Allhallows Primary Academy

Allhallows Primary Academy Avery Way, Allhallows, Rochester, Kent ME3 9HR

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Since the school joined the Leigh Academies Trust in January 2019, the trust has successfully strengthened the leadership capacity within the school.  The executive principal and the principal have taken effective action to bring about improvements in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment.  Governors have a very good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They routinely interrogate the information they are given in order to hold leaders to account.  Leaders have recently implemented a new curriculum. While this is not yet fully developed, it has already begun to deepen and extend pupils’ knowledge and skills across a range of subjects.  Most teaching is strong. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Teachers plan learning that is challenging and that engages pupils’ interest, enabling them to learn well.  As a result of good teaching, pupils currently in the school are making good progress from their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

starting points, including those pupils who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).  Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They work with concentration and commitment to improve their work. They take great care over the presentation of their work.  Leaders have taken effective action to tackle poor attendance. While overall attendance remains below the national average, it is improving. Furthermore, the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent has significantly reduced.  Provision in the early years requires improvement. While there are some strengths in teaching and the children are well looked after, the quality of teaching and learning is too variable. As a result, children are not making the progress of which they are capable.  Leaders have established robust safeguarding policies and procedures. Consequently, pupils are well looked after and are kept safe from

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

harm.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including when online.  The school’s curriculum and ethos are effective in promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and their understanding of fundamental British values.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning in early years so that children make the progress of which they are capable.  Continue to build on the new developments to the school’s curriculum so that pupils deepen their knowledge and skills across a wide range of subjects.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Since the previous inspection the school has undergone some turbulence in leadership. This has now stabilised. A new principal was appointed and joined the school in September 2018. Furthermore, in January 2019 the school became part of the Leigh Academies Trust when the trust merged with the Williamson Trust.  When the school joined the Leigh Academies Trust, trust leaders quickly strengthened the leadership capacity within the school. They utilised a wide range of skills and expertise from across the trust to support leaders and teachers. As a result, there have been rapid improvements across the school.  Senior leaders have carried out rigorous monitoring and evaluation of the school’s performance. Consequently, they have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and priorities for improvement.  The executive principal and the principal have introduced effective strategies and policies to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

For example, they have successfully developed and refined the school’s approach to teaching mathematics and the school’s assessment procedures.  Additionally, senior leaders have ensured that staff are supported with valuable, ongoing professional development in order to further improve their effectiveness. As a result, the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good and where there are weaknesses in teaching, these are improving.  The executive principal and the principal have recently introduced a new approach to the curriculum. While this approach is not yet fully embedded, it has been very positively received by staff and pupils.  Pupils are beginning to deepen and extend their knowledge and understanding across a range of subjects. They have regular opportunities to use and apply their skills in different contexts. Furthermore, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

and their understanding of fundamental British values are developed well. For instance, pupils in Year 6 wrote carefully considered party manifestos that incorporated actions to tackle plastic waste and homelessness.  Leaders have ensured that additional funding is carefully targeted to provide effective support for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. This includes a range of interventions to promote pupils’ social, emotional and mental well-being as well as their academic achievement. Consequently, disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are making strong progress from their starting points.  Leaders make effective use of the physical education (PE) and sports premium funding. They have successfully improved the quality of PE teaching and have broadened the range of sports that pupils can participate and compete in. As a result, pupils have very positive attitudes to PE. They have particularly enjoyed taking part in golf, badminton

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

and basketball.  Most parents are positive about the work of the school and welcome the support provided by teachers and leaders. Several parents commented on the improvements they have seen at the school under its new leadership. As one parent said: ‘I have nothing but praise for the support and encouragement [my child] has received.’

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Governance of the school

 The Leigh Academies Trust has established a robust structure of governance with clear lines of accountability. Trust leaders have provided comprehensive training and support for governors in order to further develop their effectiveness.  Leaders provide governors with thorough information about the school’s performance. Governors ask leaders challenging questions in order to rigorously interrogate the information they are given. As a result, they have a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and are sharply focused on the priorities for improvement.  Governors have high expectations of pupils in the school and across the trust. They are committed to ensuring that ‘no child is left behind’.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have established a warm, nurturing environment and caring, supportive relationships between school and families. Leaders ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families are given the support they need. Pupils know who to talk to if they have any worries or concerns.  Leaders and governors have established robust safeguarding policies and procedures. They ensure that staff are given thorough training so that they have a secure understanding of their responsibilities. Consequently, there is a strong culture of safeguarding throughout the school and pupils are kept safe from harm.  Leaders ensure that all the appropriate pre-employment checks are completed on adults working in school, including those who volunteer. They ensure that the records of these checks are well maintained in the single central record.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Leaders and teachers have created a purposeful learning environment. They have developed positive relationships with pupils and have high expectations of what they can achieve. As a result, pupils are excited by their learning, they are enthusiastic and work hard.  Where teaching is strongest, teachers are swift to tackle pupils’ errors and misconceptions in their punctuation and spelling. They know their pupils well and use questioning effectively to probe pupils’ understanding and to deepen and extend their thinking.  Teachers ensure that pupils are exposed to a wide range of rich and varied vocabulary. They encourage pupils to experiment with the language that they use in their writing, including the use of technical vocabulary. This has been successful in broadening pupils’ vocabulary. Pupils know the meanings of the words they are taught and are confident to apply them with increasing accuracy in their writing.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Leaders have successfully improved the teaching of mathematics. Teachers make effective use of practical apparatus and visual representations to model mathematical concepts in a variety of ways. They plan opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical understanding to reason and solve problems in a wide range of contexts, for instance using money, measures and fractions. Consequently, pupils’ mathematical knowledge and understanding becomes deeply embedded.  The teaching of phonics is strong because teachers have good subject knowledge. They plan opportunities for pupils to rehearse their knowledge of letters and the sounds they make in interesting and engaging ways. They also provide regular opportunities for pupils to apply their knowledge to read and write unknown words. As a result, pupils enjoy their learning, they work hard and make good progress.  Teachers plan a wide variety of opportunities for pupils to apply their reading and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

writing skills across the curriculum. Teachers make effective links to pupils’ prior knowledge and understanding in a range of subjects to explore and develop their ideas. For example, pupils in Year 5 used the knowledge they had gained about the Treaty of Versailles to better understand characters’ actions and feelings in their reading.  While most teaching is strong, there remain some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and learning. Where teaching is less strong, expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough. Teachers’ questioning does not deepen pupils’ understanding or extend their thinking. Furthermore, some pupils are not given enough opportunities to solve problems and explain their mathematical reasoning.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Leaders have established a positive climate for learning where pupils are nurtured and supported well. Consequently, pupils have developed positive attitudes to their learning.  In September, the new principal raised expectations for the presentation of pupils’ work. Pupils have risen to this challenge, putting great effort into improving the neatness and accuracy of their handwriting over the course of this year. Pupils take great pride in their work and the presentation of their work is neat and tidy.  Through the school’s wider curriculum, pupils are taught important information about keeping themselves safe. For example, pupils have participated in assemblies on road safety and internet safety. As a result, pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including when online.  Most pupils say that, as a result of new behaviour expectations and procedures, there

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Personal development and welfare

have been fewer incidents of bullying and unkind behaviour. They feel that on the few occasions that it does occur their teachers are good at resolving it. There remain a small minority of pupils and parents, however, who do not feel that leaders and teachers respond to bullying as effectively as they should.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils conduct themselves in a calm, orderly manner when moving around the school and in the dining hall at lunchtime. This creates a positive atmosphere throughout the school.  During lessons, pupils are fully engaged in their tasks. They work with high levels of concentration and with a commitment to improve their learning.  Leaders have established robust systems to monitor and analyse incidents of poor behaviour. They track incidents closely and take effective action to address any concerns that arise. As a result, the number of incidents of poor behaviour has reduced considerably in recent months.  Leaders have taken robust action to address poor attendance. They provide families with effective support to promote good attendance and appropriately challenge parents when their child’s attendance does not improve. Consequently, the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent has reduced significantly this academic year. Furthermore,

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Behaviour

pupils’ attendance has improved overall, although it remains below the national average.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Over the past three years, the progress that pupils made in reading and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 has been broadly in line with the national averages. The progress that pupils made in writing has improved over the past three years.  The proportions of pupils who attained a high standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined at the end of key stage 2 have increased over the past three years.  In 2018, the proportions of pupils who attained the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 1 were broadly in line with other pupils nationally.  As a result of good teaching, current pupils are making strong progress from their starting points, including those who are disadvantaged and those with SEND.  Pupils develop a strong grasp of phonics. They are confident to apply this knowledge to read and write unknown words, including complex words, making phonetically plausible

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Outcomes for pupils Good

attempts to spell them. Pupils become confident readers with positive attitudes to reading.  Over time, pupils develop the stamina to write at length. Pupils’ application of spelling, grammar and punctuation becomes increasingly accurate and sophisticated, enabling them to produce writing that is well structured. Furthermore, their use of varied vocabulary makes their writing interesting to read.  Pupils make good progress in mathematics. Over time, pupils tackle increasingly complex calculations involving larger numbers. They develop the confidence to apply their mathematical knowledge to solve problems and reason mathematically.  The most able pupils make strong progress from their starting points because teachers have high expectations of these pupils and ensure that learning is suitably challenging. Pupils rise to this challenge, tackling their work with enthusiasm and commitment.  Across the curriculum, pupils are making good progress. Pupils are provided with

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Outcomes for pupils Good

regular opportunities to write across the curriculum and they use subject-specific vocabulary with confidence.  At times, when teaching is less effective, pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 The Leigh Academies Trust has taken effective action to strengthen the leadership of early years. Trust and senior leaders have raised expectations of children’s attainment and have established a clear vision for the setting. They have provided appropriate support to improve the quality of teaching and learning in early years. However, while it is improving, it is not yet good.  There is too much variability in the quality of teaching. When teaching is effective, tasks capture the children’s interest and they engage well in their learning.  At times, however, activities do not sustain children’s curiosity. Children quickly lose interest and attempts to re-engage them in their learning are not effective enough.  The quality of adults’ questioning is variable. At times, questions are not targeted carefully enough to explore children’s understanding and to challenge their thinking.  Children start Reception Year attaining broadly in line with other children nationally.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

Most children make good progress towards the early learning goals. In 2017 and 2018 the proportions of children who attained a good level of development were broadly in line with the national averages. However, as a result of inconsistencies in the quality of teaching, some children are not currently making the progress of which they are capable.  Children are polite and friendly and they play happily together. At times, however, they do not persevere with their tasks because they become distracted from their learning.  Relationships between adults and children are supportive and nurturing, and robust systems are in place to keep children safe. This means that children are well looked after. Consequently, children settle into the early years setting quickly and they enjoy coming to school.  Effective systems are in place to enable parents to contribute to their child’s assessments. Parents regularly provide comments and photographs documenting their

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Early years provision Requires improvement

child’s learning at home. Parents are given regular feedback on their child’s development and are provided with next steps and advice to help support their child’s learning at home.

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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

Email address office@allhallowsacademy.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18–19 June 2015

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Information about this school

 Formerly a part of the Williamson Trust, the school became a part of the Leigh Academies Trust in January 2019 when the two trusts merged. The school is governed by the Hundred of Hoo Academy Board whose members are also responsible for governing three other schools in the local community. The academy board members are accountable to the Leigh Academies Trust Board for standards across all four schools.  The school is significantly smaller than the average-sized primary school. There are 10 children in the current reception class. Other pupils are taught in mixed year-group classes.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average. However, the proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is broadly in line with the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is broadly in line with the national average.  Most pupils are from a White British background. The proportion of pupils who speak

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Information about this school

English as an additional language is well below the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 The lead inspector observed pupils learning in all classes across a range of subjects. All sessions were observed jointly with senior leaders. The lead inspector looked at the quality of pupils’ work during lessons and through a focused analysis of work in books.  The lead inspector held meetings with the principal, executive principal, the chief executive and deputy chief executive of the Leigh Academies Trust, and other senior leaders. Meetings were also held with the designated safeguarding lead, other staff and governors.  A wide range of documentation was reviewed, including information available on the school’s website and records relating to pupils’ attainment, progress, attendance and behaviour. Information on governance, including minutes of the governing body, was examined.  The lead inspector met with parents at the beginning and end of the school day and took account of the 10 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including six

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Information about this inspection

free-text comments.  The views of the eight staff who completed Ofsted’s confidential online survey were considered.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read and talked with pupils in lessons and around the school to gather their views. She also met formally with a group of pupils and took account of the 13 responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed during lessons, around the school, and during break and lunchtimes.  The lead inspector reviewed safeguarding records and the central record of recruitment checks on staff.

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Inspection team

Leah Goulding, lead inspector 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection 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.gov.uk/ofsted

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