Featherstone All Saints CofE Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Featherstone All Saints CofE Academy North Close, Pontefract WF7 6BQ

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Outcome

Featherstone All Saints CofE Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Philip Burton. This school is part of Enhance Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Mark Randall, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Janet Milne.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school say, ‘We are one big, massive family.’ Pupils enjoy coming to this school. They feel happy and safe. They have warm relationships with staff. They feel that staff always support them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils. Pupils respond well to this challenge. They develop a broad mix of academic, personal and social skills during their time at the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are courteous, polite and attentive in lessons. Pupils have enthusiasm for learning. They are keen to demonstrate their knowledge to visitors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take an active part in the life of the school. For example, they have introduced a ‘kindness jar’ into the school, where they can celebrate acts of kindness by their peers each week. They are proud of the leadership roles they hold. Reading leaders enjoy reading to younger pupils. Sports leaders encourage other pupils to be physically active and provide fun games at social times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils participate in a range of clubs and activities. These include mathematics clubs, cheerleading, netball and singing clubs. Pupils develop business skills through enterprise 4 and 5 March 2025

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challenges. They learn about different careers through aspiration-building events and visitors to the school.

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

The school provides a curriculum that is fully adapted to meet the needs of pupils. Pupils engage well with their learning and achieve highly. They study a broad range of subjects. This prepares them well for their next steps in education. Children in the early years are provided with strong foundations to be successful in key stage 1.

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

Pupils have regular opportunities to revisit their learning. This helps them to retain knowledge. For example, pupils are reminded of important knowledge through retrieval activities at the start of lessons. Pupils’ learning is regularly assessed and helpful feedback is provided. The school has recently developed new methods of teaching and assessment. These include new methods of identifying misconceptions and learning at greater depth. These methods show promise, but currently they are not consistently embedded across the curriculum. It is therefore too soon to see their full impact.

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

Pupils make strong progress through the curriculum. They achieve well in national tests at the end of key stage 2. Children in the early years make excellent progress from their starting points. Most pupils can confidently explain their learning using subject-specific vocabulary. For example, they can talk in detail about the structure of the eye and about local coal mining history. In some subjects, methods to deepen pupils’ understanding are not consistently embedded. In these subjects, pupils do not always achieve at the greater depth they are capable of.

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

The school provides tailored support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND are swiftly identified and receive intervention that precisely meets their needs. The school provides many adaptations to help pupils access learning. For example, pupils enjoy short ‘mindfulness sessions’ in the afternoon where they read, practise yoga and engage with pastoral discussions. This successfully helps them to prepare for their learning in afternoon lessons.

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

Pupils love reading. They excitedly talk about characters in stories. Children in the early years link stories about famous explorers to school values such as being aspirational. Pupils who are weaker at reading receive intensive support to catch up. Pupils rapidly acquire phonics knowledge and achieve highly in national tests.

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

The school has introduced a new behaviour policy this year. This has had a significant impact. Pupils’ behaviour has improved and is evidenced by the reducing numbers of consequences given to pupils. The school has successfully introduced new systems such as ‘shout out’ cards to emphasise desirable behaviours. Pupils talk positively about the rewards they receive for good behaviour and their use of ‘golden time’. Children in the early years learn positive behaviours and routines. Pupils in all key stages enjoy school and most attend regularly. 4 and 5 March 2025

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Pupils experience a comprehensive programme of personal development. They learn about body changes at puberty, how to keep themselves healthy and the dangers of drugs. They learn how to keep themselves safe online. Pupils can articulate the importance of fundamental British values and why it is wrong to discriminate against protected characteristics. Children in the early years learn about democracy by voting for which story will be read at story time.

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Leaders have a secure understanding of the school’s many strengths. They are ambitious for pupils and determined to further improve the school’s provision. Most staff are positive about workload. They feel supported by leaders. Governors, trustees and members of the diocese work together effectively to provide strategic direction to the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 New strategies to develop pupils’ deeper knowledge and understanding are not fully embedded across the curriculum. This means that, on occasions, pupils are not challenged to develop an in-depth understanding in some subjects. The school should ensure that pupils consistently receive the help and opportunities they need to secure and deepen their learning.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately. 4 and 5 March 2025

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, All Saints Featherstone CofE (VA) Junior Infant and Nursery School, to be good for overall effectiveness in June 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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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). 4 and 5 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in April 2024.  The school does not use any providers of alternative education.  The school is part of the Church of England Diocese of Leeds. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection was in December 2024.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, other leaders, staff and pupils. He met with members of the governing body and trustees. 4 and 5 March 2025

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 The inspector carried out activities to understand the quality of education in various subjects. The inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector visited lessons and considered how the needs of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are met. He observed pupils at various times of the school day.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; considered the views of parents; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector evaluated responses from parents to Ofsted Parent View. He spoke with parents. He also evaluated the responses that staff made to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Chris Carr, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 4 and 5 March 2025

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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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