Featherstone All Saints CofE Academy

Inspection of a good school: Featherstone All Saints CofE Academy North Close, North Featherstone, Pontefract, West Yorkshire WF7 6BQ

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Outcome

Featherstone All Saints CofE Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and like going to school. They say this is because school is a happy place, where behaviour is good and bullying is rare. If bullying does happen, teachers deal with it straight away. Pupils know if they feel upset or worried their concerns will be listened to. This helps them to manage their worries and feel better. Pupils behave well around school, including at playtimes and during assembly. In lessons, they also have good attitudes to their learning, especially in mathematics. Sometimes, in the afternoon pupils’ attitudes to learning are less focused.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate all that school has to offer. This includes a wide variety of clubs where they can try new skills, especially in sport. Pupils can take part in local sporting competitions. There are opportunities to take on leadership roles. For example, pupils can be part of the school council or eco council, or be a buddy to a younger pupil.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents are positive about the school. One parent reported, ‘The school’s support has changed our lives. My son is calmer and less frustrated and we now know how to help him at home.’ A small minority of parents feel less well supported. They feel communication is not always clear enough.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders are passionate about making sure pupils do well. They are making changes to improve their curriculum, so it is well sequenced. In most subjects, pupils build up their skills and knowledge well. Curriculum leaders are enthusiastic about their subjects and lead them well. They make sure pupils get lots of interesting experiences.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The subject leader for mathematics is very knowledgeable. She has improved the structure of the curriculum in mathematics. The teaching of mathematics is particularly strong. Lessons build pupils’ knowledge step by step. Teachers give pupils lots of opportunities to practise and apply their skills. This deepens pupils’ mathematical understanding. Pupils enjoy their learning in mathematics and are highly engaged in 6–7 November 2019

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lessons. By the end of key stage 2 pupils’ attainment in mathematics is significantly above the national average.

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Reading is also well led. Staff are well trained to teach phonics. The curriculum leader makes sure that young children get off to a prompt start in their reading. Pupils in Reception and Year 1 get a daily phonics lesson. Staff check children’s phonic knowledge regularly. They use this information to identify any pupils falling behind in their learning. They make sure these pupils get the support they need to catch up. The books pupils get to practise their reading are well matched to their phonic knowledge. This gives pupils confidence. By the time pupils reach Year 2 almost all pupils have reached the expected standard in phonics screening check. Older pupils continue to develop their reading skills well. Pupils talk about the stories they have listened to. They love story time. It motivates pupils to want to read stories themselves. It helps them to develop a love of reading.

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In history, individual lessons are sequenced to develop pupils’ knowledge and skills. For example, in one lesson pupils could talk about a range of sources of evidence. They could say with confidence if the source was reliable and why. In some lesson visits, when activities were less engaging, pupils became distracted. Pupils were less confident in remembering work they had studied before, and how it had helped them. They struggled to explain the key concept of chronology. Leaders know that this aspect of the history curriculum needs to be improved. They are taking the right steps to do this.

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The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) makes sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Pupils with SEND get the extra support they need when they need it, so that they keep up. They are encouraged to be independent, so they become less reliant on adult support. Leaders make sure that all pupils with SEND are fully included in all activities, and that they play a full part in school life.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff understand their role in keeping children safe at all times. They attend regular training events to make sure their knowledge is up to date. Leaders make sure staff and pupils are aware of the local safeguarding issues.

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Safeguarding

Robust checks are made on anyone working or volunteering in school. These checks are maintained on the single central register.

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Safeguarding

The school identifies pupils who may be at risk of harm. They take swift action, if needed, to get pupils the support they need straight away. Leaders seek advice from external agencies to support them in their role.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe in different situations. This includes how to stay safe when using the internet or social media sites. 6–7 November 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not all schemes of work for foundation subjects are planned with the same high quality as reading and mathematics. This means that in some subjects, particularly in history, pupils lack a deep understanding of the key concepts. Leaders must make sure that the high-quality curriculum planning, training and support seen in mathematics and reading is matched for all subjects, so that pupils’ subject-specific knowledge and skills are built progressively.  When activities are less engaging some pupils loose concentration and they become distracted, particularly in some foundation subjects. This affects pupils’ learning. Teachers need to make sure behaviour expectations are consistent in all year groups and for all subjects, so that the strong attitudes to learning, demonstrated in mathematics and reading, are replicated in all subjects.  Some parents feel that leaders do not listen to their concerns. This impacts upon the

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

confidence some parents have in leaders listening to them. Leaders need to ensure that communication between parents and the school is always clear, so that parents see that leaders do listen to their concerns and act upon them accordingly.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Featherstone All Saints CofE (VA) Junior and Infant School, to be good on 15–16 June 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 6–7 November 2019

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 6–7 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10119937 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is below the national average. As is the proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is broadly in line with the national average.  This school was registered as an academy converter in February 2017. It is part of the Enhance Academy Trust. When its predecessor school was last inspected it was judged to be good.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the chief executive officer, two governors and two trustees of the multi- academy trust. I also met the headteacher and deputy headteacher, the SENCo and curriculum leaders. I met with several teaching staff, office staff and kitchen staff.  A meeting was held with leaders who have responsibility for safeguarding. Documents around processes and polices related to pupils’ safety were also checked and discussed with governors and trustees. I also checked records relating to recruitment of staff and staff training. 6–7 November 2019

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 I agreed with the headteacher to carry out a review of: mathematics, reading and history as part of the inspection. Together with curriculum leaders we completed connected inspection activities that included lesson visits, work scrutiny, and discussions with leaders, pupils and teachers.  I spoke to seven parents at the start of the school day. I considered the 33 responses left by parents through Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and reviewed 26 free-text responses. I also reviewed responses from the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Fiona McNally, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 6–7 November 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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