All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport

Inspection Report All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport

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106103 Unique Reference Number Stockport LEA 277487 Inspection number 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006 Inspection dates Mr Derek Aitken CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Churchill Street School address Primary Type of school Heaton Norris Voluntary controlled School category Stockport, Cheshire SK4 1ND 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 0161 2857373 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0161 2857374 Fax number 168 Number on roll Mrs P Ollieuz Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr J.L Roper Headteacher 13 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277487 28 June 2006 - 4 to 11 29 June 2006 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

All Saints is a smaller than average primary school that serves an area of considerable social disadvantage. Several children have no experience of pre-school education and starting points are low. The proportion of children eligible for free school meals is above average, as is the proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The vast majority of the children are from white British backgrounds. A few are from minority ethnic heritages and a small number of these children are at the early stages of learning English.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006

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Grade: 2

All Saints is a good school with some outstanding features. These are the leadership of the headteacher, the way the school develops and supports children's personal and social skills, and the extra-curricular enrichment. All other aspects of the school's provision are good and these judgements match very closely those of the school. Often from low starting points, children make good progress across the school. Standards in Year 6 have risen in the last three years. In 2005, Year 6 test results in English and mathematics were in line with national averages, although those in science remained below average. The provisional results for 2006, available for English and science, reflect further improvement, especially at the higher Level 5. Children's personal development is good. Moral and social development is outstanding. Children enjoy school and take pride in their achievements. Behaviour is good, as is

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Grade: 2

children's attendance. The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good. Teachers have good expectations of progress and interesting lessons ensure children are kept busy and work hard. The curriculum is good with an excellent range of enrichment activities. However, the curriculum in Year 1 needs to be more closely matched to children's starting points. Care, guidance and support of the children are good, with outstanding features, such as the support for vulnerable children. The quality of provision in the Reception class ensures children make a good start to their schooling. Nevertheless, outdoor facilities for this class require improvement. Leadership and management are good and display a determination to raise standards further. This is accompanied by a very clear view of what needs to be done. Tracking systems need further refinement to maximise children's achievement. Governors make an effective

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Grade: 2

contribution to the work of the school. The school has taken considerable strides forward since 2003 when the headteacher arrived and it has good capacity to improve further. The school offers good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that learning in Year 1 builds fully on children's achievements at the end of the Reception class. 2 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006 • Ensure the best possible use is made of tracking systems to raise achievement further. • Improve the outdoor provision in the Foundation Stage.

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Grade: 2

Many children start school with weak basic skills, especially in literacy and calculation. They make good progress and, by Year 6, have done well to reach broadly average standards. Progress in the Reception class is good because staff provide stimulating activities and monitor the children's progress closely. By the time children join Year 1, however, standards are still below average. During Years 1 to 6, progress is good. Standards in Year 2 declined after 2002, but recovered in 2005 due to improvements in reading and mathematics. Progress from Year 3 to Year 6 has improved in the last three years in English and mathematics, but it has remained static in science. The school has identified and is successfully tackling weaknesses in writing and science. The provisional English and science results for the current Year 6 class, which contains more higher-attaining children, closely match national averages, including those at

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Grade: 2

the higher level. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and the small number learning English as an additional language, make good progress. The work they do is well matched to their needs and they get very good support from the staff.

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Grade: 2

The school's mission statement: 'All Saints. where we learn to value knowledge, each other but most of all ourselves', underpins children's good personal development. Their spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is outstanding. Children like coming to school: this is reflected in their above average attendance and the way they become quite animated when talking about the varied experiences offered outside lessons. Children get on well with each other. Comments, such as, 'this is a nice place to be', sum up their good relationships. In lessons, children are usually well motivated, although a small minority become fidgety when expected to sit for too long in whole-class discussions. Children are gaining a good understanding of leading safe, healthy lives and of how to look after themselves. They eagerly take part in sport and other physical activities. They are good young citizens, accepting responsibilities and

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Grade: 2

carrying out their duties sensibly and efficiently. They raise money for charity and gain good awareness about those people less well off than themselves. Children voice their opinions through the school council. Their suggestions for improving the playgrounds have led to happier, calmer breaks and lunchtimes. They are gaining skills that will equip them well for their future life. Opportunities for teamwork and to perform in school and the wider community are good. 3 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good. The consistency of teaching across the school is a strength. This is particularly evident in the teaching of writing, where teachers give children clear guidance through modelling examples of good practice. Teachers' expectations are high. Lessons are planned well and usually pitched at the right level to match children's needs, although sometimes the higher attainers could be challenged more. Teaching is interesting and motivates children well through a good mix of questioning and independent work. On a few occasions, presentations to the whole class are too long and this slows the pace of learning. In the Foundation Stage teaching is good. Emphasis is given to developing children's independence through stimulating practical activities which help them to grow in confidence and develop good work habits. Teachers use interactive whiteboards skilfully, clarifying

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Grade: 2

teaching points and involving children actively in their learning. In Years 5 and 6, teachers teach the subjects in which they have greatest expertise, enabling children to learn effectively. Teachers assess children's work well: information gained is used effectively to plan the next steps of learning. Their good quality marking helps children to understand what they need to do to improve. Teaching assistants make a very valuable contribution to children's learning, particularly those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It meets the needs of all children well. There is a strong and successful emphasis on their personal development and creativity as well as on their basic skills. Subjects are linked imaginatively to capture children's interest and help them with their learning. The Foundation Stage curriculum is organised well: the school is now working hard to improve the relative weaknesses in the outdoor provision. Curriculum continuity into Year 1 is not yet given sufficient attention to ensure that play is carefully integrated into more formal aspects of learning, particularly as children do not always reach the standards set nationally for them at the end of the Reception class. The school has developed the science curriculum successfully as is evident in the improved standards and achievement. There is an excellent range of enrichment activities such as sport, music and visits out of school. Children enjoy the qualities

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Grade: 2

brought by visitors and gain important skills for their future life through regular residential visits. The school gives good attention to developing healthy and safe lifestyles. 4 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good with some outstanding features. A well organised, stimulating environment welcomes children at the start of the day. They say, 'The teachers look after us well.' Child protection procedures are in place. To further develop their understanding of safety issues, the school offers opportunities for children to gain first aid and cycling proficiency certificates. Children are clear that bullying is not an issue in the school. The school has extensive systems for tracking children's progress, but these need to be better exploited in Years 3 to 6 to support children throughout their learning. The learning mentor programme is a valuable asset in building the children's social skills and supporting those at risk. Prompt, effective intervention ensures that children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported. Arrangements for the induction of children are good. For example, three new Chinese children have already

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Grade: 2

settled well into school. Strong links exist with secondary schools, which ensure a smooth transfer for older children. Parents and carers fully endorse inspectors' positive judgements.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good with some outstanding aspects. In the last three years, there has been a steady improvement in children's achievement. This has been driven forward by the very clear vision of the headteacher and his determination to create a strong identity for the school. He has succeeded in creating an effective team who have good expectations of the children. The school's weaker areas of provision, such as science and the standard of children's writing, have been correctly identified and tackled effectively. Teachers' planning and children's work are regularly checked to ensure consistency. The role of coordinators is being progressively developed to enable them to have a fuller overview of the quality of work in their subjects, for example, through lesson observations. The school's systems for monitoring children's progress are comprehensive, but their use could be improved further, for example, for

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Grade: 2

ensuring the best transition between Reception and Year 1 and to maximise the effectiveness of the process of setting targets. Resources are well used to raise standards in teaching, learning and the curriculum and to provide an attractive environment for the children. Examples of these are the very good information and communication technology (ICT) room and the strong input provided by the teaching assistants and other support staff. The school has been highly pro-active in establishing productive links with parents and the local community. Governors carry out their responsibilities well and, under the guidance of the headteacher, are now developing their role as effective critical friends. 5 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 28 June 2006 to 29 June 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We visited your school last week to find out how well you are learning. Thank you for making us feel so welcome and for being helpful when we asked you questions. We enjoyed talking to you, looking at your work and finding out about the things you liked doing. Your enthusiasm for all the things you do in school impressed us greatly. We think there are lots of good things about your school. The things we particularly like are: - your school cares for everyone, makes sure you are safe and your teachers are excellent at helping you develop into responsible young citizens - your teachers are good at planning your lessons so that you all learn well - the children and staff are very friendly and you get on very well with each other - your school is very bright and attractive with lots of your good work on the walls - you said you enjoy school because there are lots of interesting things to do - you work hard most of the time for your teachers, which helps you make good progress

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

- your enjoyment of sport and other physical activities and your enthusiasm for ICT, and skill in using it - how well you use 'circle time' to listen to others and share your feelings We also found out three ways in which your learning could be even better and so we have asked the headteacher and the staff to: - ensure that the work you do in Year 1 follows on very closely from Reception - ensure that Reception children get better outdoor play facilities - ensure that your targets are as accurate and challenging as possible. Thank you for helping us with the inspection of your school. We both hope you will carry on enjoying learning and helping your teachers to make All Saints an even better place to be.

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