All Saints Roman Catholic Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Rapidly improve the effectiveness of leadership and management, including governance, by ensuring that:
  • improvement plans are sufficiently precise and implemented in a timely fashion
  • assessment of pupils is accurate and provides leaders, governors and teachers with a clear picture of pupils’ achievement across the curriculum
  • leaders check the quality of teaching and learning, and the outcomes achieved by pupils in their areas of responsibility and take steps to make necessary improvements
  • teachers are provided with accurate and incisive feedback about the quality of their teaching and leaders check that this is bringing about improvement
  • governors’ skills are developed so that they are well informed about the school’s performance and provide effective challenge for school leaders.
• Swiftly improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in key stages 1 and 2 to improve outcomes, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics, by ensuring that:
  • teachers assess pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding accurately and use this information to provide activities which meet pupils’ needs and abilities
  • adults have consistently high expectations of what pupils can achieve, including in relation to the presentation of pupils’ work
  • pupils are given sufficient opportunities to use and apply their writing skills, including English grammar, punctuation and spelling, across subjects so that they make the progress of which they are capable
  • the teaching of phonics secures consistently good or better progress from pupils
  • pupils’ misconceptions in mathematics are identified quickly and addressed effectively
  • pupils remain focused on their work and demonstrate good attitudes to learning in lessons.
• Improve outcomes in the early years, so that children are well prepared for Year 1, by:
  • making sure that children’s progress is assessed effectively across the areas of learning and that this information is used to set activities which meet children’s needs and abilities
  • developing the outdoor environment so that children can develop their skills in all areas of learning. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

• The new executive headteacher has accurately identified the priorities for the school. She has put plans in place to address these issues and is working hard to make the necessary improvements. However, there is much to do and there has been too little time for her actions to make a significant difference.
• Plans for improvement, in some instances, do not contain enough detail. Some important actions are taking too long to make a positive difference for pupils. Teaching and pupils’ outcomes are inadequate and are not improving quickly.
• Middle leadership is weak. The mathematics and English leaders have too few opportunities to check the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects. As a result, they have not had sufficient impact on improving provision or pupils’ outcomes. In subjects other than English and mathematics, leaders do not know the effectiveness of teaching and learning in their areas of responsibility. The coverage of the curriculum is not being monitored well enough. Leaders do not have a clear picture of how pupils are achieving across the curriculum.
• Leaders have identified where teaching is not good enough and have taken steps to address this. However, in some cases, they have not provided teachers with accurate and precise feedback. Actions that are identified to help to address weaknesses in teaching are not carried out quickly enough. Teaching in key stages 1 and 2, overall, remains weak and in the early years it requires improvement.
• The executive headteacher has introduced a new system to check how well pupils achieve in English and mathematics. Teachers discuss the progress and attainment of pupils on a regular basis and plan actions to help them to improve. However, this system is not reliable because leaders, including governors, are not confident that the assessment information is accurate. While the school’s assessment information indicates that pupils have made better progress this term, evidence in pupils’ books does not support this view. Pupils’ progress remains too slow.
• The school receives support from a special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) from another school. The SENCo is well trained and has a good knowledge of special educational needs. Appropriate plans are in place and support is now well focused on pupils’ individual needs. Funding is used effectively to provide the right help for individuals, so these pupils make good progress. Support for pupils with SEND is effective.
• Funding to develop physical education (PE) is used effectively. There is a growing number of opportunities for pupils to participate in physical activity and to compete in sports with other schools. Sports coaches deliver the curriculum for PE and this has enabled teachers to develop their teaching skills alongside these professionals.
• Parents and carers are supportive of the school. The overwhelming majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire said that their child enjoyed attending the school and that they were well looked after by staff.
• Newly qualified teachers may not be appointed.

Governance of the school

• Governors do not have effective oversight of all aspects of the school’s performance. They are not fully aware of the school’s priorities for improvement and have a limited understanding of how well pupils achieve. Minutes of meetings of the governing board show that governors do not challenge leaders effectively or focus sharply enough on matters such as the quality of teaching and learning or the effectiveness of leadership.
• Most governors do not validate what they are told by leaders. This means that governors cannot be sure whether leaders’ actions are having sufficient impact.
• Some governors have not had the necessary training to carry out their role effectively. They recognise that aspects of their work need to improve.
• The governor responsible for safeguarding is tenacious. She acted appropriately this year to check whether safeguarding procedures were robust. She identified several key areas to address and has followed these up to ensure that record-keeping and procedures have been improved.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The school has appropriate safeguarding policies in place and staff receive relevant training. Staff are given regular updates throughout the year and all have read the most recent statutory guidance. Adults know what to do if they have any concerns about the safety of a pupil.
• All necessary checks are undertaken to ensure the suitability of staff to work with children and record-keeping is detailed and up to date.
• Leaders work effectively with parents and other agencies to ensure that the strong culture of safeguarding is embraced by all.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

• In key stages 1 and 2, in most year groups, teaching does not meet the needs of pupils. Pupils’ learning is slow. The standards reached by too many pupils at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are low.
• Teachers’ use of assessment is weak. Too often, teachers do not ensure that the starting points of lessons reflect pupils’ needs and abilities. Some pupils find their work too difficult. These pupils are not provided with the support they need quickly enough. Others, particularly the most able pupils, sometimes complete their work quickly and spend too long waiting to be provided with more challenging work. This slows their progress.
• The teaching of writing is weak. Adults’ expectations are too low. Pupils’ written work, including their handwriting and presentation, is poor. Too often, teachers accept work that does not demonstrate pupils’ best efforts. Pupils are given too few opportunities to develop effective writing skills, including across other subjects of the curriculum. Pupils do not consistently apply their English grammar, punctuation and spelling skills well in their writing.
• The teaching of phonics is inconsistent. Some pupils, particularly in key stage 1, find it difficult to read unfamiliar words because they do not have the skills to break them down. Leaders have plans in place to develop the teaching of phonics; however, these have yet to improve the quality of teaching.
• In most year groups, the teaching of mathematics does not enable pupils to build upon what they already know and can do. Too often, pupils repeat work they have mastered and this hampers their progress considerably. Pupils’ presentation of their mathematical work is poor. Teachers do not ensure that pupils’ misconceptions are addressed and so pupils continue to make the same mistakes.
• Across the curriculum, the work set for pupils often lacks challenge. This is particularly the case for the most able pupils. Pupils’ books show that learning across the full range of curriculum subjects lacks depth, limiting pupils’ opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding.
• Pupils in Year 6 are making better progress because the quality of teaching is more effective. In mathematics, for example, pupils are provided with effective opportunities to develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills. For these pupils, work is matched more effectively to meet their needs.
• The very few pupils with SEND are making good progress because the work set for them is planned carefully to meet their particular needs. Teaching assistants provide effective support for these pupils and encourage them to become more independent in their learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning are variable. In upper key stage 2, pupils focus well on tasks and are keen to learn. However, this is not the case throughout the school. In other year groups, too many pupils struggle to work independently. These pupils are overly reliant on adults to help them and this slows pupils’ progress.
• Leaders and other staff are developing good relationships with parents and families. Leaders are establishing stronger links with external agencies so that pupils and families receive appropriate support when they need it. Parents say that their children are well looked after at school.
• Pupils are positive about the school and indicate that they are cared for well by adults. They commented that they always have a friend that is there for them. Pupils report that there is no bullying in school. Pupils are clear about the forms bullying can take and are confident that any issues would be dealt with effectively by adults.
• Pupils know how to keep healthy and adopt healthy lifestyles. Pupils are aware of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. They are encouraged to eat healthily and now have more opportunities to engage in sport and physical activities.
• There is a growing number of opportunities for pupils to learn how to stay safe. Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe online.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is promoted well. Pupils are given opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as being a member of the school council. Pupils appreciate the opportunities they now get to visit places of interest to learn more about their topics in class. Pupils recently reflected on the hardships of war. They worked alongside a member of the local community to knit 100 poppies in commemoration of the First World War and display them at the front of the school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Attendance, although beginning to improve, remains below the national average. Improvements have been secured by leaders through new systems and work with parents to reinforce the importance of regular attendance. The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is low.
• There are some occasions when some pupils do not focus on their learning and distract others from doing their work. At times, pupils carry on working or talk when adults are trying to talk to the class and this means they miss information that would help them to improve their work. This tends to be when teaching does not meet the needs of the pupils.
• Pupils move around the school sensibly and are well-mannered. They are confident when talking to adults and polite towards each other. At lunchtime, pupils are courteous. Adults take the many opportunities offered at lunchtime to promote good manners and talk to the pupils.

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

• Provisional outcomes for pupils at the end of Year 6 in 2018 show that their progress across key stage 2 was slower than the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of Year 6 pupils who reached the national standards in these subjects was well below that of other pupils nationally.
• Outcomes have begun to improve for pupils in Year 6 this year because teaching is better matched to pupils’ needs. However, attainment is not improving rapidly enough in other year groups across key stage 2. Pupils’ workbooks show slow progress in some year groups. Attainment, for too many pupils, is too low. Pupils are underachieving in a wide range of subjects and this currently shows too little sign of improvement.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard or greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 in 2018 was well below the national average. Pupils made slow progress across key stage 1 from their starting points. The school’s own assessment information shows that the progress of pupils currently in key stage 1 is not improving quickly enough. Pupils’ workbooks show that the tasks pupils are given do not enable them to make good progress. Some pupils have not been prepared well enough for the demands of the key stage 1 curriculum during their time in the early years. Current teaching is not strong enough to help these pupils catch up to the standards expected for their age.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check was significantly below the national average in 2018. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard when they retake the check in Year 2 is low. The teaching of phonics is currently too inconsistent and this slows learning for some groups of pupils.
• There is a small number of disadvantaged pupils in school. Leaders’ plans to use the pupil premium funding are now more detailed and the progress that these pupils make is discussed regularly. Progress has improved for the majority of disadvantaged pupils in reading, writing and mathematics.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• The early years teacher has begun to make improvements to the provision that children receive, supported by a partner school.
• The learning environment has improved. Resources are organised well. The environment is rich in language and number and the outdoor environment is beginning to complement the learning that takes place in the classroom in literacy and mathematics. Other areas of the curriculum are currently not as well supported through the outdoor area.
• The use of assessment is not sufficiently rigorous and this means that, at times, activities do not meet the needs of all children. There are occasions when the youngest children simply explore the resources on offer without any clear purpose or they are unable to complete tasks because they do not have the skills to do so.
• Children enjoy learning in the early years. One parent said that her child ‘couldn’t wait to talk about learning at home’. Relationships between adults and children are positive.
• Children are well cared for and safe. Generally, children play well together, take turns and share resources. They listen attentively at story time and are keen to contribute to discussions.
• The activities that teachers plan are exciting and this encourages the children to want to learn. During the inspection, children enjoyed discussing dinosaurs and were inspired when they found dinosaur eggs, which they counted to make sure that they had all been found.
• Outcomes in 2018 show that too many children did not make good progress by the end of the Reception Year. The proportion of children that reached a good level of development at the end of the early years was low. This means that too many children were not well prepared for Year 1. Inspection evidence shows that children currently on roll in the early years are beginning to make better progress.
• Leaders have ensured that the safeguarding and welfare requirements for early years are met.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 121657 North Yorkshire 10053126 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 Maintained 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 85 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Charles Barton Teresa Atkinson (Executive Headteacher) Telephone number 01845 523058 Website Email address www.allsaints.n-yorks.sch.uk/ headteacher@allsaints.n-yorks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 12 February 2018

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than the average-size primary school. Pupils are organised in four mixed-age classes.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.
• The large majority of pupils are White British.
• An above average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is below the national average.
• A new executive headteacher and deputy headteacher have been appointed since the last inspection. There have been further changes to teaching and non-teaching staff.

Information about this inspection

• This inspection took place as a result of findings from the previous short inspection in February 2018, which identified some priorities for improvement that the school needed to address.
• The inspector observed learning in all year groups. Inspectors and senior leaders visited some lessons jointly.
• The inspector looked at pupils’ books, the school’s assessment information, the headteacher’s evaluation of the school and a range of school documents.
• The inspector met with pupils, senior leaders, middle leaders, a representative from the local authority, a representative from the local teaching school, representatives from the diocese and members of the governing body.
• The inspector observed behaviour around the school and in classrooms.
• The inspector listened to a group of pupils reading.
• Policies and procedures for safeguarding pupils were examined, including mandatory checks for the recruitment of staff.
• The inspector took account of the 30 responses to the Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View, the nine responses to Ofsted’s free-text service and the three responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire. There were no responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils.

Inspection team

Jaimie Holbrook, lead inspector

Ofsted Inspector