All Saints CofE Primary School, Bednall

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

All Saints CofE Primary is a nurturing and inclusive school.

There is ambition for all pupils to achieve the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. However, this vision is not yet fully realised.

There is a real family ethos at this school.

Parents, pupils and staff all comment on this. Staff know the pupils and their families well. This has continued as the pupils attending have come from further afield.

One parent's comment was typical of many when they said, 'All Saints Primary is a wonderful family school that has served my children well.'

Pupils work and play together well. They enjoy coming to school.

Leaders do all they ...can to make sure pupils attend regularly and on time. Leaders set clear expectations for pupils' behaviour. They make sure any pupil who needs help to regulate their behaviour gets it.

Trips and visitors give pupils opportunities to deepen their learning. For example, a trip to a recycling factory helped pupils to understand materials they were studying in science. Every pupil is given an opportunity to contribute to school life in some way.

School councillors say, 'We make the big decisions for our school.'

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

The school has been through a period of staff instability. Changes of responsibility in school, and staff turnover, have hindered the school's ability to secure consistency in some areas they are seeking to improve.

Where the curriculum is more established, pupils learn well. In mathematics, the clear sequence of learning is followed in well-structured lessons. Pupils build on previous learning when they encounter new concepts.

However, the curriculum is newer in a number of other subjects. This is because the school has identified that the previous curriculum did not build well enough on what pupils already know and have made changes as a result. Consequently, staff are currently developing their skills in delivering many subjects.

Learning sequences are not always implemented consistently well. Pupils do not learn as well as they should.

The school has made a number of changes with regard to subject leadership.

The school is developing leaders at all levels to enable them to check how well the changes to the curriculum have led to improvements. However, there are inconsistencies in how well these checks precisely identify what is working well and what is not. As a result, there is a lack of clarity with regard to how the school understands how effectively the curriculum is being delivered.

The school has prioritised reading. Reading is celebrated through 'All Saints All Star' awards. Older pupils have worked hard with leaders to identify interesting books for each class, which are put in book baskets.

The school has adopted a new scheme to teach reading. This is having a positive impact on how well pupils are learning to read. Pupils read books that are well matched to the sounds they know.

However, teaching in phonics is not always consistently precise and effective. Pupils do not always secure the letter sounds they are learning in lessons.

There is a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) at school.

Their specific needs are identified swiftly and provision for them is well planned. Staff have training so that pupils get the extra help they need. The school supports pupils with complex needs well.

Pupils understand diversity and different ways of life. They learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Pastoral support is provided when pupils need it.

Pupils' talents and interests are celebrated in assemblies. They are also encouraged to expand their interests through activities provided by school. These include cheerleading, archery and circus skills.

The trust and governors are aware of the needs of the school and what it needs to do better. The trust is providing effective support in securing necessary improvements.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Not all staff are as expert in teaching phonics as the school would like. As a result of this, there is some inconsistency in how well the early reading curriculum is delivered. This means that some pupils do not make as much progress as they could with their reading.

The school should ensure that all staff receive the support they need to teach phonics effectively. ? In many subjects, the curriculum has been recently revised and is at an early stage of implementation. Staff are developing their expertise in delivering the intended curriculum.

There is some inconsistency in their delivery of the intended learning as a result. This leads to pupils not learning as well as they should. The school should ensure that staff can effectively deliver the curriculum well.

• The evaluation and monitoring of subjects is not yet fully effective. The school does not always know how well subjects are implemented and so is not aware of inconsistency in delivery of the curriculum. The school should ensure that subject leaders are able to carry out their roles effectively and bring about improvement in these subjects.