New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, staff, parents and carers agree that this is a happy and welcoming school. Staff teach pupils to follow the 'All Saints way'. This means that everyone strives to follow the school's values, including kindness, patience and joy.

Pupils enjoy school. They describe it as 'brilliant', 'fun' and 'exciting'. Pupils relish taking part in the range of clubs, such as yoga, cricket and gardening.

Pupils said their favourite lessons include those in the school's forest area. They told me these help them learn about teamwork and resilience.

Leaders make sur...e that pupils have lots of opportunities to develop personally.

Pupils are proud of their leadership roles, including librarians, house captains and prefects. Pupils contribute to the local community, for example by singing for the elderly.

Staff make sure that pupils achieve their best.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Parents and pupils told me how much they value the wide range of support that pupils receive.

Pupils behave very well.

Older pupils are kind and sensible role models for younger pupils. Pupils told me that bullying is very rare. They are confident that, should it happen, it will be sorted out.

Pupils know that staff will listen to them and help them with any worries.

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

Leaders have planned a broad and interesting curriculum. Teachers plan trips and visits to deepen pupils' learning, for example history visits to York and Ribchester.

In 2019, pupils' achievement in reading, writing and mathematics was above the national average at the end of key stage 2. Pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education. This includes pupils with SEND.

Pupils enjoy a wide range of experiences so they develop an interest in the world around them. For example, pupils take part in activities such as wild camping, hikes and studies of the local area. In the school's forest area, pupils learn to make dens, build fires and to understand and appreciate nature.

Pupils visit the local church regularly and take part in services. They have a clear understanding of other religions, including Islam and Hinduism. Pupils organise a range of charitable events.

They are keen to help others. Pupils leave the school as caring and thoughtful individuals.

Pupils develop confidence and accuracy in mathematics.

In Reception, children explore number in lots of interesting ways. During my visit, children were jumping across five tyres, making super hero number lines to five and counting frog bean bags in different ways to make five. In mathematics lessons across the school, pupils use a range of practical equipment.

This helps them deepen their understanding. Teachers make sure pupils become fluent in mathematics. Staff give useful support to pupils with SEND.

In mathematics, pupils achieve well.

Leaders have ensured that reading is at the heart of the school's curriculum. Pupils enjoy visiting the school's attractive library.

Reading areas in classes and around school encourage pupils to read for pleasure. Teachers share a wide range of carefully chosen books and novels with their classes. Pupils achieve well in reading.

Staff are well trained in teaching phonics. Most pupils reach the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check. Carefully planned programmes of support ensure that all pupils start key stage 2 as fluent readers.

However, for younger pupils struggling to read, reading books are sometimes too difficult for them to practise their phonics skills.

In history, leaders have recently improved the curriculum plans. This has led to pupils remembering what they have studied recently.

However, they are less secure at remembering learning over longer periods of time. Leaders are developing ways to check that these changes are having the intended impact in helping pupils remember more about their learning over time. The changes to the plans are to help pupils have a more secure understanding of the chronology of the events they study.

Children get off to a flying start in the early years. They achieve well. Teachers plan lots of exciting activities to help children learn.

Phonics lessons start as soon as children begin school. Leaders give lots of information to parents to help them support their children with reading. Staff make story time a pleasurable experience for children.

They share a wide range of books, stories and rhymes. Staff listen to children carefully. They take every opportunity to increase children's vocabulary and develop their communication skills.

In lessons, pupils work cooperatively. They listen attentively and are keen to do their best. Older pupils show younger pupils how to share and play happily together.

Leaders make sure that the school is a happy place to work. Staff feel valued and supported. They say that leaders take account of their workload.

Staff work closely together to share their expertise. For example, the subject leader in mathematics has developed teachers' skills in this subject. As a result, pupils' achievement in mathematics has improved.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Checks are in place to ensure that adults in school are suitable to work with pupils. Leaders provide regular training to staff.

This enables them to know what to do when a pupil may be at risk. Leaders work closely with other professionals to ensure that pupils and their families get the help that they need quickly.

Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe in different situations, including in relation to road safety.

Visitors from charities work with pupils so they know how to keep themselves safe when they use the internet. Pupils say they feel safe in school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

In history, pupils' learning is in line with national curriculum expectations.

The subject leader is taking steps to ensure that learning is sequenced so that pupils know more and remember more over time. The revised plans are intended to develop pupils' understanding of the chronology of events. Leaders need to ensure that these changes to planning and teaching are having the intended impact.

. Leaders are taking steps to improve assessment activities to check teaching and learning in history. Leaders need to ensure that these checks are effective and are used by teachers to improve teaching and learning.

. Pupils develop as confident and fluent readers. Teachers make sure that pupils develop their phonics skills by reading regularly.

However, reading books for younger pupils who are struggling to read are sometimes too difficult for them to practise their decoding skills. Leaders need to make sure that reading books are closely matched to pupils' phonics ability.Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 21 May 2015.