Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Miss Gemma Kettle Lubenham All Saints Church of England Primary School School Lane Lubenham Market Harborough Leicestershire LE16 9TW

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Saints Church of England Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 15 September 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave me and for the time you made available to discuss the actions you are taking to improve the academy since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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Saints Church of England Primary School

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in March 2016. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Saints Church of England Primary School

Senior leaders and governors are not taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the last section 5 inspection in order to become a good school.

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Saints Church of England Primary School

The school should take further action to:

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Saints Church of England Primary School

 ensure that governors challenge school leaders about their actions and focus their work to improve achievement for all groups of pupils  analyse in more depth the impact of pupil premium funding to diminish the difference between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils  ensure that middle leaders monitor the impact of their actions, so that all pupils make good progress across the school  allow pupils to have time to improve their work  improve pupils’ ability to spell age-appropriate words  improve pupils’ reading comprehension, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and the most able  develop pupils’ ability to reason mathematically.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I held meetings with the headteacher, middle leaders, pupils, the vice-chair of the governing body and the chief executive officer of the Learn Academies Trust to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection. I observed teaching in all four classes, looked at pupils’ work in books and listened to pupils read. I undertook the lesson observations jointly with the headteacher. I scrutinised the school’s improvement plan, behaviour logs, the external review of governance, governing body minutes and documentation related to safeguarding.

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Context

The senior teacher left the school in the summer term and an experienced class teacher has been appointed. The school has just become part of the Learn Academies Trust.

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Main findings

Governors have not demonstrated a sense of urgency in seeking to improve the leadership of the school. They have not checked thoroughly if school leaders have acted upon all the key areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. Furthermore, governors do not know the impact of the pupil premium funding, which is intended to help promote the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. Consequently, disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as well as other pupils.

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Main findings

Governors’ actions are currently not having the necessary positive impact on improving the school’s performance. Although they have undertaken a review of governance, the report has only just been received by the school and governors have not yet discussed the outcome of the review. In addition, following the inspection, there has only been one recorded visit to the school by a governor to check how well leaders are improving teaching and learning. The headteacher has not provided the governing body with timely information about the progress of all groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils. Consequently, governors do not challenge school leaders well enough to improve the performance of the school and the achievement of all groups of pupils.

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Main findings

Senior and middle leadership in the school is developing. The headteacher has organised reviews of pupil progress with teachers every half term. Provisional outcomes for the end of key stage 2 in 2016 are broadly in line with the national average. Middle leaders are very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. However, their monitoring of standards in their subjects across the school is less developed. Consequently, leaders are not checking well enough if pupils are benefiting from the initiatives that are being implemented.

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Main findings

Pupils are motivated to learn. The new curriculum has engaged the pupils. For example, Year 2 pupils were asked to think of questions to ask ‘Grandma’ from Roald Dahl’s, ‘George’s marvellous medicine’, and were delighted when she arrived in the classroom. In Years 5 and 6, pupils used imaginative vocabulary to advertise the bug hotels they had made. Although pupils’ vocabulary in their writing is improving, such improvement is not evident in their ability to spell age–appropriate words. Many pupils do not correct their spelling mistakes even after the teacher has identified the error. As a result, pupils’ spelling is not improving quickly enough.

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Main findings

Pupils are motivated to read. A recent visit from an author, as well as new books, has encouraged pupils to read more. Some pupils are challenging themselves by reading more difficult texts, and enjoying their new books. To increase the frequency of adults listening to key stage 1 pupils read, the English leader has promoted more volunteers coming into school. This has improved pupils’ reading ability. Provisional outcomes at the end of key stage 2 in 2016 show that only half of the most able pupils achieved highly in the national assessments. Leaders have identified that they need to undertake more work to improve pupils’ reading comprehension, particularly that of disadvantaged pupils and the most able pupils.

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Main findings

Leaders recognise that the teaching of mathematics needs to improve. The new coordinator has already received training to develop pupils’ ability to reason mathematically. There was some evidence in pupils’ work that teachers ask pupils to explain their mathematical reasoning. However, this is not consistent across the school.

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Main findings

Teachers provide pupils with regular advice about how to improve their work. However, not all pupils are given time to follow the advice. Consequently, pupils’ progress slows.

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Main findings

During the visit, pupils behaved well in the classroom and outside in the playground. Pupils told the inspector that behaviour is typically good, but when there is misbehaviour, teachers deal with it quickly. The behaviour policy is clear to all pupils. Teachers implement it consistently across the school. The school has good links with a range of outside agencies to support pupils’ needs.

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Main findings

Leaders are taking action to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, pupils in key stage 1 enjoyed a visit to the theatre, while all pupils regularly visit the local church and participate in services. Pupils have not yet visited different places of worship to increase their knowledge and understanding of different faiths. Children in the early years are achieving much better due to improved leadership. Outcomes at the end of Reception Year in 2016 have improved substantially and are above the national average for 2015. Teachers ask children good questions which extend their thinking and encourage them to speak. The introduction of a stage outdoors has increased the opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills. For example, children developed their own talent show. New pupils in the Reception Year have settled well into the school.

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External support

The chief executive officer of the Learn Academies Trust has a very clear and accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. She has visited the school several times since the start of term. The trust has put support in place to improve the leadership of the school and arranged training for governors to improve their understanding of performance data further. The trust has also provided training for the new mathematics coordinator to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes in this subject. However, it is too early to comment on the impact of this support.

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External support

Ofsted may carry out further monitoring inspections and, where necessary, provide further support and challenge to the school until its next section 5 inspection.

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External support

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Leicester, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Leicestershire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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