All Hallows CofE Primary School

Inspection Report All Hallows CofE Primary School

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122743 Unique Reference Number NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Local Authority 292495 Inspection number 20 °21 November 2006 Inspection dates Georgina Beasley 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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Priory Road School address Primary Type of school Gedling, Nottingham Voluntary controlled School category Nottinghamshire NG4 3JZ 4 °11 Age range of pupils 0115 9568277 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0115 9568278 Fax number 238 Number on roll (school) Mr Roy Skellington Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr John Graham Headteacher 5 March 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 292495 20 °21 November 2006 4°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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Nearly all pupils who attend this medium sized school are from White British backgrounds. A small number are from other Black, Asian, Chinese and mixed backgrounds and all but a very small number speak English fluently. An average proportion has learning difficulties. A smaller number of pupils than found in schools of a similar size are eligible for free school meals.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: All Hallows CofE Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006

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Grade: 2

All Hallows is a good school. 'The Year of Every Child Matters' is embraced by everyone. The school gives good value for money because due and equal emphasis is given to pupils' personal and academic development; all pupils have the chance to seize every opportunity offered. Pupils enjoy school and behaviour and attitudes are good. Staff provide good care for pupils and relationships are strong. They work closely with parents and most feel they can approach the school at any time. One parent said, 'Nothing is ever too much trouble. Staff are all willing to sort out problems however small and trivial.' Pupils' positive attitudes to learning start in the Reception and pre-school classes, where all children have learned to make choices and to play together amicably. Because of staff turnover, children's progress in the pre-school and Reception classes has been no better than satisfactory in recent years. However, improved provision is resulting

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Grade: 2

in good progress for children in the Foundation Stage in all areas of learning this year. Achievement is good and standards are above average by the end of Year 6. Teaching is good overall. Work for older pupils is well-matched to their needs and ensures that all make equally good progress. Procedures for checking pupils' progress, especially in Years 5 and 6, are leading to more targeted support for those who need help to learn well and extra challenge for more able pupils. This is not yet as effective in other year groups and so more able pupils are not always being challenged to do even better, especially in Year 2. Furthermore, the 'exciting writing' project motivates pupils to write and standards in writing have risen this year at the end of Year 6 because writing targets and 'punctuation pyramids' displayed in every classroom are helping pupils to check their own writing and know for themselves how to improve their work. In

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Grade: 2

mathematics, teachers sometimes give pupils too much direction about how to solve problems and so limit the opportunities for them to think for themselves, so standards in mathematics leg behind other core subjects. Effective leadership and management have resulted in a good rate of improvement since the last inspection. Senior staff check regularly how the school is doing. Because they have an accurate picture of what it does well and what it needs to be even better, the school is well placed to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Extend the good procedures that teachers use for checking pupils' progress in Years 5 and 6 to other year groups in order to raise the achievement of more able pupils, especially in Year 2. • Provide more opportunities for pupils throughout school to solve problems in mathematics. 2 Inspection Report: All Hallows CofE Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006

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Grade: 2

Children start school with average attainment. They are making good progress and are on course to attain the standards they are expected to reach in all areas of learning by the end of the Reception year. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are average by the end of Year 2. In recent years, the number of pupils reaching nationally expected standards for their age has been above the national average. Pupils with learning difficulties, those who speak English as an additional language and other lower-attaining pupils have made good progress. However, the number of pupils attaining above average levels has fallen because staff have not used assessment information sharply enough to plan harder work for pupils who are capable of achieving more. As a result, progress is satisfactory overall in Years 1 and 2 but good teaching in some classes is resulting in better progress in reading and writing this year.

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Grade: 2

Almost all pupils make good progress in Years 3 to 6. Standards rose in 2006 because pupils achieved well and the school exceeded its challenging targets. Standards are above average by the end of Year 6 in English because well-focused targets helped all pupils to improve their writing and reading skills. Across the school, standards are average in mathematics and progress is only satisfactory, because opportunities for pupils to decide for themselves how to solve problems are not routinely planned in all classes. However, an improved emphasis on developing pupils' investigative skills is resulting in good progress and above average standards in science at the end of Years 2 and 6.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' good attitudes help them to achieve well by the time that they leave school. Behaviour in school is good and this, together with the desire to do well, particularly of the older pupils, creates an atmosphere that promotes effective learning. Occasionally, however, a minority of pupils are not as attentive or self-disciplined as they could be. Pupils eagerly point out that bullying is not an issue because, 'We all get on together so well.' Attendance continues to improve and is now higher than average. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils generally think about their actions, show sensitivity to the needs of others and respect different faiths and cultures. Pupils' outstanding understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles is recognised in the school's Healthy School Award. Pupils know how to stay safe and make telling contributions to the school and wider community through

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Grade: 2

the school council, a wide range of opportunities to take on responsibilities and by raising funds for charity. Good literacy and ICT skills, along with the ability to work collaboratively, lay good foundations for later life. 3 Inspection Report: All Hallows CofE Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good in nearly all lessons. It ranges from satisfactory to outstanding. At its best, teaching is lively and exciting and motivates pupils to do their best. Teachers generally think carefully how the tasks they ask pupils to do will help them learn well. However, in some classes teachers use too many worksheets and so do not give pupils enough opportunity to think for themselves about how to do their work. Most teachers ask questions that challenge pupils to think about what they are doing and why, but this is not the case in all classes. The use of interactive whiteboards keeps pupils interested and helps them to concentrate in many lessons. Teaching assistants give good support to pupils with learning or language difficulties and as a result, these pupils make good progress.

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Grade: 2

The school goes the extra mile to provide a good curriculum that is rich and varied. Pupils enjoy the wide range of visits, visitors and after-school clubs, especially 'Strictly Come Dancing', learning a foreign language and learning to play musical instruments. The 'exciting writing' initiative has resulted in a significant rise in writing standards by the end of Year 6. The use computers is planned effectively to support learning and reinforce pupils' good basic skills. However, the mathematics curriculum does not ensure pupils' problem solving skills are consistently and systematically developed. The curriculum for children in pre-school and Reception is improving well. The outdoor area is not very stimulating but work is already underway to improve provision, so that children can choose more freely to work and play out of doors. Good personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons ensure pupils' good awareness of the importance

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Grade: 2

of keeping fit and being healthy. The school makes good use of the local community to support pupils' learning.

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Grade: 2

Procedures for child protection and for ensuring pupils' safety and welfare are comprehensive and meet current government regulations. Personal support and guidance are good. Carefully planned assemblies, regular opportunities for pupils to talk about their views and feelings in lessons and day-to-day contact with caring staff promote personal development effectively. Guidance for pupils on how to improve their work is improving. Rigorous checks on pupils' progress, especially in Years 5 and 6, are leading to good support for targeted groups of pupils. Standards in writing have gone up because pupils' writing targets outline the small steps they need to in order to improve and most teachers' marking constructively reinforces key messages. Targets 4 Inspection Report: All Hallows CofE Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006 and comments in mathematics are more general than in writing and so do not give

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Grade: 2

such helpful guidance on what pupils need to do next to improve their learning.

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Grade: 2

Good leadership and management are resulting in continuous improvement. The headteacher leads the school well and has a very good awareness of its strengths and weaknesses. As a result, the school's view of how well it is doing is accurate and matches the outcomes of the inspection precisely. The skills and expertise of other staff responsible for leading improvements effectively support the school's development. Good procedures are in place for checking the quality of learning and teaching. Good practice is shared so teachers learn from each other and clear guidance for improvement is given to individual staff. The school collects a good deal of test and assessment information that provides a good general overview of the school's performance. The information is not always used as sharply as it could be to ensure that more able pupils make the progress of which they are capable in all classes. The governing body provides

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Grade: 2

good support and challenge and plays an important and active role in evaluating the work of the school. 5 Inspection Report: All Hallows CofE Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: All Hallows CofE Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006

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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? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 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

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 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?

2 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 Hallows CofE Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006

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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 Hallows CofE Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

22 November 2006 Dear Children All Hallows CE Primary School, Priory Road, Gedling, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG4 3JZ Thank you all very much for making us feel so welcome when we visited your school recently. Thank you especially to those children who told us so much about the school. You will be pleased to know that we think All Hallows is a good school. This is because you make good progress in English and science and achieve good standards by the time you leave. Most of you work hard in lessons and try your best. You told us that you all get along well, and we noticed how some of you helped each other out when playing outside. You nearly all behave well and are growing into responsible young people. Well done. Some of you could try a little bit harder to control your own actions. Your teachers are doing a good job and your good attitudes are helping them to plan some exciting things for you to do. We know you enjoy your

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

learning because most of you told us so. We really enjoyed looking at all the photos showing your involvement in special activities such as football and 'Strictly Come Dancing'. Mr Graham is a good headteacher. He has worked hard with all the adults to make sure that you are well looked after in school and are doing what you should to achieve even better in your work. You are making satisfactory progress in maths and so we have asked the school to let you have a go at solving maths problems by yourselves first before telling you what to do. This will help you to think for yourselves and help you to solve similar problems much quicker the next time. We also think some of you capable of more difficult work could do even better so have asked the school to plan some extra challenges in lessons. You can help by continuing to try your best and by knowing your targets so that you know what you need to do to improve

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

your work by yourselves. Please have a very special Christmas and enjoy the rest of your time at the school. Yours sincerely Mrs Beasley Lead inspector 9 Inspection Report: All Hallows CofE Primary School, 20 °21 November 2006

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