Runcorn All Saints CofE Primary School

Runcorn All Saints CofE Primary School Church Street, Runcorn, Cheshire WA7 1LD

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 All Saints Church of England Primary School has improved substantially since the previous inspection.  Leaders, including governors, are effective and are having a positive impact on pupils’ performance.  The subject leaders are driving improvement in their areas of responsibility which is resulting in improved pupil outcomes.  Teaching, learning and assessment are good. Teachers and teaching assistants have developed strong subject knowledge and use this well to support pupils’ learning, especially in reading and mathematics.  Pupils of all abilities, including those with special educational needs or disability, make good progress in all subjects. Disadvantaged pupils make strong progress in all subjects.  The school’s work to support pupils’ personal development and welfare is a strength. The school promotes respect and consideration for others very successfully, enabling pupils to become responsible and caring.

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This is a good school

 Pupils feel very safe at school and take responsibility for helping others to stay safe.  Pupils behave well and help each other at playtimes and with their learning.  Well-managed and effective early years provision, where children behave and develop well, enables them to make a very positive start to their education at the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching, although consistently good, is not outstanding because activities sometimes do not help pupils accelerate their progress. Higher-ability pupils are not always fully stretched.  On some occasions, pupils do not achieve as well as they should in writing when working in their topic books.  While the school works hard to engage parents, there is a need to help parents support their children with regular reading.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve teaching and learning so that more is outstanding by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

ensuring work given to pupils is consistently at the right level of challenge, including work that is hard enough to stretch the most able.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of writing by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

ensuring written work across all areas of the curriculum is of a high quality and consistently purposeful across all classes making sure that pupils give appropriate attention to spelling and grammar when writing in all subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher has high ambitions for the school and is well supported by the assistant headteacher and governing body. Actions have led to improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement since the last inspection.  Staff morale is excellent. There is a cohesive staff team who are committed to giving all pupils the best possible opportunities. Members of staff are proud to be a part of the school because they know that it has improved and that it now offers education of good quality.  Leaders understand what is needed to secure further improvement. Development planning focuses on the current priorities for improvement which aim to raise pupils’ achievement to outstanding. This is shared with and understood by all staff and governors.  Leaders are now developing new assessment arrangements in partnership with other schools. The progress of individual pupils is tracked closely by leaders, and teachers use this information to plan tasks

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

for pupils as part of their commitment to ensuring equality of opportunity for all.  There are rigorous systems in place for performance management and, as a result, teaching is improving and is now good. Teachers are set measurable targets for the progress their pupils make and for their contribution to the wider aspects of school. Teachers’ progress towards meeting their targets is checked through a range of strategies including lesson observations and the scrutiny of pupils’ work. Leaders give teachers precise and regular feedback on the strengths of their teaching and where they need to improve. There are clear links between pupils’ success and salary progression to ensure that only good practice is rewarded.  Since the previous inspection, arrangements for checking the quality of teaching and learning have improved, resulting in more precise information about what is happening in classrooms. Subject leaders

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

are knowledgeable about their subjects. They regularly check teaching in their subjects and provide appropriate challenge and support. They have been successful in improving teaching and learning across different subjects. There are, however, still aspects of teaching that can be improved further to enable pupils to make rapid rather than good overall progress, particularly in relation to further stretching the most able.  Disadvantaged pupils do as well as other pupils and this is evident in national tests in Year 6. The additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is being used well to provide focused help. The school has been successful in closing the gap in the knowledge and understanding of these pupils with other pupils nationally.  The good programme of support for pupils with special educational needs and disability enables this group to progress as well as other pupils in the school. The effective support provided allows them to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

take a full part in all the school has to offer. Interventions are having a positive impact on learning.  The curriculum is well thought through and planned to provide a breadth and balance of activities. Literacy and numeracy are promoted well and there are good opportunities for pupils to enrich their learning by joining in with clubs and visits. Pupils appreciate enrichment opportunities, such as the Shakespeare Schools Festival, which help develop their speaking and listening skills. The history curriculum is brought alive by visits to, for example, Blists Hill Victorian Town. The curriculum supports good learning, although not all tasks ensure that pupils consistently produce writing of the standard of which they are capable across different subjects.  Very effective provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is exceptionally well embedded into the wide-ranging curriculum that meets pupils’ needs well. The Christian ethos is strong in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

the school. Teachers provide plenty of opportunity for pupils to investigate the diversity of cultures and religious faiths that make up modern Britain. For example, there are visits to the school from members of other faiths. Pupils appreciated the first-hand experiences of visiting local churches and mosques.  The funding for physical education and sport is used very well to provide specialist teaching. There is a range of specialist sporting provision, including archery and curling, that enrich the curriculum. Pupils represent their school regularly at sporting festivals, competing against local schools in various sports, such as cricket. The number of pupils participating in these activities is high and provision enhances their health and well-being.  Relationships with most parents are positive and the school works hard to involve them as part of the community.  The school works with a number of local primary schools and benefits from this close collaboration. For

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

example, training with a local cluster of schools on mathematical problem solving and reasoning has increased of staff members’ confidence in teaching these aspects of mathematics. The local authority has worked closely with the school to support improvement and is very confident that there is capacity in the school to move to outstanding.  The governance of the school Governors have supported and challenged the school well since the last inspection. Since that time, governors have reviewed their work and received training to enable them to provide the right level of challenge to school leaders. They work together well, are really enthusiastic about the school and committed to further improvement. Governors gain a good understanding about the school’s performance by visiting regularly. Individual governors have specific roles, including those relating to specific subjects and safeguarding. They check out the extent to which pupils enjoy and engage in their learning. They use this, and other

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

information provided by leaders and staff, to check that pupils’ progress in every year group is good enough. Governors ensure that the pupil premium is being used effectively to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. Governors are fully aware of the systems in place to manage the performance of teachers and challenge leaders regarding weak performance and rewarding good teaching. Governors are highly committed to continuous school improvement and have ensured that the school has a good capacity to improve further.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective because there are good systems in place, which members of staff implement consistently. School leaders constantly promote a culture of safety and safeguarding. The school’s website provides appropriate and useful information.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching has improved substantially since the previous inspection when it was deemed to require improvement. It is now consistently good and ensures that pupils make at least good progress.  Pupils learn well in lessons. This is because staff have good subject knowledge, ask helpful questions and make regular checks on how well pupils understand. Teachers and teaching assistants regularly plan activities together to ensure that all pupils receive the support and guidance they need in order to learn.  Typically, teachers manage their pupils well, explain tasks clearly and maintain a good sense of purpose in their classrooms. Most pupils have all the help that they need and learn relatively quickly. Good questioning of pupils checks whether they have understood and helps them to think about ways of improving their work.  In all year groups, teachers and teaching assistants teach reading well. They use their secure subject

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

knowledge to support pupils’ learning effectively. In the early years, for example, children are quick to secure their understanding of letters and the sounds they make (phonics) because specific skills are taught in meaningful ways that build carefully on their current levels of understanding. Throughout the school, pupils enjoy reading for different purposes in a range of subjects.  The teaching of mathematics has improved in all classes. Pupils are encouraged and are increasingly confident in choosing correct methods in carrying out calculations in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Mathematical problem solving has been a whole-school focus and staff are confident in their knowledge of mathematical reasoning.  There are many examples where teachers provide higher-ability pupils with more challenging work which enables them to make good progress. However, there are also instances where teachers are not

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

stretching the most-able pupils sufficiently. For example, in some lessons higher-ability pupils do the same work as other pupils, finish it quickly and then have to wait for the teacher to provide them with further tasks.  Pupils enjoy writing. As with reading, staff teach specific writing skills well, and work in pupils’ literacy books and pupils’ writing across different subjects confirm that current progress is good. Nevertheless, while teaching ensures that pupils learn appropriate grammar, punctuation and spelling skills, pupils do not always use what they know to consistently achieve the same quality of written work in history, geography and religious studies.  Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs or disability are given strong support in class, enabling them to learn quickly. Teaching assistants are used very well to support individual pupils and small groups. They have a positive effect on pupils’ learning. As a result, pupils with special

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

educational needs enjoy learning and make good progress.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils feel safe at school. All parents spoken with agreed that their children are kept safe. Pupils’ relationships with all staff are strong. This is because staff know the pupils well and are quick to respond to any problems that arise.  Pupils become more confident as they move from class to class to and Year 6 pupils show great maturity. They feel that teachers and their assistants are always on hand to assist when they need extra help. They concentrate well in class and display good attitudes to learning.  Effective levels of supervision when pupils are outside or moving around the school mean that they are kept safe. Pupils themselves say that they feel perfectly safe in school and that bullying is very rare. They are confident that if it should occur then the adults in school would deal with it effectively. Pupils have a

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Personal development and welfare

very good idea about how to keep themselves safe. This is promoted effectively by the curriculum, through which they learn about how to react if approached by a stranger, and the dangers associated with roads, railways, water and the internet.  Staff and governors understand the importance of looking after children’s welfare. Leaders ensure that all policies are reviewed and kept up to date, including those relating to child protection. All staff who work with pupils are checked to ensure they are suitable to carry out their roles. Leaders make sure the staff complete all the required safeguarding training so that they know what to look for with regard to pupils’ welfare. Designated leaders are rigorous in ensuring that any vulnerable pupils are cared for appropriately.  There are excellent opportunities for pupils to help, and show respect for, others in school. Pupils demonstrate their understanding of British values, such as democracy and the rule of law, in their day-to-

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Personal development and welfare

day work and interactions with each other. For example, pupils show tolerance and appreciate the contribution of their friends in class discussion.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in a very happy and friendly environment. As one pupil said, ‘I love coming to school and being with my friends’.  Attendance is now in line with the national average and pupils are consistently punctual.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are courteous, always displaying good manners, and show good conduct around the school as well as in lessons. They are friendly and polite, show respect, and relate well toward each other and adults. Pupils’ behaviour in the playground is good; the playground buddies show great maturity in their role and this is very much appreciated by the other children.  Good behaviour has a very positive effect on the progress that pupils make in lessons. Pupils take a pride in the quality of their work and their appearance. They enjoy learning and are eager to learn, settle quickly to work without any fuss and cooperate extremely well. Pupils listen carefully, try hard and help each other.  Pupils have a strong sense of right and wrong. They make the right choices when moving around the school, which helps create an orderly environment.  School records show that pupils with behavioural and emotional needs are well supported and helped to

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Behaviour

improve quickly. During the inspection, pupils demonstrated maturity in the way they supported their friends to respond positively when feeling upset.  Behaviour in class is good, but, at times, when teaching fails to enthuse or challenge them sufficiently, a few pupils lose interest and need help from staff to pay more attention to their work.  School information and the views of the pupils and their parents all confirm that behaviour over time is good and any disruptive behaviour is very rare.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Children join Reception with stages of development that are below those typically expected for their ages. They make good progress overall in response to good teaching to reach at least average levels of attainment by the end of Year 6.  Current pupils are making good progress in every year group. Work seen in lessons and progress evident in pupils’ books show that standards are in line with age-related expectations. This means that pupils are well prepared for the standards that will be expected as they move up through the year groups.  Reading has improved since the last inspection. From a below-average starting point by the end of Year 1, pupils are achieving in line with the national average in the phonics check. Most pupils have a good knowledge of the sounds that letters make and know how to ‘break words down’ when they are unsure about new vocabulary. They enjoy their reading across a wide range of literature and speak

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Outcomes for pupils are good

knowledgeably about different authors. Pupils are motivated to tackle challenging comprehension work and are now attaining in line with the national average at the end of key stages 1 and 2.  Pupils are now achieving consistently well in mathematics. There has been an increased focus on problem solving and the development of reasoning skills. Pupils are now using their good basic numeracy skills and are more confident in tackling more challenging mathematical problems.  Progress in writing is good across the school. However, pupils do not apply their grammar, punctuation and spelling skills with consistency when doing their topic work. This means that the standard of pupils’ writing across the curriculum is not always as good as it could be.  The majority of pupils who are disadvantaged need to make faster progress than their peers in order to attain the end-of-year expectations. Leaders and teachers are aware of this and ensure that

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Outcomes for pupils are good

disadvantaged pupils in each year group are making the required progress. In 2015, Year 6 achieved in line with other pupils nationally.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make good progress because of the well-targeted extra support they receive. Their individual needs are identified early and a variety of extra activities has been put into place to help them to catch up.  The most able pupils make good progress across the school. However, at times, the progress of some lacks consistency because their teachers do not set them work that is sufficiently challenging.

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Early years provision is good

 The leadership and management of the early years are good. Staff use good systems for checking what children can do when they first start school. Parents are kept well informed about what their children are doing at school and how they can help to support their learning at home.  On entry to Reception, children’s stages of development are often well behind those expected for their ages. Children, including the disadvantaged, make good progress, and increasing numbers join Year 1 with a good level of development across the early years profile. They concentrate well, use a wide range of vocabulary in their speech and become confident. Children who do not achieve their early learning goals at the end of the early years continue with this programme in Year 1 to secure and accelerate progress.   A secure assessment programme charts children’s progress across all aspects of the early years profile and

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Early years provision is good

quickly identifies any who need extra help. ‘Learning journey’ records, including children’s work and photographic evidence, show clearly how much progress children have made. Next steps in learning are identified and followed up to ensure the children move forward as intended.   Adults in the early years work effectively as a team to ensure the individual needs of children are met. Good relationships between members of staff ensure that they work together well to plan and provide interesting and motivating activities across the curriculum. There is a good balance between adult-directed activities and those chosen by children for themselves. As a result, children enjoy learning and are keen to explore and find things out for themselves.  Children are very confident to explore learning with their friends. During the inspection, children developed their communication and language skills in role play within a ‘travel agents’. Other pupils

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Early years provision is good

developed sorting and sequencing skills while playing with coins in the outdoor area.  Good links exist with external agencies whose roles are to support children in their early development. Children’s welfare and safety are well catered for, with security given a high priority; locks on doors and fencing around the outdoor area make early years a very safe and secure environment.

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School details

Unique reference number 111314 Local authority Halton Inspection number 10012114 This inspection 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 91 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Pamela Brocklehurst Headteacher Elaine Harrison Telephone number 01928 572 091 Website www.allsaintsprimaryschool.net Email address sec.runcornallsaints@halton.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 12–13 March 2014

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Information about this school

 All Saints CofE Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage. The number of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below the national average, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is above average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is above the national average. This is the additional government funding to give extra support to those pupils who are eligible for free school meals or children who are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school offers a breakfast club which is managed by the governing body.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning and made a number of short visits to classrooms and watched sessions where pupils were taught in small groups.  Meetings were held with staff and a representative from the local authority.  A meeting was held with six governors.  The inspector talked to pupils informally in class and at breaks, and listened to pupils read.  A number of documents were scrutinised, including the school’s own information about pupils’ learning and progress, planning and monitoring documents, minutes of governor meetings, the development plan, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and safeguarding information.  The inspector took account of the 15 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), as well as consulting informally with parents at the start of the school day. The inspector also took account of the views of staff and pupils gained from formal and informal discussions, including 10 staff responses to the

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Inspection team

Andrew Morley Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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