All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport

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

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Mr J Roper Headteacher All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport Churchill Street Heaton Norris Stockport Cheshire SK4 1ND

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Short inspection of All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport

Following my visit to the school on 24 July 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in November 2013.

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Short inspection of All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Your passion for learning shines through. Staff and governors share your commitment to the pupils and the local community. Pupils strive to live up to your high expectations: ‘to value knowledge, to value each other and to value themselves’.

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Short inspection of All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport

Most parents and carers spoken to during the inspection, and those who accessed Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, commented positively on the school. Parents appreciate the support and the care you and your staff provide for their children. Parents typically spoke of how happy their children are in school. They are pleased with the progress that their children make and feel that they could not have chosen a better school for their child.

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Short inspection of All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport

Pupils are polite, confident and well mannered. The positive relationships fostered within the school contribute to pupils’ positive behaviour and attitude towards learning. They appreciate the opportunities to attend clubs and activities after school and at lunchtime, for example coding club and cross country. Breakfast club is also very popular because it gives pupils the opportunity to socialise with friends in other classes while they have something to eat. Older pupils take their responsibilities as members of committees and as role models for younger pupils seriously. They are proud of their school and of the fund-raising events they have organised to support their chosen charity. Leaders have tackled the areas for improvement from the last inspection successfully. You have developed effective systems for checking on pupils’ progress. Leaders hold teachers to account during meetings to discuss the progress that

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Short inspection of All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport

pupils make. Training for staff enables them to use assessment information effectively to identify the gaps in pupils’ learning. Pupils, including the most able, know what they need to do to improve their work and they enjoy the challenges teachers set, particularly in mathematical calculations. You are beginning to develop a culture of professional dialogue, support and challenge among your staff. This is particularly helpful for those who are new to teaching. Staff appreciate the opportunities to share ideas and expertise with colleagues.

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Short inspection of All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport

You have made changes to the teaching of reading and writing since the last inspection. Staff have received effective training. As a result, they plan well-crafted activities using novels as a stimulus. This approach is capturing pupils’ imagination and broadening their horizons. For example, pupils in Year 5 have been studying the novel ‘Room 13’. The book is set in Whitby and pupils have visited the area on a residential trip. They have been comparing Whitby and Stockport as part of their work in geography. Pupils said that it helps them with their own writing as it puts the story in a familiar context. Teachers give pupils the skills they need to review and edit their work. As a result, pupils understand clearly the next steps in their learning to improve the quality and accuracy of their work. They are proud of their achievements and this is reflected in the quality of the work seen during the inspection.

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Short inspection of All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport

During the inspection, we discussed the next steps required to enable the school to improve further. Pupils’ limited knowledge of vocabulary hampers their achievement in writing, particularly in the case of older disadvantaged pupils. Changes you have made to the teaching of mathematics have improved pupils’ basic calculation skills. Despite this, leaders have found that some pupils struggle to understand the vocabulary of written problems, which is hindering the progress that they make, particularly in the case of disadvantaged pupils.

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Short inspection of All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport

Leaders ensure that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and are understood by all staff. Regular training ensures that staff are kept up to date with relevant safeguarding issues. Stringent arrangements are in place to ensure that the school’s most vulnerable pupils are safe when they are absent from school.

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Short inspection of All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport

Pupils feel safe in school. They learn about how to keep themselves safe, particularly when they are online. They know that staff care about them and that they will listen to their worries and concerns. They understand the different forms that bullying can take and speak confidently about how teachers deal quickly and effectively with any inappropriate behaviour should it occur. Leaders work with other agencies and professionals to provide vulnerable families with the help and guidance that they need.

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Inspection findings

 During the inspection, we looked at several key lines of enquiry. I wanted to know what actions you have taken to improve the attendance of pupils who are persistently absent from school. Attendance overall is broadly in line with the national average. In the case of a small proportion of pupils, health-related issues have led to considerable absence from school. Challenging behaviour from a small proportion of pupils has reduced considerably, which has resulted in no fixed-term exclusions over the last two years. Procedures are in place to ensure that pupils who are persistently absent from school are safe. A small proportion of pupils do not arrive punctually at school. Staff work with families to establish routines for the start of the day. Rewards, certificates and attendance at breakfast club are having a positive impact on improving the attendance of pupils. Pupils understand the importance of attending school each day. The

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Inspection findings

school’s assessment information shows that when pupils do attend school regularly, they make good progress from their starting points.  We also looked at the teaching of phonics. Leaders provide training for staff to ensure the consistent teaching of phonics. Teachers’ subject knowledge has a positive impact on the progress that pupils make. Activities accurately meet the needs of pupils and challenge them appropriately. Teachers use phonics assessment information to identify gaps in pupils’ learning and provide the help that they need to catch up quickly. Pupils’ work shows that they can use their phonic skills and knowledge with increasing accuracy in their own writing. Pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities are supported well during phonics activities. Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are making good progress from their starting points. Teachers provide pupils with books that

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Inspection findings

match their phonics skills appropriately. They are becoming more confident as readers. The proportion of pupils who pass the phonics screening check is above the national average.  Next, we discussed the action taken to ensure that an increasing proportion of children reach a good level of development by the end of Reception. The majority of children have skills and knowledge below those typical for children of a similar age nationally when they start school. Most children attend the school’s Nursery part time and settle quickly into well-established routines in Reception. Staff work with parents so that they can help their child to learn at home. Parents contribute regularly to the assessment information leaders gather. Staff training ensures that they have a good understanding of how young children learn. This enables them to use assessment information effectively to identify the next steps in children’s learning. For example, they are able to identify children who are

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Inspection findings

struggling with their language and communication skills. Leaders work with colleagues to check the accuracy of their judgements. Activities are well designed to meet children’s needs and capture their imagination. For example, the children created some exciting menus for the lighthouse keeper to have for his lunch. Children make good progress from their starting points and an increasing proportion of children are ready for Year 1.

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Inspection findings

 I was interested to see what action you had taken to improve outcomes for pupils by the end of key stage 2. Effective questioning encourages pupils to refine their ideas and expand on their explanations. Pupils are given the help that they need to catch up quickly. The majority of current pupils are making the progress leaders expect. Changes to the teaching of reading have improved pupils’ comprehension skills and expanded their knowledge of vocabulary. As a result, an increasing proportion of pupils have the skills and knowledge typical for their age nationally in reading. However, older pupils do not routinely apply their knowledge of vocabulary in their writing, which hinders the progress that they make. Leaders check that mathematics is taught consistently. Analysis of assessment information also shows that pupils’ calculation skills are improving. However, gaps in pupils’ knowledge of vocabulary hamper the ability of some

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Inspection findings

pupils to tackle written mathematical problems and their progress falters.  Finally, we discussed the actions taken to tackle the barriers for disadvantaged pupils. Leaders go above and beyond to engage with the most vulnerable families. Strong pastoral support for pupils complements the help families receive from other agencies and charities. Staff receive training to enable them to support pupils’ social and emotional development Leaders provide opportunities for disadvantaged pupils to broaden their horizons. For example, they develop teamwork and resilience during outdoor learning activities, work with visiting artists and musicians, and subsidise trips and residential visits. Disadvantaged pupils make the progress leaders expect, particularly in mathematical calculations. However, gaps in their vocabulary skills and knowledge hamper their achievements in mathematical problem solving and writing.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 they continue to improve the attendance of pupils who are persistently absent from school  they continue to develop pupils’ knowledge and understanding of vocabulary to improve their writing and mathematical problem solving, particularly in the case of disadvantaged pupils.

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Next steps for the school

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

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Information about the inspection

During this inspection, I met with you, other members of the leadership team and staff. I also spoke with four members of the governing body and with a representative of the local authority. With you, I visited classrooms where I had the opportunity to speak with pupils and look at their work. I met with a group of pupils formally during the day and I spoke with several parents at the start of the school day. I took account of 16 responses to the staff questionnaire and the 11 responses to the pupils’ questionnaire. I also considered seven free-text comments and the 10 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents. I scrutinised pupils’ assessment information and a range of documentation, including the single central record.

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