All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School

All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School Inspection report

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109945 Unique Reference Number Reading Local Authority 325060 Inspection number 23 March 2009 Inspection date Beryl Richmond 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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Infant Type of school Voluntary aided School category 4–7 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 57 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 Mr Ivor Snape Chair Mrs Linda Phillips Headteacher 2 November 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Brownlow Road School address Reading RG1 6NP 0118 901 5413 Telephone number 0118 901 5414 Fax number

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4–7 Age group 23 March 2009 Inspection date 325060 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. 2 of 10 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School, 23 March 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors. They evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and the following issues:

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Introduction

■ how well pupils achieve and what evidence the school has of outstanding achievement

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Introduction

■ how well leaders and managers at all levels monitor and evaluate the school's provision, including provision for community cohesion, to bring about improvement ■ how well the needs of pupils are met in mixed-age classes and how well pupils understand what they need to learn to improve ■ how well pupils' progress is tracked to ensure that they are challenged and supported well.

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Introduction

Evidence was gathered from observation of lessons; discussions with staff, pupils and governors; the school's documentation; the results of national assessments; samples of pupils' work; and questionnaires returned by parents. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail but, where sufficient evidence has been collected, judgements have been made.

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Description of the school

All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School is an oversubscribed very small school. There are two mixed-age classes, one for Early Years Foundation Stage children and Year 1 pupils, and another for Year 1 and Year 2 pupils. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above average. The proportion of pupils learning English as an additional language is below average. Few pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is about half the national average but the proportion of pupils with statements of educational needs is about four times the national average. Pupils' needs include moderate learning difficulties; behavioural, emotional and social needs; speech, language and communication difficulties; and autism. During the last academic year, extensions to the building have provided an office for the headteacher and a multi-purpose room, which

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Description of the school

is used as a staff room and for group work, including cookery.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School, 23 March 2009

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Grade: 3

All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School provides its pupils with a satisfactory education. This is because pupils' achievement is satisfactory and, consequently, their preparation for the next stage of learning is satisfactory. Aspects of the school's work are good. Staff care for the pupils well and, as a result, pupils develop well personally. The pupils understand how to stay safe and what is required to live a healthy lifestyle. They enjoy school and their behaviour is good. The vast majority of parents are positive about the school's work and, typically, say, 'The staff are very good at providing a safe and caring environment.' Pupils make a good contribution to their school community, for example as school councillors, and to the wider community through a range of activities. At pupils' suggestion, the school provided a climbing frame in the playground. Last year the school was successful in improving

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Grade: 3

attendance and punctuality but this has not been sustained and current attendance levels are below average, mainly because of term-time holidays. The school has good links with a wide range of organisations, like the church and specialist agencies, to support pupils' welfare. The school is welcoming to all children and is a happy, diverse community. While the Christian faith is at the heart of the school's work, children of all faiths are made to feel welcome, through celebrating some of their festivals, for example. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Provision for community cohesion is good because there are well-established links locally, nationally and internationally. Standards at the end of Year 2 in 2008 were broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics. Although the standard of boys' writing was not as good as that of girls' writing at the time of the last inspection, school records indicate that boys' writing is improving. This is because of

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Grade: 3

the action taken to provide topics that appeal to boys, a more systematic approach to learning letters and sounds, and better opportunities for drama and role play. Autistic pupils and those with moderate learning, speech, language, communication, and behavioural and emotional difficulties achieve in line with their peers. This is because they receive good support in focused group work with their learning and their personal development and are well integrated into the school. However, their standards were below those of similar pupils nationally in 2008. Pupils' achievement in reaching average standards is satisfactory. This is because teaching and learning are satisfactory. However, assessment information is not always used well enough to plan challenging work for pupils to do their best in the mixed-age classes. Relationships are good and, consequently, pupils learn in harmonious environments. Some activities are too

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Grade: 3

teacher-directed and there are missed opportunities for pupils to develop independence and to have a clear understanding of the next steps in their learning. Work is marked regularly but pupils are not fully involved in the process of understanding how they can improve. There is a very good ratio of adults to pupils, some of whom provide support for pupils with statements of educational needs. Support provided in groups is usually well focused because the school makes good use of 'catch up' programmes and, as a result, pupils in the groups progress well. However, there are missed opportunities to support pupils in whole-class situations to enable them to be fully involved in the lesson. There are strengths in the satisfactory curriculum, which is organised on a rolling programme so that pupils do not repeat topics. Visits to museums and the beach, visitors and special days add interest and excitement to the curriculum. The impact

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Grade: 3

of the good provision for pupils' personal, social and health education can be seen in pupils' good personal development. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School, 23 March 2009 Leadership and management are satisfactory. Teachers have several responsibilities, which are addressed appropriately on a rolling programme which focuses on each subject in turn. Self-evaluation is satisfactory. Recent improvements in tracking pupils' progress are not fully embedded and there are some missed opportunities for the analysis of data by leaders to identify clear priorities for improvement. Staff monitor teaching and learning satisfactorily by undertaking joint lesson observations. This means that they are developing a shared understanding of what constitutes good teaching and learning. The governing body is very supportive of the school and has been especially influential in the improvement of the school

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Grade: 3

premises and ensuring that financial systems are good. The school's recent track record, particularly steps taken to improve accuracy of assessment and tracking of pupils' progress, indicates a satisfactory capacity for improvement.

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Grade: 3

Children's starting points are in line with expectations for their age, although there is a wide range of capabilities, when they first start school. They settle happily into school because of good pre-school links and a strong nurturing environment. Good parental relationships are maintained on a daily basis when parents share an early morning activity with their children, like finding out how much the tadpoles have grown, and through reading logs and star charts. The school works flexibly with parents so that children start when they are ready. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Consequently, children achieve satisfactorily, so that by the time they start Year 1, most reach the goals expected of them, except in knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development, where more children than usual achieve the goals. Fewer children attained the higher levels in literacy and mathematical development

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Grade: 3

than is seen nationally. The Early Years Foundation Stage is managed satisfactorily. Children's starting points have been assessed by taking into consideration all areas of the curriculum over the last few years, although initial assessments of children's literacy and numeracy skills have always taken place. This means that the school has an accurate picture of children's progress in all areas of the curriculum. Each child has a key worker, who records that child's progress in their learning journey record. Not enough use is made of this information to inform subsequent planning to ensure that children's needs are met. The environment is bright and colourful, and there is an extensive outdoor area with cover and a good range of equipment. Planning for the outdoor area is focused on what the children do, rather than on what they will learn, and so opportunities for children to develop in all areas of the curriculum are missed. The impact of

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Grade: 3

the improvement in the way that letters and sounds are learnt can be seen in children's improving standards. Relationships are good and children are expected to behave well. Children do not have enough opportunities to develop independence by organising their own learning. When they lead groups, adult support is good but adults do not intervene sufficiently to help children develop language or to help them follow their own curiosity and interests.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Make better use of assessment information to raise expectations of what children and pupils can achieve in mixed-age classes. ■ Work with parents to improve attendance.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Develop pupils' independence by ensuring they know how to take the next steps in their learning. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School, 23 March 2009 A small proportion of schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but have areas of underperformance will have a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next Section 5 inspection. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School, 23 March 2009 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School, 23 March 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? 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

3 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 3 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 3 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

3 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 3 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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School, 23 March 2009

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 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? 3 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 3 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School, 23 March 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

03 April 2009 Dear Children Inspection of All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School,Reading,RG1 6NP Thank you very much for helping us during the inspection, particularly by talking to us about your school. Your school is satisfactory. Some aspects of your school are good. Here are some of the best things about it.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher and staff are working together to continue to improve your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Most of you behave well. This means that your classrooms are pleasant places to learn in and you have good relationships with adults in school. ■ You are making satisfactory progress because teaching is satisfactory.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your school has some good links with other organisations, which provide interesting opportunities for you to learn. ■ Your parents are very interested in your learning. A large number of them completed the questionnaires and wrote comments about your school. ■ Adults take good care of you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are developing well personally and have a good understanding of how to stay healthy and keep safe. You contribute well to your school community, for example, as members of the school council. We have asked your school to challenge you to do better by giving you harder work and expecting you to do more work in lessons. For example, this might be explaining your thinking more, working out harder mathematical problems or using more exciting words to make your writing more interesting. We would like you to know how to take the next steps in your learning so that you can work on your own and make judgements about how well you are learning. For example, sometimes you might be working with a friend to discuss how well you have learnt something. We ask your parents to bring you to school regularly and to arrive on time so that you can learn as well as possible. I would like to send you my best wishes for your future success in whatever you choose to do.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Yours faithfully Beryl Richmond Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: All Saints Church of England Aided Infant School, 23 March 2009

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