All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School

Age group 4–7 Inspection date(s) 20–21 June 2012 Inspection number 378017 All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 109945 Local authority Reading Inspection number 378017 Inspection dates 20–21 June 2012 Lead inspector Wendy Ratcliff HMI

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Infant School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 61 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Dorothy Yuille Headteacher Linda Phillips Date of previous school inspection 23 March 2009 School address Brownlow Road Reading RG1 6NP Telephone number 01189015413 Fax number 01189015414 Email address head@allsaints.reading.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of pe ople. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspector visited seven lessons taught by three teachers and their support staff. Two of these where joint observations with the headteacher. Observations included teaching during child- initiated activities, when children move freely between activities both indoors and outdoors, and small groups of focused teaching, phonics (linking letters with the sounds that they make) sessions and a reading recovery intervention. The inspector listened to pupils from Year 1 and Year 2 reading. Meetings were held with a group of Key Stage 1 pupils, representatives from the governing body and school staff. The inspector took account of the responses to the on-line Parent View survey in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, looked at relevant document including data on pupils’ attainment, progress and attendance, the school improvement plan, key policies and evidence of the school’s monitoring activities.

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Introduction

She analysed 50 questionnaires returned by parents and carers, and 10 completed by staff.

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Information about the school

All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School is a much smaller-than-average infant school. Pupils are taught in two mixed-age classes, one for the Early Years Foundation Stage and Year 1 pupils, and one for Year 1 and Year 2 pupils. The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. There is a higher than average proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average. Pupils come from a variety of socio-economic backgrounds. A much smaller proportion of pupils than average are known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.

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Information about the school

The school holds Enhanced Healthy Schools status, Artsmark Gold award, Bronze Eco Schools award, and Gold Sing Up award. It is a Rights Respecting School.

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Key findings

 This is a good school. Pupils are motivated and enthusiastic learners who enjoy school. Since the last inspection, the school has brought about secure improvements and, as a result, the large majority of pupils achieve well from their starting points. Although pupils make good strides in their learning, the school is not yet outstanding as systems to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning are not yet fully embedded. Leaders also rightly recognise more could be done to improve communication with parents and carers, and are considering ways to provide more opportunities to involve them in their child’s learning.  Pupils’ achievement is good. All groups, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, make good progress in their learning. By the time they reach the end of Year 2, the attainment of most pupils is above average.  Teaching is good overall. Teachers make good use of strategies, such as talk

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Key findings

partners, role play and questioning, to ensure pupils are engaged in their learning. In better lessons, the pace is brisk and teaching is lively, capturing pupils’ interests well.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is mature for their age because the school successfully promotes a culture of inclusion. There are many opportunities for pupils to consider the feelings of others and for reflection through teaching and collective worship.  Leaders hold an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weakness and provide effective leadership of teaching and the management of performance. They recognise they now need to sharpen this focus to eliminate inconsistencies in teaching and make greater use of tracking data to accelerate pupils’ progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Sharpen the focus of leadership and management on monitoring the quality of teaching and learning to:  eliminate inconsistent practice so teaching progresses towards becoming outstanding  make full and effective use of tracking data to accelerate pupils’ progress further.  Improve communication with parents so there are more opportunities for parents to be fully informed and involved in their child’s learning.

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Achievement of pupils

All parents and carers who completed the questionnaire say their child is making good progress, a typical comment being, ‘My child is thriving at this school and developing as an individual.’ Inspection evidence confirms that pupils’ attainment is above average and achievement is good because teachers know the capabilities of their pupils well.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils make good progress over time from their starting points and achieve above- average standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1. Children start school in Reception with varying skills and abilities that are broadly in line with age-related expectations. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage because adults ensure that the learning environment, both indoors and outdoors, is well planned, exciting and builds on children’s interests. For example, the children were engrossed in their learning outdoors as they worked cooperatively and used their imagination to build a space rocket with a range of resources, such as material and crates, deciding the best place to speak to the space commander.

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Achievement of pupils

By the time the pupils start Year 1, their skills are better than those expected for their age. Good rates of progress are sustained across Years 1 and 2. Pupils’ enjoyment of school is clear and pupils are enthusiastic to learn, particularly in reading and writing. For example, pupils in the mixed Years 1/2 class confidently share their written report of a ‘fantastic journey’ and children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make a list of food that baby bear needs to pack for his journey to the moon.

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Achievement of pupils

The improved tracking system allows teachers to monitor pupils’ progress and identify when extra support is required. There is no significant difference between the attainment of different groups of pupils. The small number of pupils who are disabled or with special educational needs receive effective levels of support and activities are matched well to their needs. As a result, they too make good progress from their starting points.

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Quality of teaching

As a result of teaching that is mostly good, the majority of pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, achieve well. All parents and carers who completed a questionnaire agree that their child is taught well. One parent commented, ‘The teachers are competent and there is an ethos of care and respect.’

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Quality of teaching

Teachers and support staff know the pupils well, have high expectations with regard to behaviour, cooperation and teamwork, and support pupils to develop a caring ethos. In the best lessons, effective use of assessment ensures tasks are matched to individual learning needs and there is a good balance of teacher-directed and independent tasks. The majority of teaching effectively ensures pupils are motivated and engaged. Topics that capture the pupils’ interests are carefully planned. The enthusiasm of pupils in Reception and Year 1 was captured by their project on space and the solar system. They used their skills in reading to complete research through books before re-creating different planets. During a literacy lesson, they considered the feelings of baby bear as he travelled to the moon and whether it was possible to feel excited and scared at the same time.

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Quality of teaching

The teaching of phonics is helping pupils to make good progress in their reading. Pupils enjoy books and read with confidence, using their acquired skills to decode new words. The reading recovery programme has had a significant impact for those pupils who were identified as falling behind.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching support staff play a key role in supporting disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. In a Years 1/2 mathematics lesson, pupils were supported well as they completed their survey to find out how people make a journey along Brownlow Road, and recorded their findings in a tally chart. The adults provided challenge as well as extra support so all pupils succeeded in their learning.

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Quality of teaching

Most pupils know their targets for literacy and mathematics and refer to target cards in their books, which help them to understand what they need to do to make progress in their learning. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly with comments to say how well pupils have done and how they can improve. However, this is not yet consistent across the school and different subjects. A Year 1 pupil explained that some comments, such as ‘excellent’, tell her she has done well but do not help her to know how she can improve.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils enjoy school and are keen to attend. Attendance is now above average. ‘Learning with love and laughter’ is the motto chosen by the pupils to reflect their school. One parent commented, ‘We have been very impressed by how our child has been supported in her learning, not only on an academic level but in how to be a loving, supportive and caring member of society.’

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are polite and courteous and get on well with each other. There are high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils respond well to the consistent approach to behaviour across the school, and the weekly ‘star’ booklets keep parents and carers informed of their child’s behaviour. While all parents and carers who completed the questionnaire say there is a good standard of behaviour at school, a very few parents expressed concern about how behaviour is managed. During the inspection, pupils were observed to behave well and respond quickly to reminders when, on occasions, they became distracted during lessons. Discussions with pupils and staff show good behaviour to be typical. The school deals effectively with any incidents of poor behaviour. There is no evidence of bullying.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils say they feel safe at school and are looked after well. Their parents and carers agree. Pupils understand how to keep safe and know whom to approach if they have a concern. They consider the feelings of others, for example showing their concern when a friend falls in the playground by quickly fetching help. Year 2 pupils worked together in a religious education lesson to design and produce a game to help Reception children to understand water safety as they considered the story of Noah’s Ark.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher leads the school well. Effective school development, accurate self- assessment, focused professional development and an ambitious vision, which is enthusiastically shared by the whole staff team, result in the school having a strong capacity to improve further. For example, the focus on improving teaching and learning of all pupils, underpinned by effective management of teachers’ performance, has resulted in well-targeted support and improved outcomes for pupils. The school has correctly identified the need to sharpen the focus of leadership and management to embed the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning to eliminate the inconsistencies in teaching and accelerate pupils’ progress further. For example, the school is considering the way it collects and records pupils’ attainment on entry and builds on its success of providing intervention and additional support for those at risk of underachieving even sooner.

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Leadership and management

The governing body is extremely supportive and provides appropriate challenge. Governors are fully involved in the life of the school and regularly undertake monitoring visits to classes as well as contributing to pupils’ learning as they, along with other volunteers from the school community, listen to pupils read. The governing body ensures that arrangements to keep pupils safe are good. All requirements for ensuring children’s health, well-being and safeguarding are in place, regularly reviewed and effectively implemented.

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Leadership and management

Relationships with parents and carers are very positive. The large majority say the school helps them to support their child’s learning and responds well to their concerns. However, a comment made by one parent, which confirms the view of the governing body and the headteacher that communication with parents and carers can be enhanced, said, ‘Occasionally I have had to ask for information to understand how a child can progress.’ For example, parents and carers do not have consistent opportunities to contribute to their child’s individual ‘learning journey’ folders and a recent review of the school’s behaviour management policy included consultation with staff and pupils, but did not extend to parents and carers.

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Leadership and management

The school promotes equality and tackles discrimination well and no pupil is disadvantaged. The curriculum meets the needs and interests of all pupils well and makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There are many opportunities for pupils to consider the feelings of others and for reflection through teaching and collective worship. Pupils learn and explore different cultures through projects such as ‘Come to China’.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Floor standards the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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RG1 6NP

Thank you for being so friendly and helpful when I came to visit your school. I very much enjoyed my visit, talking to you and all the adults, and seeing some of the exciting things that you do. Your school is a good place to learn. Here are some of the reasons why.

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RG1 6NP

 You make good progress in your learning because you are taught well.  You work hard in lessons and enjoy some exciting activities that the adults plan.  You behaviour is good and you get on very well together and respect each other.  All the adults take good care of you and help you to learn.

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RG1 6NP

Your headteacher and adults are determined to help you do the best you can in your learning and know what they need to do to improve the school further. I have asked them to:

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RG1 6NP

 improve how they check on how well things are working and use the information to help you do even better in your learning  improve their teaching so you can learn as much as you can  improve how they communicate with your parents and carers to help them support your learning.

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RG1 6NP

I know you will continue to work hard and do your best. Thank you for a very enjoyable visit and best wishes for the future.

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RG1 6NP

Wendy Ratcliff Her Majesty's Inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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