All Hallows' CofE (VA) Primary School

Inspection of a good school: All Hallows’ CE (VA) Primary School Longcroft, Almondbury, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire HD5 8XW

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Outcome

All Hallows’ CE (VA) Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years get off to a positive start. There is a real buzz in the Reception class, with children keen to write and talk about their learning. Children are eager to do activities that teachers have prepared for them. They are immersed in language that helps them to develop communication quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are responsive to their teachers. Teachers ask pupils purposeful questions. Pupils are keen to answer questions that teachers ask them because they often have the knowledge that they need to give accurate responses. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about what they have studied in the past. For example, Year 4 pupils talked about what they knew regarding the Great Fire of London, which they were taught about in Year 2. They were able to discuss the impact that it had had on London.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and happy in the school. They appreciate having staff to talk to. Pupils say that if there is a problem, staff sort it out. Parents and carers agree. One parent said, ‘The staff are always friendly and approachable and have always dealt with any concerns we have had.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the importance of treating people equally. Leaders have ensured that pupils learn about role models from a variety of backgrounds, including some important female scientists. Pupils are enjoying the return of choir, football and other clubs. Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy and how to make positive choices in life.

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

Leaders have clearly defined what they want pupils to know in each subject. This knowledge has been carefully woven through each year group so that what pupils need to know builds on what they have been taught in previous years. Pupils increase their knowledge as they move through school. 5 and 6 October 2021

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Leaders have a clear understanding of the importance of early reading. They have brought in a new phonics programme to further improve the teaching of phonics. Staff are well trained in how to use this new programme. All staff use phonics to support pupils to read. The books that pupils read are matched to the sounds that they have learned. Leaders have identified some teething problems with the new programme. They know that the tricky words that pupils need to read on sight are in a different order to how they have been taught in the past. Leaders have plans for how to address this.

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In mathematics, leaders use a curriculum that is crystal clear on what teachers should teach and when. Teachers break down the work that pupils need to do into small steps. Pupils are ready for each step because teachers check they have understood the one before. Teachers are using the same teaching methods as each other. Pupils are clear on what to do. For example, teachers use the same clear method for teaching all pupils how to add using columns. Teachers use ‘grapple tasks’ to revisit content that pupils have learned in the past. Pupils like mathematics and are getting better at it. One pupil said, ‘The teacher makes it easy by showing me what to do.’

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In subjects other than English and mathematics, teachers know the level of demand that is needed for the year group that they teach. They understand the knowledge and skills that pupils need at the end of each unit of work. However, teachers do not know how to break down this knowledge into smaller parts. Teachers sometimes give pupils work that they are not ready for. For example, in geography, pupils were asked to draw a map with a key with no prior understanding of what a key is. Pupils struggle and do not understand what to do when this happens.

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Teachers use assessment well. They have many ways of checking what pupils know or don’t know. This can range from asking questions to check the understanding of specific pupils, having a quick quiz at the start of a lesson or looking at answers on a short test. Teachers then adapt their teaching if pupils have not understood. Pupils rarely move on to further learning with misconceptions.

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The early years provides a platform for the rest of the learning in the school. Children are excited to learn because the curriculum is so well suited to their needs. During the inspection, children were seen developing their understanding of the world by drawing maps. Outside, children were drawing parts of their village in chalk. Staff were encouraging the correct use of vocabulary such as ‘curved’ or ‘straight’ to describe roads. Staff check that children, when they are speaking, can hear the sounds that make up words. Staff model the correct pencil grip that they expect children to use. Staff seize on many opportunities to improve children’s communication and early reading.

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Staff put in extra help or resources for pupils who need it. This is especially helpful for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In mathematics, pupils use resources like counters or number squares to help them understand what to do. Some pupils have ‘quick check ins’ from the teacher to check they know what to do and are happy. Pupils with SEND have suitable plans. Most teachers use the plans for pupils in their class effectively. 5 and 6 October 2021

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Pupils behave well in lessons. If they get distracted, teachers refocus them quickly. Pupils report that some pupils are silly or unkind outside. Staff talk to pupils when this happens. Pupils say that this helps.

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Governors have not checked on the quality of education in the school sufficiently. They have not asked for enough information from leaders. They accept what they are told. The pace of improvement in some subjects in the curriculum has not been as quick as it could have been. Governors recognise that they have not challenged leaders enough.

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Leaders have used support from other sources well. The local authority has sought the help of a local leader of education (LLE). This LLE has supported subject leaders with developing curriculum plans for their subjects. The school improvement representative from the diocese is training teachers in how to design a unit of work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have trained staff in what to do if they have a concern. Staff are responsive to issues if they spot any. They pass these on. Leaders then act swiftly to do what is needed.

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Safeguarding

Leaders record incidents that are of concern. They provide education to pupils or families to ensure that the chance of any incidents happening again is reduced. Leaders have been trained in how to spot inappropriate behaviour. They plan to pass this training on to the rest of the staff. Staff receive regular updates and training on areas of safeguarding that they need to be aware of.

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Safeguarding

During the inspection, some aspects of the school’s recording of safeguarding needed to be updated. These were all completed before the end of the inspection.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In foundation subjects, teachers are not clear on the sequences of learning needed to build towards the overall objectives defined by leaders. Pupils are often unprepared for activities. Some pupils forget important details of what they have learned in the past. Leaders should ensure that they have defined the components of knowledge that teachers need to teach and that these components are sequenced appropriately. Leaders should train teachers on how to select suitable activities for these clearly defined components.  Governors have not sufficiently checked on the quality of education in the school. They have taken what leaders have told them too readily. The pace of curriculum development has not happened as quickly as it could. Governors should present leaders with challenge that enables governors to be fully reassured about the curriculum in the school. They should ensure that they ask for information and ask

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

leaders questions about it to gain this understanding. 5 and 6 October 2021

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2015.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 5 and 6 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10202700 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 31 March and 1 April 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the school has undergone a significant expansion. The school has increased its capacity to include a full key stage 2. There is one class in each year group from Reception to Year 6.  There is no longer a Nursery class in the school.  The school has changed its name from Almondbury Church of England Voluntary Aided Infant and Nursery School to All Hallows’ CE (VA) Primary School.  The headteacher has been in post since September 2018.  There are two other providers located in separate, detached buildings on the school’s site. They are called Almondbury Playgroup and Doodles Out of School Club. Both of these providers are registered with Ofsted.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation. 5 and 6 October 2021

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 The inspector met with the headteacher, assistant headteacher, three governors, a representative from Kirklees local authority and a representative from the Diocese of Leeds to discuss the quality of education in the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector visited the Reception class in each of the deep dives.  The inspector also looked at leaders’ plans for music and languages and talked to leaders about them.  The inspector checked the single central record of the school. The inspector talked to staff about their training, met with the designated safeguarding leader and checked the records that the school keeps for incidents such as bullying.

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Inspection team

Matthew Knox, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 October 2021

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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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