Setting

CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 1231231 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566932 Direct F 01695 729320 hcarnall@cfbt.com www.cfbt-inspections.com

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Mrs J Briggs Headteacher All Saints CE Primary School Devon Street Farnworth Bolton Lancashire BL4 7PY

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Notice to improve: monitoring inspection of All Saints CE Primary School

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on Wednesday 14 September 2011 and for the information which you provided during the inspection. Please pass on my thanks to the pupils, staff and representatives of the local authority and governing body for taking time to meet with me.

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Notice to improve: monitoring inspection of All Saints CE Primary School

Over the last year there have been significant changes to the building including the provision of new tables and chairs for pupils. An Early Years Foundation Stage unit has been created to house the Nursery and Reception classes, along with a refurbished outdoor area. These and other alterations have improved the environment for learning. There have also been significant changes in staffing. The proportion of teaching assistants has reduced by almost a half. After periods of long-term illness, the deputy and assistant headteachers left the school, as did three class teachers. An experienced teacher from another school was seconded to work at All Saints for a year and joined the newly-formed senior leadership team. Two newly-qualified teachers started at the beginning of September.

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Notice to improve: monitoring inspection of All Saints CE Primary School

As a result of the inspection in January 2011, the school was asked to address the most important areas for improvement which are set out in the annex to this letter. Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time the school is making satisfactory progress in addressing the issues for improvement and in raising the pupils’ achievement.

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Notice to improve: monitoring inspection of All Saints CE Primary School

There has been a strong improvement in the large majority of pupils’ achievement since the last inspection. In the 2011 national tests, unvalidated results indicate that around three quarters of Year 6 pupils attained average standards in English, the highest proportion in the last five years. In mathematics, the proportion attaining the expected Level 4 was 20 percentage points higher than the previous year. Boys’ attainment has risen in each of the last three years, as has the attainment of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. Pupils’ progress has begun to accelerate throughout most year groups, particularly in classes in which attendance was relatively high and where there has been undisrupted teaching. January 2011

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Notice to improve: monitoring inspection of All Saints CE Primary School

Page2 Pupils’ progress in a few Key Stage 2 classes has been slower because of a high turnover of teachers, pupils’ lower attendance and only adequate teaching. In these classes, pupils’ attainment still has a long way to go to reach the levels expected for their age.

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Notice to improve: monitoring inspection of All Saints CE Primary School

The quality of teaching remains similar to that identified at the previous inspection and is a key factor in some pupils’ slower progress. Relationships with pupils are positive which means pupils are confident, keen to engage with the teachers, and ready and eager to learn. There have been improvements to assessment so that pupils are more involved in assessing their own work and progress. Pupils who spoke to the inspector said that they were able to look at the teachers’ comments about their previous day’s work before the next lesson so they knew what to work on and what to improve. Despite these improvements, some activities in lessons are too easy for pupils. They spend too long completing worksheets and tasks which do not require them to think, explain their reasoning, apply their skills or build on their existing knowledge. There are missed opportunities for pupils to use and extend their information and communication technology skills in lessons. The timing

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Notice to improve: monitoring inspection of All Saints CE Primary School

of this inspection was very early in the term and some pupils were still settling into systems and routines: teachers were still getting to know what pupils are capable of. During the inspection some younger pupils were involved in unproductive and aimless play-based activities which hindered their progress and their learning. Systems for moving into new classes at the start of the year were not as effective as they could be in ensuring pupils make progress in their learning, partly because of the large turnover in staff.

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Notice to improve: monitoring inspection of All Saints CE Primary School

Systems are developing for subject leaders to design action plans to improve pupils’ learning in their subjects. Action plans are now based on an evaluation of pupils’ learning, observations of lessons, discussions with pupils and scrutiny of their work as well as of teachers’ planning. This progress is because of the very clear leadership and direction provided by the headteacher. As most teachers are new to the school and two are new to teaching, subject leadership is still in its infancy and has not yet become fully effective. There are plans in place, however, for leaders to work with the headteacher to learn how to observe lessons accurately, how to improve action planning by involving governors and parents and carers, and how to measure the success and impact of the actions they have led.

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Notice to improve: monitoring inspection of All Saints CE Primary School

The local authority has provided good support for the school and the action plan was judged to be fit for purpose. Through the highly effective collaborative group, which includes governors, a parent champion, the headteacher, and representatives from the local authority and diocese, the school has quickly resolved and stabilised difficult issues in relation to staffing and finance. Effective partnerships with other schools in the local authority and with educational experts such as a Local Leader in Education have developed and consolidated the school’s capacity to improve. The newly-formed senior leadership team, although as yet without a substantive deputy headteacher, is spreading aspects of leadership to all members of staff and improving the quality and accuracy of the school’s self-evaluation. January 2011

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Notice to improve: monitoring inspection of All Saints CE Primary School

Page3 I hope that you have found the inspection helpful in promoting improvement in your school. This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website.

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Notice to improve: monitoring inspection of All Saints CE Primary School

Mr Allan Torr Her Majesty's Inspector January 2011

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January 2011

 Improve pupils’ progress to raise their attainment in English and mathematics, in particular in Key Stage 2 by: - raising teachers’ expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving - increasing further pupils’ opportunity and capacity to learn independently - improving pupils’ basic literacy and numeracy skills.

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January 2011

 Improve teaching from satisfactory to at least consistently good by: - precise use of assessment to ensure that all pupils are challenged - extending the range of teaching styles and resources to ensure that all pupils are motivated, in particular in writing - sharing the good practice that exists to improve subject knowledge and the range of teaching approaches.

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January 2011

 Improve the contribution of middle and subject leaders and managers by: - providing training to ensure they are equipped with the skills to fulfil their job - ensuring that they monitor, evaluate and implement good quality action plans and report outcomes to senior leaders and managers including the governing body - involving them in gathering and acting upon pupils’ views.

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