All Saints Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Great Oakley

All Saints Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Great Oakley Beaumont Road, Great Oakley, Harwich, CO12 5BA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have successfully built on the school’s strengths since its previous inspection. There has been strong improvement, especially in pupils’ standards and progress in writing and reading.  Pupils make good progress and achieve well throughout the school. In 2013, their progress in writing put them in the top 6% of schools nationally. Standards in Year 6 in mathematics and in the spelling, punctuation and grammar test were securely above average.  The headteacher and assistant headteacher are ably supported by an effective governing body. Leaders, teachers and governors are all equally committed to providing an excellent education for all pupils.  Leaders’ checks on teaching ensure that it is consistently good. Teachers build strong relationships that enable pupils to develop confidence in their learning.  Children get off to a good start in the Reception class because teaching is good. Assessment is

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

accurate and children make good progress from their starting points.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similarly good progress to their classmates, as do disadvantaged pupils.  The quality of care provided for pupils is strong. Parents speak highly of the learning and pastoral support given to vulnerable pupils and their families.  Behaviour is good. Pupils have good attitudes to learning. They work hard, are kept safe in school and readily support each other.  Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very well and this has a positive impact on the school community.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers’ use of teaching assistants and resources is not always effective.  Teachers’ marking is not always precise enough to help pupils improve.  School improvement planning is not sufficiently sharp in its focus. This holds back the drive to achieve outstanding teaching and learning.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed parts of 10 lessons, one of which was a joint observation with the headteacher.  The inspector heard pupils read. The inspector also visited a collective worship activity and observed pupils at break and lunchtimes.  Meetings were held with staff and the school council and discussions held with pupils about learning and behaviour. Additional meetings were held with the Chair of the Governing Body and four representative governors, as well as a representative from the local authority. Informal discussion took place with parents before school.  The inspector observed the school's work and examined a range of documentation that included: national assessment data, the school's own assessments of achievement and teaching, the schools self-evaluation of its work and its development plan, minutes from governing body meetings, pupils' work, reports from professionals outside the school and information about attendance, punctuality and behaviour.

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Information about this inspection

 Policies and procedures for the safeguarding of pupils were examined, including the single central register (a spreadsheet showing all of the safeguarding checks made on staff prior to appointment).  This inspection was part of Ofsted's Parent View (online questionnaire) pilot designed to make better use of free text comments from parents and carers. The views of 53 parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire were taken into account along with 15 responses to a staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Helena Evans, Lead inspector Additional Inspector October 2014 3 of 10

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Information about this school

 This is a much smaller than average primary school  Most pupils are taught in mixed-age classes: these include a combined Year 1 and 2; a combined Year 3 and 4; a combined Year 4 and Year 5 class, and a separate Year 6 class. Pupils are taught separately in a Reception class, which pupils attend on a full-time basis.  Almost all the pupils are White British.  At around one in five, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by pupil premium funding is lower than the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported by school action, at about 8%, is below the national average. The proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs, at about 6%, is below average.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' progress and attainment by the end of Year 6.  The headteacher and assistant headteacher were appointed in September 2012. The headteacher was previously the assistant headteacher of the school. The assistant headteacher was an experienced member of staff at the school.  There has been building work since the previous inspection to create more space in classrooms and to provide additional space for the growing numbers of pupils who require additional support.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to outstanding by:  improving marking so that it always leads to prompt improvements in pupils’ work  ensuring that all class teachers deploy resources and support staff more effectively so that all pupils, whatever their abilities, learn purposefully throughout the whole of the lesson.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leaders and managers by including precise goals, milestones and success measures in the school improvement plan so these can be used more easily to check the impact of actions taken, especially those to support teaching and learning. October 2014 4 of 10

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and assistant headteacher share high aspirations for pupils’ behaviour, achievement and personal development. Responses from staff questionnaires show all teachers share their commitment to raising standards alongside a strong focus on developing pupils’ personal skills. Everyone is valued in this small friendly school.

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The leadership and management are good

 All staff with responsibilities for subjects apply their management expertise to more than one subject and this gives them a good overview across the school. The school works closely with a local cluster of schools and this enables sharing of responsibilities, ideas and effective practice. This is helping them to drive school improvement more quickly.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teaching is well-led. Leaders have ensured that there is a strong sense of purpose amongst staff and a readiness to seek further improvements in their teaching. All staff are held to account for the quality of their teaching and for pupils' progress. Staff performance management is established within the school for teachers and support staff. Targets are set which link to the Teachers’ Standards and salary increases.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders work closely with colleagues to check on pupils’ progress. Teachers' assessments and test results are regularly analysed in order to provide swift support for pupils who are underachieving. Regular meetings take place between teachers and leaders where pupils' progress is discussed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school promotes equality of opportunity as seen through a positive climate for learning where pupils are keen to listen and engage. This has helped in improving rates of progress in all subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders’ evaluation of the school’s strengths and weaknesses is accurate. The school is confident in the accuracy of its self assessment because its judgements of teaching and of the school’s work are frequently validated by external agencies, the local authority and headteachers from local schools.

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The leadership and management are good

 The pupil premium funding has been used wisely to ensure the few pupils to whom it applies accelerate their progress and develop secure skills, particularly in reading and writing.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school uses the additional funding for sport very effectively. It has brought a significant increase in pupils' activities, including competitive sports. Teachers work alongside physical education specialists to improve their own teaching skills. The many clubs on offer are very well attended and pupils show great enthusiasm for these opportunities. This helps them develop a good understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum focuses effectively on developing pupils’ knowledge and skills in reading, writing, mathematics and communication. It is broad and balanced, offering pupils a well-rounded education. It is enhanced by many enrichment opportunities such as visits and visitors to the school. It contributes well to pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, preparing them well for secondary school and experiences of later life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about other religions and cultures. Links with a school in Kenya are well-established and visits to France help to broaden the pupils’ experiences beyond their village.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents are supportive of the school and involved with their childrens' learning. Many parents take opportunities to involve themselves in school life. They give willingly of their time as seen by the successful early morning reading event where pupils enjoy sharing books daily with parent volunteers.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders and managers know what needs to be done to improve achievement but school improvement planning is not sharply focused enough. The development plan lacks clear goals, milestones and a clear indication of how success will be measured. The plan does not set ambitious timescales for when improvements should occur, and this has slowed the school in securing outstanding teaching. October 2014 5 of 10

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are knowledgeable and have high expectations for the school. The Chair of the Governing Body works closely with the headteacher. Governors are fully involved in the life of the school, and regularly visit to look at aspects of the school, work with staff and talk to children. They are very clear about the school's strengths and weaknesses and have a good understanding of the information about pupils' performance and how it compares with that of all schools nationally. They challenge and support the school effectively in its drive to provide good learning for pupils.  Governors know about the quality of teaching and make sure that the system for managing the performance of staff links closely with the Teachers’ Standards. Governors ensure that school funds, including the primary school sports funding and pupil premium are used effectively to help pupils achieve well.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governing body fulfils its statutory duties and ensures the arrangements for safeguarding meet all requirements.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. This is a happy school where pupils play and work together well. Pupils have very positive attitudes towards learning. They enjoy school and respond quickly to guidance and support provided by all staff. Their books show that they take pride in their presentation. They are keen to take part in learning and they work cooperatively in small groups. As a result, standards are rising and progress is accelerating.

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Behaviour

 Routines and expectations are well managed by everyone in the school. Pupils know the school rules and are keen to be rewarded for good behaviour. They particularly enjoy golden time which rewards consistently good behaviour and talk enthusiastically about reading ribbons which are given to children who regularly take books home to share with their parents or carers.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are well mannered and courteous to each other and their teachers. They provide a warm welcome to visitors to their school. There is a strong sense of community in the school and older pupils were observed looking after the youngest pupils at lunchtime and playtime.

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Behaviour

 Pupils enjoy being in school and this is shown by their above-average attendance. Any attendance issues are followed up swiftly. Pupils are eager to come to school and arrive in time for lessons. It is only in response to occasional weaker teaching that their concentration falters and they lose interest in their work.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Safeguarding policies are in place and procedures are endorsed by all staff. Training is comprehensive and regularly updated.

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Safety

 Pupils understanding of how to keep safe is developed well through lessons, assemblies, visitors to school and opportunities to take part in sessions on riding a bicycle safely. They understand the risks associated with using the internet.

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Safety

 A minority of parents expressed concern about the way that the school deals with bullying. A whole-school anti-bullying week has helped pupils to have a clear understanding of what constitutes bullying. Inspection findings confirm that any instances that have occurred have been dealt with promptly. All pupils spoken with are confident that any incidents would be quickly resolved by adults. The majority of parents who responded to the online questionnaire agreed that the school looks after their child well and helps to keep their child safe. October 2014 6 of 10

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good across key stages and subjects. There is a strong focus on improving pupils' reading, writing and speaking skills. In lessons pupils were frequently asked to share ideas and this supports their social skills of listening to others and respecting their views.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Standards and progress in mathematics have traditionally been higher than other subjects. This is because mathematics skills are taught particularly well. A check of pupils’ books show that teachers give just enough time for pupils to practise and develop techniques learnt before providing challenges of more difficult work or using their knowledge and skills to solve problems.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good relationships are a strength of the school. Teachers value contributions made by pupils in lessons and this builds pupils’ confidence and motivates them to try hard.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reading is taught well. Standards have improved as a result of focussed support for pupils’ understanding of the links between letters and sounds, guided reading and frequent opportunities to share books with adults. Good teaching of writing has led to improvements in pupils’ writing skills, as reflected in higher levels of attainment in both key stages.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to review their learning and offer constructive feedback in lessons to help pupils develop their understanding. As a result, they make good progress in most lessons. Mistakes are quickly and sensitively dealt with and this gives pupils confidence and belief in themselves as learners. This confidence enables older pupils to find ways to check the accuracy of their work for themselves.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, as well as disadvantaged pupils, is strong because the work set for individuals and groups is at the right level of difficulty. Good use is made of information and communication technology to support learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Other adults provide effective support for small groups during whole-class sessions. However, their expertise is not always used fully by class teachers. They are not always provided with available resources that can support learning for individual children in these sessions.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school is aware that teachers’ marking in books varies in quality. Scrutiny of books shows that, for some classes, marking is not leading to prompt improvements in pupils’ work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress from their starting points. As a result of good teaching and care, the majority achieve a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils attain broadly average outcomes at the end of Key Stage 1, and continue to make good progress throughout Key Stage 2 so that they leave school with attainment that is consistently above average in mathematics. Results in writing were above the national average in 2013, and broadly in line in 2014. Results in reading were average in 2013 but above in 2014. This fluctuation can be explained by the small numbers of children in each year group, and their different starting points in Key Stage 2.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils make good progress from their individual starting points. An above-average proportion of pupils makes better progress than most eleven year olds nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. This proportion is rising in all subjects. In writing in 2013, pupils’ progress between Years 3 and 6 put the school in the top 6% of primary schools nationally. Continuous improvements to the quality of teaching have led to greater consistency between subjects and standards that are higher than the national average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ knowledge of phonics (the sounds letters make) has increased due to the improvements to the October 2014 7 of 10

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The achievement of pupils is good

teaching of this aspect of literacy and well-planned work to immerse pupils with reading opportunities and nurture a love of books. This is reflected in the above-average results in 2013.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils make good progress by the end of Year 6 and achieve high standards in all subjects. They are given challenging work that stretches their knowledge and understanding. As a result, an increasing number achieve the higher Level 5 and the proportion achieving the highest Level 6 in mathematics was about the same as nationally. This is the standard expected of a 14-year-old.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The number of disadvantaged pupils supported by pupil premium funding in Year 6 last year was too small for their attainment to be compared to others in their class or nationally without potentially identifying individuals. Across the school, pupil premium funding is used effectively to ensure that disadvantaged pupils make progress that is at least as strong as that of other pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are given effective support through learning programmes that meet their individual needs. As a result, they make rapid progress from their often low starting points. This demonstrates the school's commitment to ensuring equality of opportunity.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 While progress is good for all groups of pupils, it slows when the quality of teaching is less demanding. This is evident when teachers’ marking is insufficient to help pupils improve their work further, or when the support of teaching assistants is poorly directed.

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The early years provision is good

 Leadership of the early years is effective and has led to good teaching and attention to safety, and to childrens’ good achievement.

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The early years provision is good

 Children join the early years class with skills that are typical for their age. All groups of children make good progress and the majority achieve a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year. They are well prepared for Year 1.

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The early years provision is good

 Children are well looked after and they develop confidence and settle quickly into school routines. They have a positive attitude to learning. Their behaviour is good. Children with specific learning and behavioural needs are well supported and they are learning to cooperate with other children. Parents and carers comment positively on this smooth transition to school.

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The early years provision is good

 The teacher and teaching assistants work as a strong team. Progress and learning is tracked carefully, and observations of children mean teachers plan learning activities that are closely matched to children's abilities and interests. For example, the doctor’s surgery role play corner was installed in response to a child's interest.

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The early years provision is good

 Good use is made of the outdoor space; activities are well planned and appealing, and children undertaking them are closely supervised. Adults' positive engagement with children during the activities – for example, to support their role play – allows children to develop their language skills. Early reading and speaking skills are developed well through regular support for phonics skills and reading sessions where they buddy up with older children. This helps develop good social skills and supports the school’s successful emphasis on developing personal skills alongside other learning. October 2014 8 of 10

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is failing

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Grade Judgement Description

to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. October 2014 9 of 10

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School details

Unique reference number 115141 Local authority Essex Inspection number 448466

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 110 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Janet Little Headteacher Jane Simmons Date of previous school inspection 2 March 2010 Telephone number 01255 880315 Fax number 01225 880039 Email address admin@allsaints-oakley.essex.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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 and 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 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 people. 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

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School details

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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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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