All Saints’ Academy, Cheltenham

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school All Saints' Academy is an inclusive school. Leaders and directors have a passion and commitment for the community they serve. They have been successful in improving pupils' life chances by ensuring that they have achieved well in recent years.

Pupils are polite and courteous. The majority behave well and show respect for one another. The school is calm and orderly during the school day.

Teaching is typically good. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive appropriate support. Staff plan learning that closely matches their needs.

Outcomes are improving. Low- and middle-prior-attaining pupils make str...ong progress. The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged, are not challenged sufficiently to reach the highest grades.

Pupils benefit from a broad curriculum and a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Standards in science are not as high as in other subjects. Pupils do not show the same positive attitudes to their learning, take pride in their work or make strong progress.

Directors ensure the effective use of additional funding. This is particularly the case for improving the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and raising Year 7 pupils' literacy skills. Pupils are safe.

Staff work well with a wide range of agencies to assist pupils well. Pupils' attendance has improved rapidly because of the school's determined efforts to support families. Persistent absenteeism has fallen sharply.

Leaders are attentive to the needs of individuals. However, they do not use this knowledge to evaluate plans and routinely review the effectiveness of strategies to raise standards further. Although behaviour has improved considerably, the number of incidents that lead to exclusions are not falling as quickly.

Standards in the sixth form are not as high. Too few Year 13 students attend well; students following A-level courses do not make the progress they should. Not all students experience high-quality work-related learning.

However, students who follow vocational courses make strong progress in their learning.

Information about this school

This school is an average-sized secondary school and is currently jointly sponsored by the Church of England Diocese of Gloucester and the Roman Catholic Clifton Diocese. The school is overseen by the board of trustees of the All Saints' Academy, Cheltenham, an academy trust.

Currently All Saints' Academy is the only school in the trust. The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium funding is significantly higher than the national average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average.

The school makes use of two alternative education providers: Cheltenham and Tewksbury Alternative Provision Service and Abbey View School, Tewkesbury. An unusually high number of pupils leave the school roll during the school year. A section 48 inspection of religious education took place at the school on 22 and 23 May 2013.

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