All Saints Church of England Primary School, Laxfield

Inspection of an outstanding school: All Saints Church of England Primary School, Laxfield Framlingham Road, Laxfield, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP13 8HD

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of outstanding as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that All Saints feels like being part of one big happy family. Pupils are kind and courteous. They understand the importance of getting along and helping one another. As one pupil told the inspector, ‘We must treat everyone equally even though we are all different.’ Positive relationships between pupils and staff are centred on the school’s caring Christian ethos. This helps pupils to feel safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are eager to learn. They contribute to class discussions and listen to the views of others. Adults expect and ensure that every pupil tries their hardest and gives of their best in lessons. Pupils show pride in the way they present their work in books and on classroom displays.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils speak with excitement about how they contribute to the life of the school. Some pupils have worked with adults, including governors, to develop the school motto. As members of the junior ethos group, pupils model the school’s values and aspirations. They welcome their peers into the school assembly, helping to bring the school community together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils consider that everyone behaves well at their school. Even when there are occasions of misbehaviour, these are not significant. Pupils understand about different types of bullying. They told us that it hardly ever happens. If it did occur, they are resolute that adults would sort it out.

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

Staff have worked together to plan an ambitious curriculum for all pupils. Subject plans identify most of the key knowledge that pupils need to build their understanding. Leaders 20 October 2021

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continue to refine their plans to improve the quality of education. In music, leaders changed the instruments pupils learn to play to help develop pupils’ knowledge of composition and performance.

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Leaders provide teachers with a range of different professional development opportunities. Teachers develop their expertise through partnerships created by the All Saints Schools Trust, a multi-academy trust (the trust). They attend well-selected courses, improving their knowledge of the curriculum. Teachers have a good understanding of the content that they need to teach in subjects. Teachers understand how to check what pupils have remembered. They ensure that pupils gain a secure understanding before building their learning further. In mathematics, for example, teachers remind pupils of key operations before tackling multi-step problems.

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Children are happy and settled in the mixed Reception and Year 1 class. They know the routines well. The curriculum for children in early years is not as well planned as it should be. Adults are not considering the important knowledge and skills children need to learn so they are well prepared for the full range of subjects in Year 1. The order of teaching and choosing of activities is not as carefully thought through across all areas of learning.

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In phonics, leaders have identified the sounds pupils should learn, the order in which they should learn them, and when learning should take place. Teachers check that pupils are keeping up well. Pupils who find learning to read more difficult receive additional help, but leaders are not sure about the effectiveness of interventions. Most books are well matched to help pupils practise their sounds, but this is not always the case. A few pupils struggle because they are not secure with the sounds they need to be able to read accurately. Some pupils find their books too difficult to read fluently.

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Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to read regularly. Leaders’ booklists record different texts pupils must experience before they leave the school. Pupils have access to a wide range of authors and genres in classrooms and the well-equipped school library. Older pupils talk excitedly about their love of reading and times when they read together.

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Pupils benefit from a broad range of experiences that enrich the curriculum. Residential trips, such as visits to the Peak District, enable pupils to participate in adventurous outdoor activities. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. Pupils have opportunities to perform, dance and sing, whether in school plays or local cultural events. The variety of additional curricular opportunities supports pupils’ wider development exceptionally well.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) share the same experiences as their peers. Teachers understand how to adapt the curriculum so that it meets their needs. Pupils with SEND flourish both academically and socially.

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The trust works closely with a local governing board to provide challenge and support for leaders. Its members question leaders to ensure that the school continues to develop. Staff are appreciative of the support they receive from leaders. They say they are not overburdened with unnecessary tasks and have time to fulfil their additional responsibilities. 20 October 2021

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In discussion with the headteacher, inspectors agreed that the completion of curriculum plans, such as for history and geography, including in early years, may serve as a useful focus for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that there is a strong culture of safeguarding. They recognise that though the school is small, ‘it could happen here.’ Staff are well trained. Regular quizzes and briefings ensure that they are up to date with the most recent guidance. Leaders act on concerns swiftly where appropriate. They pursue external agencies for the support that vulnerable pupils need.

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Safeguarding

The school carries out all the required checks for adults employed at the school. Records are well organised and up to date.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Most of the curriculum includes all the knowledge pupils need to know to build their learning. This is not across all subjects. In a few subjects, leaders have not completed their curriculum plans. In some subjects, such as history and geography, leaders have not identified all the key knowledge that pupils need to know. This means that not all the building blocks to secure pupils’ understanding are in place. Leaders should ensure that subjects include all the key knowledge that pupils need to know to make strong progress in their learning.  The early years curriculum is not fully developed. Teachers do not have all the information they need to plan the most beneficial activities. As a result, children do not build their learning successfully. Leaders need to ensure that the early years curriculum identifies the important things children need to know across all areas of learning, and how this learning is ordered. This is so that children are well prepared for the next key

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

stage.  Phonics is taught consistently across the school. However, there are a few pupils who are not making fast enough progress. They have not secured the phonics they need to read fluently. This is because the books they read are too difficult. Leaders must ensure that the books pupils read, especially for those pupils who struggle, are well matched to the sounds they know. 20 October 2021

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, the next inspection will be a full (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 a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in May 2016.

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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. 20 October 2021

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School details

Headteacher Melanie Barrow (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school converted to become an academy in April 2018. It is a member of the All Saints Schools Trust.  All Saints is federated with Stradbroke Primary School. They share an executive headteacher and each school has their own head of school.  Since becoming an academy, the school has not received a section 48 inspection. The school requires this inspection as a denominational Church of England faith school.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the head of school, subject leaders, staff and pupils.  The lead inspector held discussions with representatives of the trust and three members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors. 20 October 2021

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and music. They discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to an adult.  Inspectors scrutinised school documentation, including safeguarding information, school curriculum plans and school development plans.  Inspectors considered 24 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including 15 free-text responses. An inspector also met with parents and carers as they arrived at school in the morning with their children. There were no responses to the staff and pupil online surveys. However, inspectors held conversations with staff to check on their workload and welfare, and with pupils to check whether they felt safe at school.

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Inspection team

Steve Mellors, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lynsey Holzer Ofsted Inspector 20 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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