupils make good progress in a wide range of subjects.
• Teachers have high expectations. They consider carefully what pupils already understand and can do to plan learning activities that match low- and middle-attaining pupils’ abilities closely.
• Within lessons, staff ask effective questions to check if pupils have understood new information. In some classes, staff ask questions that probe pupils’ understanding and extend their thinking. This encourages pupils, particularly the most able, to respond in greater depth.
• Teachers use their good subject knowledge to explain ideas clearly to pupils. This means that pupils are quick to gain a secure understanding of key learning. Teachers make sure that pupils use the correct vocabulary. For example, in an English lesson, the teacher repeatedly used the words ‘expanded noun phrase’ and ‘simile’ in her modelling. Consequently, pupils had a secure understanding of the meaning of these words and used them confidently in their discussions.
• Strong teamwork between teachers and teaching assistants guarantees that all pupils receive high-quality support. Teachers and teaching assistants work together well to check for gaps in pupils’ understanding in lessons, which ensures that pupils make good progress.
• Teachers plan interesting lessons that stimulate and capture pupils’ interests. For example, in one lesson, an adult dressed as an injured soldier, which helped pupils to develop a strong understanding of the important role that Florence Nightingale played in caring for wounded soldiers during the Crimean War.
• Writing is taught effectively across the school. Teachers promote pupils’ learning of new and challenging vocabulary well through their use of the ‘word aware’ initiative. They plan purposeful opportunities for pupils to practise their writing skills across the curriculum. As a result, pupils write for a wide range of purposes, using rich vocabulary. However, the teaching of punctuation is not as strong as other aspects of writing. Teachers do not consistently address pupils’ errors in the use of basic punctuation such as capital letters, which means that pupils repeat mistakes.
• The teaching of reading has rightly been a whole-school focus. Focused reading sessions develop pupils’ comprehension and vocabulary skills effectively. Leaders have recently purchased a range of new books for pupils to enjoy. Consequently, pupils’ progress is improving. Pupils read with accuracy, fluency and expression appropriate to their age.
• Well-planned lessons enable pupils to make strong progress in mathematics. Activities build effectively on pupils’ prior learning. Teachers plan frequent opportunities for pupils to reason and apply their knowledge across a range of mathematical concepts.
• Effective use of good-quality resources helps pupils, particularly low-attaining pupils and pupils with SEND, to achieve well across a range of subjects.
• Teachers’ expectations of the most able pupils are not consistently high enough. Although many teachers plan different work for these pupils, sometimes tasks are not sufficiently challenging. In lessons, teachers do not intervene quickly enough when pupils are finding the work too easy or pupils have to wait to be moved on to more difficult work, which slows their progress. As a result, some of these pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Staff know pupils extremely well. They have created a caring and nurturing environment where pupils feel safe and well looked after. Leaders sensitively provide tailored support for vulnerable pupils and their families, which helps to remove any barriers to learning these pupils might have and ensures that all pupils thrive.
• The school’s values of perseverance, honesty, respect, belonging, love and faith help to equip pupils with the skills they need to be successful members of the community. Pupils learn to treat one another with kindness and to accept and value individual differences. As one pupil said, ‘We are all different, but not in a bad way. We are all unique.’ Consequently, pupils become thoughtful, caring members of the school.
• Pupils know what it means to be a successful learner. In lessons, pupils are confident to share their opinions and show high levels of respect for the views of others. Adults encourage pupils to be positive when approaching a challenge and to be resilient when they find things difficult. As a result, pupils are extremely confident, articulate and self-assured learners. They have high aspirations for their future lives and are very well prepared for the next stage in their education.
• Strong curriculum provision and highly positive relationships support pupils’ emotional health well. Staff have given careful thought to how they can help pupils to learn how to manage their feelings and behaviour. For example, if pupils are feeling upset, they can go to the ‘secret garden’, where they help one another to resolve problems.
• The stimulating curriculum and extensive programme of extra-curricular clubs make an excellent contribution to pupils’ personal development. Pupils speak very positively about the broad range of activities and exciting learning opportunities they receive. Leaders value pupils’ learning inside and outside of school and celebrate their successes in weekly assemblies. Consequently, pupils are very proud of their school and of their achievements.
• Leaders provide a wealth of opportunities for pupils to take responsibility. Pupils can apply to take on a wide range of roles, including ‘office angels’, litter pickers, toast monitors, hall helpers and pupil champions for health and well-being. Through the school council, pupils are able to have a say in decisions that affect them, for example the selection of new reading materials in key stages 1 and 2.
• Pupils trust adults to keep them safe. They understand what bullying is and say that it is rare. Pupils know what to do if they see it taking place or if it happens to them. Through the high-quality curriculum, visitors and special events, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in different situations. For example, they talk confidently about how to stay safe online and when crossing the road. Pupils understand the importance of eating healthily and taking regular exercise.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• All staff share high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils respond well to these expectations and learn to manage their own behaviour successfully. Relationships between adults and pupils are strong and support pupils to develop positive attitudes to learning.
• Established routines support pupils to behave well. Pupils behave sensibly as they move between lessons. During the inspection, pupils had to leave the building due to the fire alarm sounding. They did so calmly and quietly and responded quickly to adults’ instructions. This exemplifies the good behaviour that is evident across the school.
• Pupils are friendly, polite and courteous. They show respect for the ideas and views of other pupils, and work cooperatively in pairs and small groups to support each other’s learning. Pupils interact positively with one another at breaktimes and lunchtimes.
• In lessons, pupils listen carefully to teachers’ explanations and respond enthusiastically. They enjoy learning and are keen to do well. However, occasionally when pupils have to listen for too long or work is not challenging enough, a small number lose concentration. Some work in pupils’ books shows that they do not consistently give their best efforts to presenting their work as neatly as they can.
• Attendance is above average because pupils enjoy coming to school. Leaders follow up pupils’ absence thoroughly and provide effective support for families to ensure that all pupils attend regularly and on time.
• Almost all parents who responded to Parent View said that staff make sure that pupils are well behaved.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Work in pupils’ books and assessment information show that pupils make good progress across all year groups and in a range of subjects from their different starting points.
• In 2017 and 2018, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 was in line with national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportions of pupils working at greater depth in writing and mathematics were also in line with national averages. However, attainment at greater depth in reading fell to below the national average in 2018.
• Pupils make good progress in phonics in the early years and key stage 1. As a result, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has been in line with national averages for the past two years.
• Over the past three years, pupils’ progress in writing has improved significantly. In 2018, pupils’ progress and attainment in writing at the end of Year 6 were above national averages. Work in books shows that current pupils are continuing to make good progress in the development of their writing skills.
• Pupils make strong progress in mathematics. Although pupils’ progress at the end of Year 6 fell slightly in 2018, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard has been above national averages for the past two years. Increased opportunities for pupils to apply their knowledge and understanding to reason and solve problems are ensuring that current pupils are achieving well.
• Pupils’ progress in reading at the end of Year 6 has lagged behind their progress in other subjects for the past three years. Recent improvements to the teaching of reading mean that current pupils are developing strong reading skills. They read fluently and expressively and have a secure understanding of what they read. Middle- and high-attaining pupils read suitably challenging books and are confident readers.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics in key stage 2 has improved markedly over the past three years. In 2018, the progress of this group of pupils was above that of other pupils nationally in writing and mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils’ progress in writing was in the top 20% of schools nationally, as was their attainment in mathematics. However, disadvantaged pupils in key stage 1 and the early years do not achieve as well as other pupils.
• A high proportion of pupils with SEND are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics this academic year. This is because staff make effective provision for these pupils’ individual needs.
• The most able pupils make good progress. As a result, the proportion of pupils working at the higher standard in writing and mathematics at the end of key stages 1 and 2 has been at least in line with national averages for the past two years. However, some of the most able pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable because work is not sufficiently challenging.
• Pupils develop deep knowledge and understanding across a wide range of subjects because of the exciting and well-planned curriculum. However, teachers do not insist that pupils apply their spelling and punctuation skills consistently well in their writing in different subjects.

Early years provision Good

• Around half of children enter early years with skills and knowledge that are typical for their age. They make good progress so that by the time they leave the early years, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development is broadly in line with national averages.
• Leaders know what is working well in the early years and what needs to be better. They have identified the right areas for improvement and have started to take action to address these. For example, leaders have developed the learning environment to provide more opportunities for children to practise their reading and writing skills. During the inspection, children confidently read menus and wrote their own while role playing working in a restaurant.
• Teaching across the early years is good. In adult-led activities, children make strong progress because adults tailor learning to meet their needs closely. They ask effective questions to check children’s understanding and extend their thinking.
• Adults know children well and plan activities that interest them. Consequently, children enjoy learning. They show high levels of engagement and stay focused on activities for sustained periods of time.
• The successful promotion of children’s personal, emotional, social and language skills begins in the early years. Adults value children’s views and use these to inform their planning. Children cooperate well with one another, for example by sharing resources and taking turns.
• Adults make accurate assessments of children’s learning. They use these to identify children who have low starting points and any children who are falling behind in their learning. Adults provide these children with the support they need to make good progress. This includes disadvantaged children and children with SEND.
• Positive and caring relationships between adults and children ensure that children feel safe and happy. Well-established routines support children to behave well and to develop into independent learners. Children move sensibly around the indoor and outdoor environments. They confidently access the resources they need.
• Leaders work closely with parents. There are regular opportunities for parents to be involved in their children’s education, for example through events such as ‘bedtime stories’. Workshops provide parents with guidance about how they can support their children’s learning at home. Parents make a strong contribution to the good progress their children make.
• Some activities and resources in independent activities are not sufficiently challenging for middle- and high-attaining children. As a result, some of these children do not make the progress of which they are capable. In the outdoor area, some activities lack purpose, which hinders children’s progress.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 103990 Sandwell 10058499 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary aided 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 412 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Zofia Fox Jacqueline Beech 0121 567 0033 www.allsaints-sch.co.uk office@allsaints-sch.co.uk Date of previous inspection 23 January 2018

Information about this school

• All Saints CofE Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is in line with the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is below the national average. The number of pupils with education, health and care plans is in line with the national average.
• There are two classes in each year group from Nursery to Year 5. There is one class in Year 6.
• The school’s most recent section 48 inspection for schools with a religious character took place in December 2017.
• The school runs a before- and after-school club.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in parts of 28 lessons; 10 of these observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders. One inspector visited the before-school club.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school and at breaktimes and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors spoke formally with three groups of pupils as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around the school.
• An inspector listened to a group of pupils read and talked to them about their reading.
• Inspectors examined the quality of work in pupils’ English, mathematics, topic and science books jointly with senior leaders.
• Discussions were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other school leaders. One inspector met with a group of eight school staff to gather their views on safeguarding, professional development and pupils’ learning. Inspectors also took account of the views expressed in the 15 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.
• The lead inspector met with the chair of the governing body and two governors. A telephone conversation was also held with a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, information about current pupils’ attainment and progress, records of checks made on the quality of teaching, records relating to safeguarding and attendance, minutes of meetings of the governing body and information on the school’s website.
• Inspectors took into consideration the 27 responses to Parent View and a letter from a parent. Two inspectors spoke to parents at the beginning of the school day.

Inspection team

Claire Jones, lead inspector Sarah Malam Michael Appleby

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector