All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport

All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport Inspection report

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106103 Unique Reference Number Stockport Local Authority 324331 Inspection number 27–28 April 2009 Inspection dates Stephen Wall Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Voluntary controlled School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 149 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Rev Glenys Richards Chair Mr J.L Roper Headteacher 28 June 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Churchill Street School address Heaton Norris Stockport Cheshire SK4 1ND

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4–11 Age group 27–28 April 2009 Inspection dates 324331 Inspection number 0161 285 7373 Telephone number 0161 285 7374 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 27–28 April 2009 Inspection dates 324331 Inspection number .

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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. 3 of 12 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 27–28 April 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average school in an area of challenging economic and social circumstances. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is well above average. The vast majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. A few are from a variety of minority ethnic backgrounds and a small number of these speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including those with a statement of special educational need, is above average. The school has been awarded the national Activemark. Early Years Foundation Stage provision comprises a Reception class. A recent building programme has improved the school's facilities as well as providing a children's centre including Nursery provision which is managed separately from the school. The school manages before- and after-school provision for about 50 of its pupils.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 12 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 27–28 April 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good school providing outstanding care, guidance and support for its pupils and an outstanding curriculum. The school is at the heart of the community it serves. For example, it has been instrumental in setting up a community forum which has helped reduce instances of vandalism and anti-social behaviour. This is a very happy school in which pupils feel exceptionally secure and safe in its nurturing environment. The school is highly effective in treating and valuing all pupils equally regardless of their backgrounds or ability. An outstanding range of enrichment activities broadens pupils' horizons, raises aspirations and helps them develop into mature and inquisitive learners. Parents are happy with the education the school provides. They are particularly pleased with the care and support their children receive. 'Nothing seems too much trouble for the teachers. They are always available for help and advice. My children really

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Grade: 2

enjoy school and I am happy knowing they are in good, caring hands', was a typical comment. Pupils' starting points on entry to the Early Years Foundation Stage are generally well below age-related expectations. From these very low starting points pupils make good progress and achieve well as they move up through the school. By the end of Year 2 standards in reading, writing and mathematics are broadly average. Similarly, by the end of Year 6 standards are also broadly average overall. Year 6 national test results in English are consistently average or just above average. However, they vary from year-to-year in mathematics and science where the school recognises results should and could be consistently higher. Good progress and achievement are the result of good teaching. Teachers prepare detailed lessons to include good use of resources, such as information and communication technology (ICT). Teaching assistants

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Grade: 2

are very effective in supporting pupils who find learning difficult, so that they too make good progress. Working relationships in classrooms are strong so behaviour is good overall. Occasionally, however, the pace of teaching is too slow and pupils are expected to listen beyond their attention span. This leads to some inattention in one or two classes with a consequent slowing down in pupils' rate of learning. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Pupils enjoy school, as seen in their above average attendance levels. They feel very safe. They say how helpful and caring all the adults are. Pupils have total confidence in approaching adults with any concerns or for advice. Pupils behave sensibly around school and treat each other and adults with respect. They are welcoming to visitors and eager to show how proud they are of their school. They know the importance of healthy lifestyles as seen in the high participation rates in the very wide range

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Grade: 2

of sporting enrichment activities. They enjoy taking on responsibilities in school. Because of good teaching, excellent care, guidance and support, and the respect with which they are treated at all times, pupils develop into confident young people ready to take full advantage of the next steps in their education when they leave the school. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides the school with a crystal clear vision for the school, based on giving its pupils a solid start in life and raising their aspirations. High levels of teamwork are evident across the school in pursuit of this vision. Effective procedures for self-evaluation involving the views of a wide range of stakeholders mean the school knows what it does well and where it could do better. Leaders and managers have tackled effectively the issues for improvement identified in the previous inspection. As a result, standards

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Grade: 2

and achievement are rising steadily. This is sound evidence that the school has good capacity to carry on improving further. 5 of 12 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 27–28 April 2009

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Grade: 2

Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Excellent transition arrangements enable children to settle in quickly to school life. Strong parental links help the school to get to know each child quickly. Effective systems to assess children's starting points enable the school to identify individual needs at an early stage and to check on their progress. Strong links with outside agencies enable specialist support to be provided when specific needs are identified. Children make good progress and achieve well because of the outstanding care and support they receive and because teaching is good. Children's starting points are generally very low especially in social development and in communication and language skills. By the end of their time in the Early Years Foundation Stage, most children's skills are below those expected for their age. However, their experiences provide them with a solid foundation both

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Grade: 2

socially and personally to take advantage of the more formal demands of Key Stage 1 teaching and learning. The curriculum provides a good range of activities with a good balance between teacher-led and child initiated activities. The recent building programme has robbed the school of a good part of its outdoor facilities but plans are at an advanced stage to restore them. Welfare requirements for children are outstanding. The Early Years Foundation Stage is effectively led and managed to provide a supportive, attractive and purposeful environment for learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Make sure that Key Stage 2 standards in mathematics and science are consistently as strong as those in English. ■ Make sure that all teaching is conducted with sufficient pace and variety to sustain pupils' attention so that the rate of learning does not dip.

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Grade: 2

Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are broadly average by the end of Year 2. This represents good achievement considering the low starting points of most pupils. For the last three years standards in Year 6 have been steadily rising. The school has placed strong emphasis on English in recent years through the use of improved resources and the support of a local authority literacy consultant. This has paid dividends in bringing about a consistent rise in standards which are consistently at least average. Test results in mathematics and science fluctuate from year-to-year from average to below average. In 2008, for example, results in mathematics and science dipped to below average, although inspection evidence shows that pupils in the Year 6 cohort had particularly low starting points. Overall, the school meets its targets and has exceeded them in English. All groups of pupils, including those with learning

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Grade: 2

difficulties and/or disabilities, make good progress and achieve well.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils show very good understanding of right and wrong. They respect the school's clear rules and act maturely within the set boundaries. The school's caring ethos supports pupils in developing high levels of respect for others and tolerance for those who are different or disadvantaged. 'We all try to 6 of 12 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 27–28 April 2009 help each other and make sure everyone is happy', was a typical comment. The school council is valued and influential. It is open to suggestions from all pupils, discusses matters maturely and provides regular feedback to pupils on its business and decisions. Pupils are particularly pleased with the improvements it has brought about to playground facilities. Behaviour in most classes and around school is frequently exemplary. In the few lessons which fail to engage their

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Grade: 2

interest fully, pupils find it difficult to maintain their otherwise impeccable standards.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is never less than satisfactory and most is good. It is instrumental in enabling pupils to make good progress. Teachers mark pupils work regularly and conscientiously. Their comments are consistently helpful in telling pupils what they need to do to improve their work. Teachers know their pupils well and use assessment data to match tasks accurately to pupils' needs and abilities. Teachers use ICT consistently well to add interest and visual stimulus to learning. Most lessons are conducted in a lively manner with plenty of variety. However, on a few occasions, pupils are expected to listen for too long and their attention quickly wanes. 'I love school but some lessons aren't as interesting as others because we spend too long on the carpet listening to the teacher. It's uncomfortable and we soon get fidgety', was a pupil's opinion which summed up the situation accurately.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding, it successfully meets the needs and aspirations of its pupils. It is well planned and includes an impressive mix of individual subjects and themed projects. The 'Vikings', for example, in Years 3 and 4 is used expertly to promote pupils' engagement, excitement and writing skills. The topic is brought to life by a residential trip for all pupils to York. Key Stage 2 pupils are especially excited by learning French, which includes the input of a French national speaker. Enrichment activities are the jewel in the school's crown. Regular visits, themed weeks, frequent visitors, musical events and a host of sporting opportunities are extremely popular and add significantly to pupils' enjoyment, health and levels of self-confidence. They make an outstanding contribution to pupils' all round personal development by broadening horizons and opening doors to the world beyond their locality.

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Grade: 1

The school's outstanding commitment to care and support for its pupils is demonstrated in the importance and popularity of its pre and post school provision. Pupils who attend are provided with a host of stimulating activities in a safe and secure environment. All policies and procedures for safeguarding pupils are in place and current government requirements are met. Health and safety are taken extremely seriously. Risk assessments for the frequent trips out are meticulous in their attention to detail. The importance of regular attendance is reinforced whenever possible. The fruits are seen in above average attendance. Strong links with the local secondary schools ensure that pupils are prepared as well as they can be for the move to secondary education. The very effective links with outside agencies enable the school to call on specialist support to support vulnerable pupils and/or their families as and when necessary.

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Grade: 1

7 of 12 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 27–28 April 2009 Support for pupils' academic development is thorough and effective. Pupils know their targets and, more importantly, regular checks on their progress and discussions with teachers, means pupils know what they need to do to achieve their goals.

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Grade: 2

Leaders and managers are outstandingly successful in promoting pupils' care and welfare. These are at the heart of the school's work and beliefs. This is matched by a determination to bring about higher standards and achievement across the school. Good leadership and management are enabling the school to give good value for money. Planning for the future is strong. Outcomes of evaluation procedures are used to inform the priorities for development in the school's good quality improvement plan. Middle managers are secure in their roles and eager to develop their areas of responsibility. Subject coordinators are enthusiastic and knowledgeable. However, opportunities for them to observe teachers teaching their subject areas are limited. The quality of teaching and learning is monitored regularly, but the outcomes are not yet systematically followed up to support improvement. The school's strong and good commitment

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Grade: 2

to community cohesion reflects the value it places on caring not just for its pupils, but also families and the community it serves. Adults living in the vicinity of the school are grateful for the tangible improvements the school has helped bring about in the area. Governors are supportive and knowledgeable. They are ready and prepared to ask the necessary questions to hold the school to account for its work and standards. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 27–28 April 2009 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 27–28 April 2009

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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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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 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/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 27–28 April 2009

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learners?

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

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 27–28 April 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of All Saints Church of England Primary School, Stockport, SK4 1ND Thank you for your warm welcome when I came to inspect your school recently. I enjoyed meeting you and talking to you. You will be pleased to learn that you go to a good school which does some things outstandingly well. Your school takes excellent care of you. All the adults working with you want you to do as well as you can and to give you a good start in life. They work very hard to make sure this happens. In return, you work hard and take advantage of the good teaching you get to make good progress as you move up through the school. I was very pleased to see how well you all get on together and how well you behave nearly all the time – well done! I was also pleased to see that you attend school regularly – again, well done! You told me how pleased you are with all the things the school offers such as trips out, sports and learning French. Your school offers

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you an outstanding range of things to do outside lessons and I was delighted to see so many of you taking advantage of them. These enable you develop your interests and, in turn, help you become more interesting young people. To make your school even better I am asking it to do two things:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ make sure that you make better progress in mathematics and science

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ make sure that some of your teachers don't ask you to sit for too long on the carpet listening to them when you are keen to get on with things for yourselves. I am confident that you will continue to work hard to make sure that your school goes from strength to strength in future. 12 of 12 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Primary School Stockport, 27–28 April 2009

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