All Saints Church of England Primary and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

All Saints is a happy school.

Pupils say they like school because they enjoy learning new things. Staff teach pupils the school's values which are taken from the Bible. These include friendship, love and trust.

As a result, the school has a respectful culture. Pupils care about their school. For example, pupils asked leaders if they could pick up litter on the field at breaktime.

Behaviour in class and around the school is good. The school provides strong support for pupils who have emotional difficulties through a counselling programme. Pupils say bullying does not worry them.

If they are upset, they know staff will sort it out quickly.

Lea...ders have high expectations for what pupils can achieve, both in the classroom and beyond. However, these expectations are not always realised.

On some occasions, teachers give pupils work that is too easy for them. This is particularly so in Nursery and Reception. This hinders pupils' learning.

The school helps to prepare pupils to become active citizens. For example, they can be a member of the school council, a worship leader or part of the eco-group. Pupils raise money for charity and collect food for the Lichfield food bank.

Pupils value these experiences.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have thought carefully about the subjects that pupils learn. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), follow a wide range of subjects.

The curriculum is well planned and sequenced. For example, in geography, pupils build on their learning year on year. In Year 2, the work pupils complete on human and physical features is further developing their knowledge and understanding from Year 1.

The teaching of early reading is a school priority. Every classroom has a reading area. In the spring term, an author visited the school.

The school held a competition for pupils to design a character for the author's new book. There is an effective reading programme in place. This starts in Nursery.

Leaders check how well pupils are achieving. They put help in place quickly for those who need it. As a result, pupils are developing into confident and fluent readers.

Many teachers do not use what they know about how well pupils are achieving to plan new learning well enough. As a result, teachers do not provide pupils with work that enables them to build on their prior learning. This means that the work set is not always demanding enough and does not help pupils to make the progress they should.

For example, in mathematics, pupils have limited opportunities to develop their problem-solving or reasoning skills. This limits their progress.

Subject leaders are keen to improve their subjects.

However, some of them lack the leadership skills and experience to develop their subjects further. They have not checked how effectively their subject curriculum is being delivered well enough. This has led to an inconsistency in the delivery of the curriculum.

In early years, leaders have a weekly plan for what children will learn. It covers all areas of learning. However, staff do not use these plans well enough to match activities to children's abilities.

Staff's expectations of what children can achieve are too low. Activities lack purpose. Staff do not engage with children often enough.

This limits the development of their speech and language. Children lack opportunities to work independently. Children's number formation is not improving.

As a result, children are not well prepared for Year 1.

Pupils with SEND achieve well. They are well cared for.

The special educational needs coordinator leads this aspect of the school well. Staff use pupils' SEND action plans effectively to support their learning. They are reviewed regularly and help pupils to make good progress.

Typically, pupils engage well in their learning. Relationships in the school are based on mutual respect. As a result, the school is calm and orderly.

Leaders promote pupils' personal development well. During breaktime and lunchtime, pupils keep themselves physically active by playing football, cricket, table tennis or playing on the tyres. The school provides a range of clubs to develop pupils' talents and interests.

This includes sports and music. Many pupils learn to play musical instruments. Pupils have a developing understanding of democracy, and they can relate this to the school council.

However, their knowledge of different faiths, beliefs and cultures is more limited.

Senior leaders have a realistic and accurate view of the school's strengths and areas for development. The new headteacher has already started to effectively address some of these.

Staff have confidence in the headteacher to bring about the necessary changes. Governors share this confidence. Staff's morale is high.

Governors are committed to the school and its pupils. They provide an effective balance of support and challenge to leaders. For example, they made sure that leaders kept parents informed about the impact of the recent staffing restructure on the deployment of class teachers.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Keeping pupils safe in school is the responsibility of everyone. Leaders make sure that all staff have the appropriate training.

When staff report concerns, they are confident that leaders will deal with them effectively. Leaders work well with external agencies. This means that families get the help they need at the right time.

The school completes all the appropriate checks on adults who work at, or visit, the school.Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe through the curriculum, assemblies and visitors coming into school to speak to them. This includes online safety.

As a result, pupils say they feel safe. Parents agree.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On some occasions, teachers do not provide pupils with work that is based on what they know and can do.

This means that some pupils find the work too easy and limits the progress they make. Leaders need to make sure that teachers use assessment information effectively to provide pupils with work that is appropriately demanding across all subjects and enables them to build their knowledge well over time. ? Some subject leaders do not have the required leadership skills or experience to develop their subject effectively.

Their role in checking the quality of learning in their subject area is underdeveloped. This is contributing to the inconsistency in the quality of implementation of the curriculum. Leaders should support teachers in the development of their role as subject leaders to ensure that they have the appropriate skills and knowledge to be able to successfully monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their subject areas.

• The implementation of the early years curriculum is not meeting children's needs. Planned activities lack focus and clear intent and so are not purposeful. Learning lacks the challenge necessary to help pupils make progress.

Children are not confident in using and understanding number. This means that they are ill-prepared for the next stage of their learning. Leaders need to make sure that staff are knowledgeable about the areas they teach and can present information clearly to children so that they have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in Year 1.

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