All Saints Catholic Primary School

All Saints Catholic Primary School Chesnut Grove, Bootle, Merseyside L20 4LX

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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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 School leaders and governors have ensured that the school is much improved since the previous inspection. All Saints is now a good school and it continues to improve.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide strong leadership. The committed staff team is focused on providing high-quality education.  Teachers use good subject knowledge and the rich curriculum to engage learners’ interests. Work in lessons, and in the many visits and school clubs, provide pupils with purposeful experiences.  From typically different starting points pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Standards are higher than at the time of the previous inspection. They continue to rise.  Disadvantaged pupils make the same good progress as their classmates.  Pupils enjoy school. Their behaviour and attitudes to learning are of a high standard.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. It contributes well to

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This is a good school

pupils’ excellent personal development.  Parents are highly positive about the school’s work.  Governors hold leaders robustly to account for the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  The support provided for pupils with special educational needs or disability, and those whose circumstances make them vulnerable, is of a high quality.  Pupils’ safety is taken very seriously by all who work at the school. Staff are vigilant and take great care of pupils.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Opportunities to challenge pupils, including the most able pupils, are sometimes missed.  Children in the early years sometimes do not have enough opportunities to develop their reading, writing and mathematics skills when they learn independently.  Improvement plans lack precise targets. This makes it difficult to check on the impact of recent changes.  Assessment systems do not provide an accurate picture of how well pupils are doing in all subjects.  Some subject leaders do not yet contribute enough to improving the quality of teaching.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to increase the progress made by pupils and raise standards further by making sure that:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

pupils, including the most able, are given work that challenges them to reach their full potential teachers in the early years provide opportunities for children to develop their reading, writing and number skills when they play and learn independently.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve leadership and management by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

giving leaders and teachers an accurate picture of pupils’ attainment and progress in all subjects developing the skills of subject leaders, other than English and mathematics, so that they can make a full contribution to the ongoing improvements in the areas they lead ensuring that improvement plans include measurable targets related to pupils’ attainment and progress so that school leaders and governors can judge the impact of the actions taken on pupil outcomes.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 School leaders, including governors, have secured improvements since the previous inspection so that the quality of teaching and pupil outcomes are now good. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and are taking effective action to make sure all aspects of the school continue to improve.  The headteacher, very ably supported by the deputy headteacher, has a clear and ambitious vision for the school. Senior leaders regularly check the quality of teaching and provide feedback that helps teachers to improve. Where teaching has not been good in the past, leaders have provided additional support that has ensured it has improved. Leaders take the quality of teaching into account when making decisions about pay awards.  Knowledgeable subject leaders of English and mathematics have played a key role in improving outcomes for pupils. Leaders of other subjects are highly committed, energetic and hardworking. They have a good

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

understanding of their subjects and they are beginning to make regular checks on pupils’ learning in their areas of responsibility. However, the skills of these leaders are not yet sufficiently developed to enable them to contribute fully to improving the quality of teaching.  The provision for pupils who have special educational needs or disability is led well. Pupils’ additional learning and emotional needs are identified quickly. Well-targeted teaching tailored to individual needs is put into place. Leaders have changed this provision this year to ensure that pupils spend as much time as possible in class with their peers so that all pupils are fully included in all class activities. Pupils are encouraged to work as independently as possible rather than becoming over-reliant on adult support.  The curriculum is varied and interesting. It is enriched well through a wide programme of visits and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

visitors to the school. The numerous extra-curricular clubs are well attended and reflect pupils’ varied interests. The gardening club, for example, which is run by the school site manager, allows pupils to develop a passion for growing and caring for plants.  Leaders have established systems to assess and track pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics. However, similar systems to check and track how well pupils are doing in all other subjects are not yet fully in place.  The school’s work to improve the quality of marking is clearly evident. Teachers follow the school’s marking policy to show pupils the next steps they need to take in learning, providing time in lessons for pupils to improve their work and make any corrections necessary.  The impact of the work to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is impressive. It is underpinned by the school’s Christian ethos and highly inclusive nature. Pupils learn about different

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

world religions and develop respect for other cultures. They regularly raise money for charity and take on roles of responsibility. Pupils have a strong sense of justice and they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  The primary school sports funding has been used effectively to increase the opportunities for pupils to take part in a wide range of activities. Specialist physical education provision ensures that pupils develop their sporting skills. As a result, pupils are enthusiastic about sport and a high proportion take part in after-school clubs and sporting tournaments with local schools.  School leaders and governors ensure that pupil premium funding is used well to support disadvantaged pupils. Additional adult support and targeted interventions provide extra help for those who need it, and the range of additional clubs and activities outside the classroom help to support pupils’ personal

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

development and well-being. The impact of this is evident in the narrowing of the gaps in attainment between this group and others in the school and nationally.  School plans are detailed. They identify the correct priorities and show clear timescales for improvement. Some targets do not have precise enough outcomes against which leaders and governors can accurately measure the school’s progress towards achieving them.  Senior leaders’ ongoing and very strong focus on improving pupils’ attendance is proving successful. This robust approach has led to the best attendance figures in many years.  Parents appreciate all that the school does to ensure that their children are safe, happy and well cared for. They say that the school provides a good range of information about how well their children are doing. The school website and online blog provide a range of useful information for parents and pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Since the previous inspection, the local authority has provided support to help move the school forward, particularly in the early years. The school works closely with the local cluster of schools to share practice and training sessions.  The governance of the school Governance is good. Governors are proud of the school’s improvement since the previous inspection. Nevertheless, they are keen to do even better and know that further improvement is possible. Governors know the school well. They have a clear view of the school’s work and maintain a sharp focus on the progress made by different groups of pupils. They pay close attention to disadvantaged pupils’ learning and well-being, asking searching questions of leaders about how additional funds are used to raise attainment and improve progress. Visits to the school by governors are used to gather first-hand views of the school’s performance, combining what they see in the school with information provided by school leaders to gain a full

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

picture of the life of the school. Governors use their expertise to help bring about improvements in attendance. A member of the governing body, for example, sits on the school’s attendance panel which meets regularly with parents. Governors ensure that teachers’ pay is linked to successful pupil outcomes.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school is rigorous in checking and recording the suitability of all adults working with pupils. Visitors’ checks are robust. Staff have a secure understanding of the indicators of abuse and neglect, including the most recent guidance about radicalisation.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Improved teaching means that pupils make better progress in reading, writing, mathematics and other subjects than that at the time of the previous inspection.  A significant feature of the good teaching in the school is the calm and well-ordered learning environment. Tasks are well thought out and spark pupils’ interests and imagination. As a result, learning is purposeful and pupils are keen to do well. They strive to do their best, and get on with their work quickly and enthusiastically with little learning time lost.  Teachers use good subject knowledge to ask a wide range of questions to identify any misconceptions pupils may have. They skilfully provide clear explanations to help pupils understand the concepts being taught.  Pupils’ personal, social, emotional and health education is particularly well developed. Rather than recording their learning in individual books, pupils create class books of which they are rightly proud.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers and teaching assistants work closely together to ensure the right level of support is provided for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs or disability.  Warm, strong relationships are a common feature of All Saints. The school, increasingly successfully, balances a warm and nurturing environment with a culture that strongly encourages pupils to become highly independent, aspirational learners.  Pupils say they enjoy the way subjects are taught, whether through a particular learning focus or a topic. They respond well to whole-school challenges, for example looking out for the daily clues about a capital city shown on the world map in the main corridor, and discussing them eagerly as they make their way out to the playground.  While teachers’ expectations of pupils’ learning are clearly much higher than they were at the time of the previous inspection, the work set, particularly for the most able, sometimes does not challenge them

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

sufficiently to ensure they reach their full potential in reading, writing and mathematics.  Reading and the teaching of phonics are developed well in the early years and in key stage 1, and the development of accurate spelling skills has a high priority across the school. The strong focus on this aspect of learning in key stages 1 and 2 has led to generally accurate spelling, and pupils’ writing reflecting a wider vocabulary than seen previously.  Mathematical skills are developed well through regular teaching of the basic concepts. Pupils build their understanding through responding positively to the regular challenges and opportunities to apply this knowledge to solve problems, including when they learn in other subjects.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils are articulate and confident. They say that they feel very safe and well cared for, and their parents agree. Pupils from different backgrounds respect differing beliefs and cultures and get on extremely well together.  Pupils are encouraged to make healthy choices in what they do to keep active and in what they eat and drink. Many participate in the wide range of sporting activities available at lunchtime and after school. In addition, ‘run 1 mile’ sessions take place most days and are popular with all age groups. Most recently pupils are being helped to become ‘sugar smart’ as they try to live up to ‘GULP!’ as they ‘Give Up Loving Pop!’  Pupils make an excellent contribution to school life. For example, Year 5 play leaders spend time with the younger pupils at breaktimes. Members of the student council, who are elected by their peers, regularly

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Personal development and welfare

help their fellow pupils raise money for charity, and play an active role in the decision-making processes of the school. One of their requests this year was for a salad bar in the canteen. This has been provided and is proving very popular.  Pupils are aware of the different kinds of bullying they may encounter, including cyber bullying. Older pupils can talk maturely about racism and prejudice-based bullying. Pupils say such incidents are rare and they are confident that if issues do arise adults deal with them quickly and fairly.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Attitudes to learning are excellent. Pupils should be rightly proud of the quality and quantity of work in their books and on display around the school. Time is used really well in lessons. Pupils focus well when it is time to listen to the teacher, another adult or each other, and engage enthusiastically when working with a partner or group of their peers. They apply themselves industriously when working independently.  Pupils say how much behaviour has improved, and school records support this view. Pupils know and understand the school’s rules and sanctions and are able to regulate their own behaviour. They respect each other and all of the adults who care for them in class and at break and lunchtimes.  Throughout the day the atmosphere remains happy and purposeful. Pupils are unfailingly polite and take a great pride in their appearance and in their school.

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Behaviour

 Pupils thoroughly enjoy school life and are very keen to earn the awards made for good attendance. Due to the concerted efforts of pupils, parents and staff, attendance levels are now closer to the national average. This is a significant improvement on recent years. Very few pupils now miss school on a regular basis, and as a result persistent absence rates are now below the national average. This is a great improvement on previously very high absence levels.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Improved teaching means that pupils make better progress across the school than at the time of the previous inspection. From starting points which are often below, and sometimes well below, those typical for their age, pupils make consistently good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  A strong focus on reading is evident throughout the school. In 2015, the result of the year 1 check on pupils’ understanding of letters and the sounds that they make (phonics) improved further. It is now in line with the national average. The vibrant and well-stocked library is at the heart of the school. Teachers promote a love for reading, and pupils read widely and often. As well as developing an enjoyment in reading for pleasure, regular reading is improving the range of pupils’ vocabulary, which they use to good effect in their writing.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Standards at the end of Year 2 have increased steadily in all subjects since the previous inspection. In 2015, outcomes in reading and writing were in line with the national average while mathematics remained just below average. Checks made by inspectors on the most recent school performance information show that current standards in all subjects have continued to rise. Pupils across key stage 1 are making at least good progress and are working at the levels expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics.  Since the previous inspection pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 2 has improved significantly. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are now in line with the national average from the well- below-average attainment seen previously. Again, checks carried out by inspectors on pupils’ work show that improvements are continuing and pupils continue to make at least good progress from their

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Outcomes for pupils are good

individual starting points.  The most able pupils make good progress and generally reach standards higher than those expected for their age by the end of Year 6. Nevertheless, senior leaders know that consistently higher challenge is required to enable the most able pupils across the school to maximise their progress and deepen their learning in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils with special educational needs or disability make at least good progress from their starting points because their individual needs are identified quickly and accurately and provision is good.  In 2015, disadvantaged pupils made good progress. As a result, at the end of key stages 1 and 2 the gaps in the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils in the school and nationally narrowed in all subjects. However, leaders were aware that the gaps had not closed quickly enough and they have taken decisive action to bring about more rapid progress for disadvantaged pupils. Improved teaching,

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Outcomes for pupils are good

including carefully targeted additional support provided by teachers and teaching assistants, has accelerated progress for disadvantaged pupils. School performance information shows that attainment gaps in all subjects have narrowed and in some cases closed.  Some gaps between the attainment and progress of boys and girls are largely related to the individual starting points and abilities of pupils. Nevertheless, the school has reviewed its curriculum to ensure that both boys’ and girls’ interests are catered for.  Work in pupils’ books illustrates their good progress in English and mathematics, as well as in other subjects such as science, history and geography. Pupils in key stage 2 enjoy learning to speak French, and pupils in Year 3, in particular, have made good progress in this subject.

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Early years provision is good

 Children enter the early years with skills, knowledge and understanding that are below those typical for their age in almost all areas of learning. This is particularly true for children’s communication and language skills and their social and emotional development. The range of abilities varies from year to year, and a growing proportion of children have a limited understanding of the English language when they start school.  As a result of good teaching, children make good progress in Nursery and Reception. By the time they enter Year 1 the proportion of children reaching a good level of development is usually close to the national average. However, the school experienced a dip in 2015, as over a third of children in the year group had special educational needs or disability. Fewer children reached the national level at the end of Reception; nevertheless, all made at least good progress given their individual needs and starting points.

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Early years provision is good

 The percentage of children in the current Reception classes who are likely to achieve a good level of development is closer to the national average.  A calm, well-organised learning environment exists. Children learn well and play happily together because of good relationships with adults and each other. All settle well into classroom routines and children become increasingly independent learners as adults help them develop socially and emotionally.  Accurate checks on how well everyone is doing help adults know all children well. Early reading, writing and number skills are taught well in sessions led by adults. Children use their understanding of phonics to tackle unfamiliar words and they are eager to show the adults how well they can count objects and find simple shapes. Handwriting skills are impressive as children use the school’s agreed style to record their work during phonics sessions.

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Early years provision is good

 The early years curriculum provides a range of engaging activities which are adapted regularly to respond to the interests of children. It makes good use of the indoor and outside resources and is well planned to develop most aspects of learning well. However, too few opportunities are available for children to practise and develop their reading, writing and mathematics skills when they work and play independently. As a result, progress is not as rapid as it could be at these times.  Leadership of the early years is good. Leaders swiftly identify children’s needs when they join Nursery and Reception. They keep a close eye on children’s progress, quickly giving extra support to those children whose progress may be slowing. A strong and effective early years team is in place. All adults play their part in making sure that children are nurtured and safe.  Staff take every opportunity to encourage and improve children’s language development. They listen to

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Early years provision is good

children and engage them in conversation at every opportunity. For children who need a little extra help the school works well with partner agencies, for example by providing speech therapy support for a specific identified need.  Staff are trained in all aspects of safeguarding, and welfare arrangements are good.  Parents are pleased with the quality of information they receive from teachers about their child’s progress. They say their children are happy to come to school.

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School details

Unique reference number 132208 Local authority Sefton Inspection number 10012201 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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 308 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Siobhan Whittaker Headteacher Angela Holleran Telephone number 0151 288 6420 Website www.allsaintsprimaryschool.co.uk Email address admin.allsaints@schools.sefton.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 10–11 June 2016

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than other primary schools.  Children attend the Nursery class part-time and attend the Reception classes full-time.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below average. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language has doubled since the previous inspection and is now average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is high; it is double the national average. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is above average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through pupil premium funding is more than double the national average, and is high. The pupil premium is additional funding provided for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children looked after.

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection the school has experienced some staffing changes. The deputy headteacher was appointed in September and the senior leadership team has been strengthened with the appointment of an assistant headteacher.  Governors provide a breakfast club for pupils who attend the school.  The school meets the requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors gathered a range of evidence to judge the quality of teaching, learning and assessment over time. They observed learning in classes and when pupils learned in small groups. Some of these observations were conducted with the headteacher.  The inspectors looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked to them about their work. They listened to pupils read and observed the teaching of reading skills. Inspectors talked to pupils about the books they have enjoyed and those that they are currently reading. Inspectors took note of displays around the school and the learning taking place outdoors.  Inspectors talked with pupils informally as they played at breaktimes, visited the dining hall at lunchtime and observed pupils’ behaviour as they moved around school. They met formally with three groups of pupils.  Inspectors met with five governors. They spoke to a representative of the local authority and met with

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Information about this inspection

members of school staff.  Inspectors spoke to a number of parents at the start of the school day and took account of 12 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire, Parent View, and the school’s most recent surveys of pupils’ and parents’ views. Nineteen returns to the staff questionnaire were taken into account.  Inspectors examined a range of documents, including information about pupils’ progress, school improvement plans and external views of the school. Inspectors also scrutinised records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding completed by school staff.

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Inspection team

Lyn Pender, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Jonathan Ashley Ofsted Inspector Mavis Smith 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

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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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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