Allesley Hall Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Allesley Hall Primary School Winsford Avenue, Coventry, West Midlands CV5 9NG

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Outcome

Allesley Hall Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Allesley Hall Primary School is a friendly, welcoming school. Staff and pupils get on well together and treat each other with courtesy and respect. Pupils are proud of their school. Leaders’ high expectations are founded on the school’s values of attitude, helpful, perseverance and success. Pupils reflect these in lessons and during breaktimes and lunchtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff make sure that pupils are well prepared for their next steps. They want pupils to make good progress in all subjects and grow as responsible individuals. The curriculum is well planned. Pupils enjoy learning in lessons. They listen attentively and talk avidly about their learning. Many pupils keenly take part in a wide range of other activities outside of the classroom.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. At breaktimes and lunchtimes, pupils enjoy socialising and playing. Pupils feel safe in school because staff look after them well. They do not see bullying as a problem. Pupils volunteer to be anti-bullying ambassadors. Pupils undertake this role eagerly and this helps with addressing potential issues.

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

Leaders have designed a broad curriculum that prepares pupils well for secondary education. In Reception, children develop their personal, social and emotional skills, and their numeracy and literacy, well. Their transition into key stage 1 is smooth as a result. Effective teaching ensures that pupils are ready to move on from year to year up to the end of Year 6.

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

Curriculum content is well ordered so that pupils build new learning on what they have learned before. For example, geography lessons start with questions about key words that pupils have learned about in previous lessons. Every mathematics lesson starts with a five-minute activity recapping previous knowledge to help pupils make sense of new learning planned for the lesson. 16 and 17 March 2022

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Pupils work well with each other in lessons. Teachers often encourage them to work in pairs or in groups. Pupils enjoy this way of learning. Pupils are keen to learn. They make the most of the opportunity to discuss their learning with their peers. As a result, they focus on their work and behave well.

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Teachers check pupils’ work during lessons and adapt what they are doing to help pupils learn. The checking of work enables teachers to spot and unpick pupils’ misconceptions. They also check at the end of each topic that pupils have achieved what has been set out in the curriculum.

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Leaders ensure that the curriculum in English, mathematics and science is designed in such a way that learning is appropriately demanding for pupils. In some other subjects, the curriculum is not always sufficiently ambitious. Where this is the case, some pupils find the work too easy. Curriculum leaders are currently reviewing the curriculum in their subject areas with a view to ensuring that it is appropriately demanding.

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Teachers are successful in helping pupils to become fluent readers. Children have phonics lessons from the start of Reception. Staff provide extra support for children who find learning to read difficult. This helps pupils keep up with others. They continue to support pupils throughout key stage 1. By Year 3, pupils can read fluently and accurately. Teachers and pupils read together at the end of every day. Both adults and children say that they enjoy this activity.

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Leaders want pupils to grow into responsible and well-rounded individuals. Pupils take on leadership roles as anti-bullying ambassadors, members of the school council, head gardeners or eco-warriors, with gusto. The curriculum makes them aware of diversity, the rule of law and the need to respect others. There is also a ‘skills for life’ curriculum with outdoor activities, yoga and movie-making that promote teamwork and co-operation.

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Leaders ensure that pupils usually learn well and enjoy what the school offers. Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. The special educational needs coordinator works with teachers and support staff to provide help to pupils with SEND. Together, they ensure that all pupils learn in lessons and in enrichment activities. Pupils with SEND play a full part in extra-curricular activities.

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Leaders and staff enjoy positive relationships. Staff know that leaders listen to their concerns. Leaders ensure that staff are not under undue pressure because of workload.

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Governors support leaders well and hold them to account. They know the school well and want the best for all pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All members of staff are confident about identifying and reporting issues. They receive regular training and updates. Leaders take effective actions to protect children who are at risk. They work well with families and external agencies. 16 and 17 March 2022

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Governors and leaders have the training and knowledge necessary to follow safe recruitment procedures and to address allegations against staff.

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Pupils learn how to stay safe in everyday life situations, including when using the internet and social media. They also learn about healthy relationships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the curriculum lacks sufficient ambition. As a result, the work being given to some pupils is not demanding enough. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is ambitious for all and is well supported by materials and resources that support this intent.

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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 evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2013.

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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. 16 and 17 March 2022

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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. 16 and 17 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212427 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since September 2017.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, who is also the designated safeguarding lead (DSL), and the deputy headteacher who is also the special educational needs coordinator. The inspector also spoke with the chair of the governing body and two governors. The inspector had a meeting with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, geography, and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work . 16 and 17 March 2022

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 The inspector checked safeguarding arrangements and school records. The inspector discussed safeguarding policies and case studies with the DSL. He talked to teachers and other staff about the safeguarding training they had received and how they put this training into practice.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at break and lunchtimes and talked to parents and carers at the start of the school day.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, the online inspection questionnaire, including free-text responses. He also considered responses from staff to their online inspection questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Patrick Amieli, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 March 2022

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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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