All Saints Benhilton CofE Primary School

Inspection Report All Saints Benhilton CofE Primary School

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102990 Unique Reference Number Sutton Local Authority 286542 Inspection number 16 January 2007 Inspection date Kay Charlton Reporting inspector

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

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All Saints Road School address Primary Type of school Sutton Voluntary aided School category SM1 3DA 3 °11 Age range of pupils 020 8644 6492 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 020 8641 9359 Fax number 297 Number on roll (school) Martin Rowland Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Denise Parrett Headteacher 2 July 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 286542 16 January 2007 3 °11 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Pupils come from a wide range of social backgrounds and from a wide geographic area. Most are of White British origin and few speak English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils eligible for a free school meal is below average as is the percentage identified as having learning difficulties and disabilities. Fifty-two children attend the Nursery on a part-time basis. On entry to the Nursery, children's attainment is wide-ranging and overall average. The school has gained the Basic Skills Quality Mark, Activemark and also the Investors in People and Healthy Schools Awards.

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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 Benhilton CofE Primary School, 16 January 2007

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Grade: 1

All Saints Benhilton is an outstanding school. Christian values are at the core of all its work. Strong links are forged with parents and a range of others, including the church, so that everyone has the opportunity to be involved in creating an environment where high quality learning is the order of the day. Parents are overwhelming positive in their views of the school and make comments such as 'The care and education our children receive are of a high standard'. Pupils are proud of their school and speak of it in glowing terms. They arrive in the morning wanting to learn and they take pride in all that they do. All treat each other, their teachers and the environment with care and respect. They show high levels of maturity, and their attitudes and behaviour are exemplary. The school's extremely effective provision ensures that pupils' achievements are of the highest order. Teaching and learning are outstanding and, throughout the school,

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Grade: 1

pupils make extremely good progress. Staff are enthusiastic about the subjects they teach, they plan and assess meticulously, and they make learning fun. They use time to advantage and place a high emphasis on pupils knowing exactly what they need to do to achieve success. The Foundation Stage is excellent and an especially important contribution is made by the work of the Nursery. Throughout the school, the curriculum is flexible to ensure that extra support is available to individual pupils as needed; for example by those who speak English as an additional language. The curriculum is enhanced by an excellent programme of enrichment. For the past three years, the results attained by eleven year olds in national tests have been exceptionally high. Value-added measures place the school in the top five per cent of schools in the country. Leaders at all levels, including the governing body, are committed to excellence and

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Grade: 1

are continually looking for ways to improve the school even further. Together with excellent management systems, this has led to the school's outstanding provision. The headteacher is determined that 'every pupil should have the chance to achieve of their best'. She does this in a very unassuming way and by making sure that every adult in the school recognises that they have a vital part to play. The staff team rises to this expectation and each member shoulders high levels of responsibility in a very positive way. Governors make a particularly strong contribution. They are fully involved in the school's excellent self-evaluation procedures which ensure that all staff are clear about what needs to be done for the school to improve. The school has rightly highlighted writing as the key area in need of development. This is because pupils' achievements in writing, whilst good, are not as good as in other aspects of their work. Staff are

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Grade: 1

approaching this development very enthusiastically and, by involving pupils more and more in evaluating the quality of their own written work, improvements are already evident. The school is extremely well placed to improve in future. 2 Inspection Report: All Saints Benhilton CofE Primary School, 16 January 2007

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the standards pupils achieve in writing so that they are as good as those in other areas.

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Grade: 1

Achievement for pupils of all different backgrounds and abilities is outstanding. The school stresses the importance of pupils thinking for themselves and this is very evident in the extent to which they are able solve problems, for instance in mathematics. This emphasis on independent thinking has an extremely positive impact on all aspects of pupils' learning from first starting school. As a result, virtually all pupils attain what is expected and many attain above this by the end of the Foundation Stage. It has helped to improve standards attained by seven year olds which are above the national average. It has also helped to ensure that the standards attained by eleven year olds in reading, mathematics and science are exceptionally and consistently high. The standards attained in writing are high, but not as good as in the other areas, and the school is giving more responsibility to the pupils to help make further improvements.

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Grade: 1

The school invariably exceeds the very challenging targets it has agreed with the Local Authority in all aspects of its work.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development is a major strength. They make impressive gains in developing their confidence, independence and social skills with an excellent start being made in the nursery. Pupils of all ages thoroughly enjoy school, have extremely positive attitudes and are proud of all it has to offer. A particularly noticeable feature is the pupils' sense of belonging and loyalty to the school which one referred to as 'and;hellip; a quality school'. Attendance is consistently above the national average and pupils' behaviour is exemplary. Pupils are aware that their views count and that staff will listen to them. They say that 'We can talk to anyone here if we have a problem'. Pupils develop an excellent understanding of healthy eating and appreciate the importance of being safety conscious. They take on responsibilities extremely well and make a strong contribution to both the school and the wider community; for

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Grade: 1

example when older pupils help younger ones with reading, or run a talent competition to raise funds for Water Aid. Pupils are extremely well prepared for their future economic-well being, and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. They respond exceptionally well to the school's Christian values and develop a strong sense of what is right and wrong. Their responses to the issues raised in assembly are impressive and they show a high degree of reverence for times of prayer and reflection. 3 Inspection Report: All Saints Benhilton CofE Primary School, 16 January 2007

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Grade: 1

The school's outstanding teaching is based on meticulous planning and assessment, and on excellent relationships between staff and pupils. Staff are knowledgeable about the subjects they teach, they set high expectations and are very enthusiastic. They plan in detail to make sure the needs of each pupil are met and also to make learning interesting. As a result, pupils are very motivated and try hard to improve their work. They get on exceptionally well in group situations and learn from each other. This was exemplified by an outstanding literacy lesson seen in Year 4. At all times, staff question pupils in an open-ended way and insist that pupils' responses are backed up with comments that explain their thinking. They mark work carefully and give very clear feedback to pupils about how they might improve their work. Staff encourage pupils to evaluate the quality of their own work and this has a very positive effect on pupils'

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Grade: 1

achievements, for example in information and communication technology. This strategy is being used more and more in writing and is already beginning to pay dividends in improving the standards pupils achieve in this area.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is excellent and has been improved significantly since the time of the last inspection. In the Foundation Stage and in all other year groups it is extremely well planned and monitored very thoroughly so that it meets the diverse and changing needs of the pupils. There are key strengths in the provision for mathematics, science and music as well as in the ways the school supports pupils' personal development. There is an excellent programme of enrichment including visits out of school, visitors into school and a very wide range of clubs for pupils of all ages. The curriculum is greatly enhanced by the school's links with other schools, particularly its main receiver high school, and the wider community. Across the school, there is a very systematic approach to the development of the pupils' skills in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology.

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Grade: 1

Staff put the pupils first and care, guidance and support are outstanding. The impressive rapport established between pupils and staff and the respect shown to each pupil are the basis of the school's success. Pupils say that they feel 'valued, happy, safe and secure'. They appreciate the exceptional range of support they are able to access, particularly 'the extra help you get if you find things difficult'. Bullying is rare and pupils know that there will be a rapid and effective response should any occur. Arrangements for safeguarding pupils are robust and reviewed on a regular basis. The school works hard to ensure pupils' attendance is high. 4 Inspection Report: All Saints Benhilton CofE Primary School, 16 January 2007 Pupils' personal and academic progress is monitored very systematically. Clear targets are set and these play a crucial part in helping pupils to achieve their very best. The school does all that it can to involve parents as partners in supporting their child's

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Grade: 1

learning. The school's strong links with its main receiver high school ensure a smooth transfer as pupils move to the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding. The headteacher provides a very strong lead and a clear vision that drives school improvement. Her detailed understanding of the curriculum and its assessment arrangements is a noticeable strength that underpins the work of the school. She enables leaders at all levels to be proactive in their roles and staff respond to this level of responsibility extremely well. As a result, all of the issues raised at the last inspection have been addressed with significant improvements having taken place. For example, the standards attained by eleven-year-olds in science have moved from below the national average to amongst the highest in the country. The school has very thorough and robust systems to inform its own self-evaluation which have ensured that its targets have been met. The programme of monitoring and evaluation is extensive and not only includes staff at all levels and governors, but takes

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Grade: 1

account of the views of parents and pupils so that there is real clarity about where improvement is most needed. The governing body is discerning and holds the school to account and, as a result, it acts as an important catalyst for school improvement. It is fully involved in school life and many governors are in school on a daily basis. The governing body is open to ideas and provides very good opportunities for parents to express their views. 5 Inspection Report: All Saints Benhilton CofE Primary School, 16 January 2007 .

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Grade: 1

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 Benhilton CofE Primary School, 16 January 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 1 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: All Saints Benhilton CofE Primary School, 16 January 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: All Saints Benhilton CofE Primary School, 16 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for your help when I came to inspect your school on 16 January 2007. You said that All Saints Benhilton is a 'quality school' and you are very proud of it. You think that everyone is very friendly and that the staff help you to learn a lot so that you make excellent progress. I agree with your view that it is an outstanding school. I could see that you try hard and enjoy your work. You achieve extremely well and reach your targets. You respect each other and you work together as members of a group and discuss your ideas in a very mature way. Behaviour is excellent and you take on responsibilities, such as being members of the school council, house captains or working with younger pupils to improve their reading, extremely well. Teaching is outstanding. Staff plan very carefully indeed and give you a lot of advice to make sure everyone can do their best. They make learning fun and they organise a wide range of events and visits out of school to add extra interest. All of the staff

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

care for you and put your needs first. You are clear that you can go to any adult if you need help. The headteacher and the senior team support the staff extremely well and they are helping everyone to develop their skills so that the school continues to improve. At present, all staff are working hard to make sure your writing improves even further. This is particularly by involving you more and more in checking how well you have done in a piece of work so that you are very clear how you can make your work even better. Each one of you has an important part to play if standards in writing are to be as high as those achieved in other areas. Yours sincerely Kay Charlton (Lead inspector) 9 Inspection Report: All Saints Benhilton CofE Primary School, 16 January 2007

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