All Saints School

All Saints School

Address: School Road, Lessingham, Stalham, Norwich, Norfolk, NR12 0DJ Unique reference number (URN): 121250

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met. Insufficient evidence: Inspectors were unable to gather sufficient evidence to judge whether safeguarding standards are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Exceptional

Attendance is incredibly high. Almost all pupils have significantly improved their attendance during their time at the school. Many used to have low or no attendance. Pupils want to come to school because their needs are so well met. Leaders have rigorous systems for addressing absence. Leaders and staff go above and beyond to give families practical support and wellbeing support. This leads to meaningful collaboration between home and school in supporting attendance.

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Attendance and behaviour Exceptional

Leaders have relentlessly high expectations for pupils to learn positive behaviours. Staff consistently know and apply these expectations. This includes rewards that pupils find extremely motivating. The school has a ‘can-do’ approach, helping pupils to overcome barriers if they are anxious. Pupils feel a resultant sense of self-worth and success. Leaders have developed an exemplary culture over time. There is a highly nurturing and safe ethos, sustained in multiple ways by pastorally skilled staff. Consequently, behaviour is superb. Pupils are very eager to learn. They take great pride in their work. In discussions, they take turns, and show respect to each other, building on each other’s words. At breaktimes, pupils play cooperatively and inclusively with friends across year groups. Any very rare bullying or unkind behaviour gets thoroughly resolved.

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Inclusion Exceptional

Leaders identify pupils' needs with incredible accuracy and care. They use a range of carefully integrated systems to assess and review pupils' wide-ranging needs. For example, leaders check on and help pupils' nutrition, sleep, families, and their emotional, physical and communication needs. Pupils are highly vulnerable and face multiple barriers. These systems of support wrap around them and enable them to learn successfully. For example, pupils with high levels of social care involvement thrive.

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Inclusion Exceptional

Staff are highly knowledgeable in providing pastoral and learning support. There is an intensely focused use of helpful adaptations. Staff adapt their communication skilfully in response to pupils' needs. Staff break down support incrementally and plan each moment carefully to develop pupils' confidence and independence. This includes the choice of work experience or pupils making cups of tea for adults. The result is highly positive. For example, pupils have extremely high attendance. They develop amazing success in their future pathways, considering their previous trauma and needs. Pupils who are young carers or face disadvantages are empowered to achieve great outcomes.

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Inclusion Exceptional

Leaders work collaboratively with local agencies, such as the virtual school. They also support many local schools with inclusion. Leaders pioneer innovative safeguarding and inclusion work across the region.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

The proprietor and leaders have sustained a highly cohesive vision of excellence over time. This combines the highest aspirations for pupils with incredible levels of care. Underpinning leaders’ work is a meticulous and vigilant regard to safeguarding. Leaders and staff go beyond expectations to help pupils attend well. Leaders’ high-quality inclusion systems ensure that pupils receive the bespoke, wraparound support required to settle and thrive. As a result, highly vulnerable pupils have the course of their lives changed. Their previous education has not been successful. They move on to highly positive destinations. Parents and carers are wholly positive about the way the school’s work has transformed their children’s futures.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

The board is very knowledgeable about how to support and challenge leaders. The proprietor and leaders gather a vast amount of high-quality information on pupils’ needs, experiences and outcomes. Leaders judiciously select long-term priorities, maintain focus on these and aim for deep impact. They check rigorously and routinely on the quality of provision and use what they find to systematically train and support staff. This has embedded an exemplary culture. The proprietor ensures the independent school standards are consistently met.

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Leadership and governance Exceptional

The sense of teamwork in the school is palpable. Staff are universally positive about leadership. They express great pride in contributing to the school's transformative impact on pupils’ lives. Staff want to work and remain at the school. This is due to the superb professional development and support they receive. Staff report high levels of satisfaction with their wellbeing and working lives.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

Leaders have put in place a personal development programme of stunning quality. Pupils arrive having experienced high disruption and trauma. Their personal needs are identified and fully met through the excellent pastoral support. The impact is evident in the pupils themselves, who live and breathe the school’s wonderful ethos.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

Pupils progress to aspirational and appropriate destinations. Careers education builds their knowledge from the time they arrive in Year 3. All pupils complete meaningful work experience that helps them consistently find their pathway. Leaders systematically check in on pupils and their families long after they leave, supporting successful transition. Many pupils go on to do amazing things, such as achieving highly in university or at sport.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

Pupils enjoy a wide range of bespoke opportunities. For example, disabled pupils lead whole-school wheelchair basketball. Experiences are meticulously planned to have the highest impact. Pupils engage in leadership positions created for them, such as neurodiversity representatives, literacy or online safety leaders. Their voice is heard in multiple ways. The playground has just had a bright redesign as a result of pupils' input.

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Personal development and wellbeing Exceptional

The curriculum teaches important knowledge, including about puberty, healthy relationships and living in a democratic society. This learning is revisited regularly over time. For instance, pupils learn about county lines and then attend a related play in Norwich. As a result, they develop amazingly deep and rich knowledge. For example, the youngest pupils show wide- ranging understanding of online safety. Pupils talk with great maturity about their knowledge of healthy eating and living. They describe in detail how classroom learning about healthy eating links to advice from the in-school nutritionist.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils achieve really well. For example, they use mathematical vocabulary well to solve problems. Pupils produce high-quality work. They are justly proud of their beautiful poetry and art pieces. Those with high levels of disadvantage or vulnerability build up what they know confidently.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils learn the key knowledge they need, such as in reading and writing, to access the rest of the curriculum. Pupils across the school show a love of reading. Where pupils need extra help to learn to read, this is very well-considered. They rapidly develop fluency and confidence. Pupils get high-quality support with their language and communication. This helps them articulate and develop their knowledge with considerable assurance.

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Achievement Strong standard

Pupils' gaps in learning reduce over time. On rare occasions, they are not wholly confident in their knowledge. This is where teaching does not precisely match their needs. Pupils consistently achieve the qualifications they need to move successfully to their next steps.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The curriculum is aspirational and broad. It identifies what pupils should know, such as subject-specific vocabulary. Leaders routinely check how well staff deliver the curriculum. Pupils build up what they know over time.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They explain and model learning effectively. Staff ensure that every moment of learning counts. For example, the start of the day is fast paced and high impact. Staff check pupils' knowledge closely. Very occasionally, teaching is not as precisely matched to pupils' understanding as it might be. Where this happens, pupils make slightly less progress through the curriculum. Overall, they achieve highly.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Staff confidently adapt the curriculum for pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities. They use resources such as wobble stools, vocabulary mats or reading pens with meticulous care and regular review. Pupils' learning targets are very well chosen and assessed. Learning is consistently purposeful.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The curriculum successfully builds pupils' foundations in mathematics, reading and writing. Pupils learn a range of skills that support their handwriting, such as posture and pencil grip. They then shape texts accurately and with wonderful expression. Almost all pupils read for pleasure. Where pupils need help with learning to read, this quickly develops their fluency. Pupils consistently learn what they need to be successful.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils' experiences and life prospects are transformed at this school. They have previously faced significant levels of trauma and educational disruption. Here, they are helped to overcome the multiple barriers they face. For example, many pupils had low or no attendance before joining. Now, attendance is very high due to the incremental and very skilful help they receive. The school goes above and beyond to ensure that pupils are safe.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils' behaviour is excellent. Those with high vulnerabilities settle quickly because their needs are meticulously identified and fully met, including those excluded from other schools. In classrooms, the sense of purpose is palpable. Pupils take huge pride in their achievements. They treat each other with great consideration and respect. Older pupils look after younger peers. It's like a family. Any issues caused by unkind words are resolved. Pupils are friendly, polite, confident and articulate.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils consistently develop a clear sense of future direction. For many years, all pupils have gone on to sustained positive destinations in education, employment or training. The school's bespoke careers education empowers them. Pupils achieve great things after they leave school, such as in sport or at university.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils access a bespoke range of opportunities that are just what they need. The school helps them find suitable pathways, including those who face disadvantages. For example, pupils lead peers and staff in wheelchair sport or become online safety leaders. These responsibilities help them excel more widely. Pupils complete highly meaningful work experience that supports future careers, including in business, or with horses or cars. Everything is carefully planned to build character and prepare pupils for the future.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils achieve really well. They build their foundations in reading, writing and mathematics confidently. Pupils gain qualifications that enable them to move on successfully.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this standard inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, and checked the school’s compliance with the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the proprietor, the chair and two other members of the advisory board, the headteacher, other senior and middle leaders and representatives of Norfolk local authority during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

Almost all pupils are in receipt of an education, health and care plan. All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school caters for a wide range of needs, including: social, emotional and mental health needs; speech, language and communication needs; autism; moderate learning difficulties; specific learning difficulties; physical disabilities and visual impairments. At the time of the inspection, nearly all pupils were placed by Norfolk County Council.

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Independent school standards

Independent school standards are either met or not met for each category. The proprietor and managing director is Rachel Smith. There is also another director, Judith Gardiner, who is the previous proprietor and the current proprietor's mother. There is an advisory board. This is chaired by Heather Duxbury.

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Independent school standards

The school does not currently use alternative provision.

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Independent school standards

1. Quality of education provided Standards met

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Independent school standards

2. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils Standards met

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Independent school standards

3. Welfare, health and safety of pupils Standards met

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Independent school standards

4. Suitability of staff, supply staff, and proprietors Standards met

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Independent school standards

5. Premises of and accommodation at schools Standards met

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Lead inspector:

Charlie Fordham, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.

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Pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan

6. Provision of information Standards met

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Pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan

7. Manner in which complaints are handled Standards met

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Pupils with an education, health and care (EHC) plan

8. Quality of leadership in and management of schools Standards met

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Insufficient evidence

Inspectors were unable to gather reliable enough evidence to grade an evaluation area. This is rare and normally only happens if there are no pupils on roll at the school.

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Insufficient evidence

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Insufficient evidence

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Insufficient evidence

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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