All Hallows CofE Primary School

Inspection of All Hallows C of E Primary School Priory Road, Gedling, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG4 3JZ

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Inspection dates: 20 and 21 February 2024

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 13 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. The school received an ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Act on November 2020. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 20 and 21 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has established a clear vision and values. There is a determination to ensure that the school is ‘at the heart of the community, with the children at the heart of the school’. Pupils value the school. They appreciate being part of a small church school where everyone is ‘truly known’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The new behaviour policy is working well. Pupils show each other kindness. They are polite and courteous. In lessons, pupils are focused and engaged. They work collaboratively. Pupils appreciate the house points they receive for positive behaviour. ‘Behaviour sanction’ cards are rarely issued.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that they trust that teachers will quickly resolve bullying or friendship concerns. Pupils particularly value the emotional literacy support assistant (ELSA) help they receive. They said that the ELSA room was a place where they can be listened to and ‘express yourself’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has undergone much needed change. A well-planned curriculum is now in place in most subjects. However, the curriculum is not yet consistently implemented, including in the early years. Expectations for some pupils are not high enough. Pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and the most able pupils, do not achieve as well as they could.

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better?

A lot of work has been undertaken in recent times to ensure a curriculum that is well structured and meets the scope of the national curriculum. Staff have identified the key knowledge that pupils must acquire. They are working to ensure that pupils remember this learning long term. Some subjects are further along this journey than others.

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better?

There is now a well-planned and sequenced phonics curriculum in place. There has been great investment to ensure that pupils’ reading books match the sounds that they are learning. Staff have received appropriate training. The teaching of the early reading curriculum has improved but is not yet consistently strong. There are not enough checks made in lessons to ensure that pupils have acquired the knowledge they need. This means that some pupils’ phonics knowledge, such as the sounds that letters make, is not precise enough. This is a barrier to some pupils becoming confident readers.

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better?

Staff, including teaching assistants, skilfully support the pupils with SEND who have complex needs. They ensure that the educational and medical needs of these pupils are met. However, the curriculum for some pupils with SEND is not always suitably adapted. This limits the development of their knowledge and skills. 20 and 21 February 2024

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Teachers are extremely experienced. They have good subject knowledge. They present information clearly. Pupils value their teachers. They said that their teachers make learning interesting and fun.

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The school is working within significant financial constraints. This limits the amount of professional development opportunities that staff can access. The school has been creative in its approach to addressing this issue, including through leadership coaching. However, some talented subject leaders do not have the allocated time or leadership development to fulfil their roles as effectively as they could.

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The school promotes the love of reading. Staff ensure that pupils access a range of high-quality texts in their English lessons and in other subjects across the curriculum. Many teachers are expert storytellers. They enhance pupils’ experience of the spoken word. Pupils speak enthusiastically about their reading and the ‘library ticket’ recognition that they receive.

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The curriculum in the early years is newly written and is yet to be fully embedded. There is a clear intention to ensure that published outcomes improve and that all children, whatever their starting points, achieve well. Children settle well into the provision. They quickly learn the routines. They play and collaborate happily. Relationships between staff and parents are strong. The provision is highly valued by parents.

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Pupils benefit from a well-structured personal, social and health education curriculum. They appreciate the assembly programme that further enriches their understanding of faith and the wider world outside of the school. They have a strong understanding of fairness and the importance of equality. Pupils receive a wide range of leadership opportunities. They are proud of the roles, such as peer mentors, office owls and members of the pupil parliament. Pupils said that they feel that they have a voice in the school and that their voice really matters.

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The curriculum extends beyond lessons. Pupils access a wide range of extra- curricular clubs. They play sport and dance. They enjoy community events, trips, tournaments and concerts. Singing is at the heart of the school. Pupils said that their teachers considered their ‘well-being in lessons and outside of class’. They value the experiences they receive and the care they are shown.

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There has been a great deal of change in a short amount of time. This was initially unsettling for some staff. However, leaders and staff have come together and worked hard to improve the school, often under challenging circumstances. They have shown huge commitment. They express immense pride in working at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 20 and 21 February 2024

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The school has recognised that safeguarding records do not always accurately reflect all the actions taken to keep pupils safe. They are not routinely logged in a comprehensive and clear manner. The school has not been swift enough to fully address this issue.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is not suitably adapted to meet the needs of all learners. The ambition for some pupils is too low. This means that some pupils, including pupils with SEND and the most able pupils, do not achieve as well as they should. The school must ensure that the curriculum is implemented effectively and adapted across all subjects and in the early years. It must ensure that all pupils achieve the ambitious outcomes of which they are capable.  Subject leaders do not receive the time or the training required to conduct their roles. This is a barrier to swift and effective curriculum implementation. The school must ensure that subject leaders receive the professional opportunities needed to carry out their roles expertly.  In lessons, the curriculum in many subjects is not suitably adapted for pupils with SEND. This limits the knowledge and skills they acquire. The school must ensure that the curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced so that the learning needs of

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

pupils with SEND are fully met.  The school has a positive safeguarding culture, but some safeguarding records are not as well kept as is necessary. The school must urgently ensure that the safeguarding records are comprehensive, clear and well managed.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at 20 and 21 February 2024

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any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 20 and 21 February 2024

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Sarah Lee Aisling Walters (Co-chairs) Headteacher Heather Gabb

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 November 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher joined the school in January 2022.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The school’s most recent Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools inspection took place in February 2017.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 20 and 21 February 2024

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 During the inspection, the inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders and a range of school staff.  The lead inspector met with the co-chairs of governors and a representative of the local authority. She spoke by telephone to a representative of the diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, computing, physical education and English. As part of the deep dives, inspectors spoke with curriculum leaders to review the curriculum, visited lessons and considered pupils’ work. They spoke with pupils and teachers.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors visited the early years provision and met with the early years lead.

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at various times of the school day, including the start and end of day and at lunchtime and breaktime.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the survey of school staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Jayne Ashman, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Sadler Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 February 2024

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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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