All Souls CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud to attend this aspirational and supportive school. Staff encourage pupils to live out its core values every day and persevere to be the very best they can be.

This ambition is also reflected in the school's broad and rich curriculum.

Pupils achieve well in national tests. This is because the school has the highest expectations for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils are very well prepared for the next stage of their education. Staff work in close partnership with parents and carers, and the community, to deliver the best possible experience for all pupils. For example, the school i...nvites parents to come into school and listen to their child read.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. They are polite and courteous to staff and their peers. Pupils feel safe and know that there is always a trusted adult they can talk to if they have a concern.

Pupils thrive when they are given responsibilities, such as raising money for charities and giving back to the local community.

Pupils appreciate the extensive range of clubs they can choose to attend. These include drama, basketball and the choir.

Leaders encourage pupils to take part in these activities. This is because they see such experiences as important for developing pupils' character.

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

The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum.

The curriculum is well sequenced, enabling pupils to build up their knowledge as they move through the school. Pupils can talk confidently about how what they have learned before connects to what they are studying now.

In the early years, staff provide high levels of support for children to develop their language and communication skills as well as their personal, social and emotional development.

Children flourish in a purposeful and stimulating environment and are well prepared for Year 1 and beyond.

The school's focus on early reading is at the heart of curriculum thinking. From the early years, children learn to read using phonics.

Staff have been trained well and teach with precision. Pupils and those at the early stages of reading develop the phonics knowledge and skills they need to read with fluency. Teachers make sure that pupils read books that match the sounds pupils know.

They swiftly identify pupils who are not confident readers and put in place a range of appropriate support. This results in pupils, including those with SEND or those who are new to English, becoming fluent and enthusiastic readers. A love of reading permeates throughout the school as pupils play an active role in their own personal reading journey.

Teachers have excellent subject knowledge. They set work for pupils that matches the ambitious aims of the school's curriculum. Teachers choose activities that help pupils gain and use a greater depth of knowledge.

For example, pupils apply their learning from geography to produce informative and sophisticated pieces of writing demonstrating the impact of human activity on the oceans.

Teachers check pupils' understanding regularly and address any gaps in learning. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning.

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND with precision. Pupils who attend the highly regarded specialist provision receive exemplary support. This enables them to have access to activities taking place in the whole school.

Staff are ambitious for all pupils with SEND. As a result, pupils across the school achieve well and produce work which is of a high quality.

The school has established a comprehensive and age-appropriate programme to support pupils' personal development.

This reflects the school's vision of 'living life in all its fullness'. Pupils have a voice in school life and take on positions of responsibility, including being a sports leader or museum ambassador. They are taught to respect and be tolerant of different beliefs and cultures.

Pupils also enjoy an impressive range of visits to places of interest. They benefit from the many cultural opportunities that the capital city has to offer, such as museums and galleries.

The school has robust systems for ensuring that pupils attend school regularly.

The school's work with families and other agencies ensures that pupils' welfare is carefully monitored. This means that action can be taken if there are any patterns of concern. As a result, attendance has improved.

Staff are very positive about working at All Souls. They are proud to work in a school that cares and that has such a strong community ethos. They appreciate the many professional development opportunities on offer.

Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities well. They hold leaders to account for the quality of education at the school, but also consider staff's welfare.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.