All Saints CofE VC Infants School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

All Saints C of E VC Infant School is friendly and inclusive. Pupils enjoy attending and do so regularly.

Relationships between adults and pupils are positive. Pupils know who to talk to about any concerns that they have and appreciate the care adults give them. As a result, pupils are happy and safe.

The curriculum is new. The school is unsure if the curriculum has had the intended impact. As a result, too many pupils are not ready for the next stage in their education.

However, the school is becoming more settled following several changes in leadership. The school is committed to getting it right for pupils.

Sometimes, pupils disrupt the learning o...f others.

Until recently, rules, routines and high expectations were not well established. Pupils say that bullying does happen sometimes, but most are confident that staff will deal with it.

Pupils value learning in the forest school.

It is an exciting and valued part of the school's provision. Opportunities for pupils to take part in trips and visits are growing. However, both pupils and parents would like a broader range of regular clubs and activities.

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

The past instability of leadership at the school has affected the quality of education pupils receive. Governors have strengthened the school's leadership by appointing new senior leaders who have a strong vision and high expectations. However, the vision is not yet realised.

The school has a broad and balanced curriculum. It is well sequenced and outlines what pupils need to know, including in the early years. However, sometimes activities do not align with the intended learning.

This is because the school does not have a secure overview of each subject. The school has not developed the expertise to check how well the curriculum is being implemented. For example, assessment in some subjects is not in place.

Misconceptions are not addressed quickly. This means that gaps in pupils' learning are not identified. As a result, pupils do not learn as well as they could.

As soon as children start in Nursery, they are introduced to the joys of stories, rhymes and songs. The development of communication skills is a key thread of the curriculum. For example, non-verbal children in early years learn to sign with Makaton and use symbols confidently.

There is a well-sequenced reading programme in place for Reception children. However, it does not start early enough. Delays with staff training have a direct impact on children's learning.

Some pupils who need support read books that are not well matched to the sounds they know. Despite this, most pupils do learn to read and pupils' outcomes in phonics are positive.The personal, social and health education curriculum is well planned and sequenced.

Pupils learn how to keep safe online, eat healthily and maintain healthy relationships. However, the broader and wider experiences in school beyond the classroom are limited for pupils of all ages. Pupils do not have a depth of knowledge about different cultures, religions or races.

As a result, pupils do not learn enough about fundamental British values and are not fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

The school has introduced clear rules and routines for behaviour. The behaviour policy is new.

On occasions, pupils interrupt learning. Pupils do not always behave well, as expectations are not high enough. However, some pupils, who need help to regulate their emotions, benefit from the support of trained adults who understand and support their needs well.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified early, so support can be put in place quickly. However, some adaptations for pupils with SEND do not help them to learn well.

Governors have steered the school through a challenging time.

They fulfil their statutory duties and are fully committed to the development of the school. However, until very recently they were not holding leaders to account and checking in sufficient depth what the school has told them about the quality of education. As a result, governors do not yet have a fully accurate view of the areas that the school must urgently prioritise.

Staff value the support that the new leadership team provides. While workload has been high, staff are proud to work at the school and value its community ethos.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school does not implement the curriculum with enough precision. This means pupils, including pupils with SEND, do not learn and remember key content well. The school needs to ensure that it closely monitors the implementation of each subject and identifies and makes the improvements that will have the most impact on pupils' education.

• Assessment is not used well to check pupils' learning. Errors and misconceptions are sometimes missed and, therefore, persist in pupils' understanding. The school should ensure assessment is used consistently to identify and address any errors or misconceptions so that pupils learn well.

Reading books do not consistently match pupils' needs. This slows some pupils' progress in learning to read quickly and efficiently. The school should take action to ensure that reading books are well matched to pupils' reading ability.

• Governors' strategic oversight of some aspects of the school's work is not sufficiently robust. As a result, governors do not have a strong enough understanding of important aspects of the school's work, such as quality of education. Governors should ensure that they gather the information that they need to help them fulfil their duties more effectively.

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