Chorley All Saints Church of England Primary School and Nursery Unit

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils think highly of their school. They feel happy and safe. They described the school as an amazing place to learn.

Pupils said that staff care deeply about them.

Most pupils understand and meet staff's high expectations for their behaviour and learning. They told inspectors that they aim to try their best in class.

Across the school, pupils are motivated to learn.

Typically, pupils persevere in lessons because they know that it is alright to get something wrong at first. They are eager to earn house points for their efforts.

Overall, pupils achieve well across the curriculum. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or dis...abilities (SEND), and children in the early years.

Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of equality.

They know that it is important to treat other people with care and respect, despite any differences that they may have. Leaders also resolve any name-calling or bullying immediately. Pupils appreciate this support.

Pupils relish talking about the range of activities and trips in which they can take part. For example, they enjoy gardening, sports clubs and the choir. Pupils were thrilled to talk about a recent visit to the Houses of Parliament.

They have raised money for different charities which are important to the school community. These experiences help pupils to become responsible citizens.

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

Leaders provide pupils with a broad, balanced and knowledge-rich curriculum.

They have carefully identified the small steps of subject content that pupils should learn and when this should happen. Overall, this helps pupils, including children in the early years, to learn well.

In most subjects, teachers choose suitable activities that help pupils to learn new subject content.

In the main, these carefully chosen tasks allow pupils to build their knowledge and understanding of different concepts and ideas. However, in one or two subjects, sometimes teachers do not choose the most appropriate activities to enable pupils to acquire new information. Occasionally, this hinders some pupils from learning all that they could.

Leaders quickly identify and meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This helps these pupils to be involved in all aspects of school life. Leaders work closely with parents and carers, and with external professionals, to support pupils with SEND.

They equip staff with the knowledge that they need to adapt the delivery of the curriculum. As a result, pupils with SEND typically achieve well.

Staff fully understand the importance of reading and have prioritised this across the school.

They help pupils to develop a love of reading for pleasure by sharing books with them each day. Older pupils enjoy visiting the local library to choose their own books. By the end of key stage 2, most pupils read with fluency.

Younger pupils, and children in the early years, enjoy weekly sessions where their parents come into school to read stories together.

Children begin to learn phonics as soon as they join the Reception class. Leaders have recently introduced a new system to teach early reading.

They have made sure that teachers have had the required training to deliver this well. This helps pupils to increase their phonics knowledge. Generally, pupils read from books that align with the sounds that they know.

However, on occasions, staff provide pupils with books that contain some sounds and words that they are unfamiliar with. As a result, some pupils struggle to read some of the words with accuracy and, on occasions, do not understand what they have read.

Most pupils, including children in the early years, behave well.

They usually conduct themselves well during lessons and around the school. Overall, pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning. However, on occasions, one or two pupils do not behave in the positive ways that leaders and staff expect them to.

Consequently, these pupils sometimes do not learn as well as they should.

Leaders provide various opportunities to enhance pupils' personal development. For example, pupils can undertake leadership roles to better the school community.

They talk proudly about their responsibilities, including being prefects, subject ambassadors, sports captains and school counsellors. Staff take care to teach pupils about people who have made a positive difference in society. This inspires pupils to be aspirational for their own futures, such as by becoming doctors, teachers and actors.

Governors are suitably knowledgeable and skilled in their roles. They make sure that school leaders continually improve the quality of education for pupils. Governors and leaders understand the main pressures on staff.

They have established systems which focus strongly on supporting staff's workload and their well-being. Staff enjoy their work and feel empowered to fulfil their roles well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have made sure that the school has a strong culture of safeguarding. They ensure that staff access appropriate and up-to-date training in child protection. This means that leaders and staff can quickly identify and act upon any welfare concerns.

Staff understand safeguarding referral procedures, including those to follow should there be concerns about the conduct of a colleague. Leaders work effectively with external agencies to support pupils and their families.

Leaders have embedded safeguarding into the curriculum.

This enables pupils to gain a thorough knowledge of how to keep themselves healthy and safe, including in the local area. This includes what to do if they have any worries, both in and out of school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, teachers do not choose the most appropriate activities to help pupils to learn new ideas and concepts.

This prevents some pupils from learning all that they could. Leaders should ensure that teachers select activities carefully when presenting new information to pupils. This is so that pupils develop a deep and rich body of knowledge across the curriculum.

• From time to time, staff do not match the books that pupils read to the sounds that they already know. As a result, on occasions, some younger pupils struggle to read and understand the words in their books. Leaders should ensure that all pupils read from books which match the sounds that they already know.

• A few pupils do not behave as well as they should. Very occasionally, this hinders how well they and other pupils learn. Leaders and staff should ensure that pupils behave consistently well.