All Saints Catholic School and Technology College

Inspection of All Saints Catholic School and Technology College Terling Road, Wood Lane, Dagenham, Essex RM8 1JT

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Sixth-form provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 1 and 2 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school successfully encourages pupils to demonstrate its core values, which include respect and understanding others. In addition to this, pupils meet the school’s exceedingly high academic expectations and achieve very well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have equally high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and conduct. Pupils surpass these expectations, and demonstrate high levels of enthusiasm, intellectual curiosity and consideration for others. In class, they are consistently focused on learning and readily complete work that teachers set. The school ensures that pupils are kept safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s programme of extra-curricular activities is very extensive. The school ensures that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) participate fully in these activities, including judo, computing, dance, an orchestra and two choirs. Many pupils participate in school plays. All students in the sixth form take part in enrichment activities, including voice coaching, art and first aid.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ talents and interests across all subjects are identified and nurtured. For example, pupils in Year 7 had the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel in a Dragons’ Den-inspired competition.

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better?

Over many years, the school has designed and continues to finesse a very ambitious curriculum for all pupils in the school, including those with SEND. In Years 7 to 9, pupils study a full curriculum, based on the best that has been thought and said across and beyond all subjects in the national curriculum. In the sixth form, students are guided to study courses that support them to achieve their best. As a result, pupils achieve highly at all ages. This is reflected in the strong published academic outcomes for pupils at GCSE and students in the sixth form.

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better?

The school ensures that teaching supports pupils’ learning effectively across all subjects. Teachers have excellent subject knowledge, including in the sixth form. Regular checks on pupils’ understanding and recall of what has been taught enable pupils to connect new knowledge to what they have already learned.

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better?

The school provides many opportunities for pupils to deepen their understanding within subjects. These include themed days such as a languages day, a psychology club for younger pupils, competitions such as the mathematics challenge, and visits to art galleries and historical palaces.

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better?

Leaders at all levels are determined to continually raise standards even higher. They do so while remaining considerate of the workload and well-being of staff. The school’s work is thoroughly monitored by the governing body, which is expert in providing support and challenge where necessary. 1 and 2 May 2024

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Pupils with SEND are very well supported here. In the school’s additionally resourced provision, post-16 students are provided with a tailored curriculum that prepares them fully for further study and for the wider world. In mainstream classes, pupils with SEND receive the support that they need across all subjects. They follow the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Teaching is very effectively adapted so that pupils with SEND achieve their best, regardless of their starting points.

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The school has organised a clear programme of support for pupils who speak English as an additional language or who need help to improve their confidence and fluency in reading. This ensures that all pupils can access the curriculum and become strong readers over time.

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Pupils consistently behave in a manner that supports learning. Between classes and during breaktimes, pupils interact calmly and with self-control. In class, pupils’ behaviour is equally excellent, for example they listen respectfully when others contribute to whole-class discussions. Students in the sixth form are mature, and act as role models for younger pupils. Attendance has been consistently high over many years. Since pupils returned to school after the COVID-19 pandemic, leaders have supported families and pupils where needed in order to maintain and, where necessary, improve attendance rates for all pupils.

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The school organises many opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles. These include well-being and anti-bullying ambassadors, form captains and members of the school council. In the sixth form, the student leadership team organises whole-school activities such as charity fundraising.

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Through the careers programme, pupils have access to unbiased careers advice. Pupils are taught about specific career opportunities in all subjects. Pupils with SEND are given additional careers support. Pupils are also introduced to possible future jobs and apprenticeships as part of the well-planned personal development curriculum. Local and international businesses come into the school to introduce pupils to a wide variety of career possibilities, ranging from finance to the creative industries.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 1 and 2 May 2024

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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 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). 1 and 2 May 2024

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,383

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sixth form

Appropriate authority The governing body

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sixth form

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 March 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses three registered alternative providers.  The school has additionally resourced provision in the sixth form for up to 15 students with moderate learning difficulties.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships. 1 and 2 May 2024

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors met with leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, behaviour and attendance, early reading and pupils’ wider development, careers and sixth form.  Inspectors met with representatives from the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: science, mathematics, history, English, geography and music. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 considered the respective responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Guy Forbat, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tom Howells Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 May 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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