Achieving ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted Rating: The Success Story of All Saints CE Primary School with Target Tracker

The Journey to Outstanding

Lauren, the headteacher of All Saints CE Primary School, Calderdale, took charge in September 2019. Her innovative teaching and assessment strategies, enabled by Target Tracker, soon led the school to an ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted inspection report in March 2023. The report lauded the school’s effective use of assessments, teachers’ adaptation of lesson planning based on student knowledge and understanding, and the opportunities for pupils to revisit and build upon prior learning.

“Teachers use assessment well. They check what pupils know and can do through skilful questioning. Teachers use this information to adapt planning so that any gaps in pupils’ learning are quickly addressed. Pupils have lots of opportunities to revisit and build on their prior learning. This helps them to learn and remember more. Pupils can confidently explain what they have learned before.”

 – Ofsted inspection report of All Saints’ CofE Primary School, March 2023

Harnessing Target Tracker for Effective Assessment

Lauren and her staff have implemented three data drops each year and encourage teachers to use formative assessments continuously, enabling them to adapt their teaching to promptly address learning gaps. She says,

“We’re asking teachers to go in and look at the specific learning objectives to support their planning to determine those certain intricacies that they know they need to work on with their class and to be able to analyse the data.”

Empowering Teachers with Data Interpretation

Target Tracker isn’t merely a tool for inputting data but also aids teachers in interpreting data. Through in-house training, the staff at All Saints has learned to dive deeper into the data, which has proved crucial during achievement plan meetings. Lauren explains,

“Staff come prepared with that data, and they can deep dive into which children they are targeting linked to the data and what they know as class teachers.”

Embedding Powerful Knowledge

Teachers at All Saints CE Primary School use Target Tracker to ensure the teaching sequence and knowledge accumulation are carried out effectively. This starts from reception and extends through to the higher year groups. Lauren emphasises,

“Learning organisers help keep teachers on track, which means that assessment at the moment is really, really thorough so that when they come to the end of the unit, they’re able to record that correctly on Target Tracker.”

Towards Inclusive Learning

All Saints CE Primary School strives to create an inclusive environment for all students, especially those on the SEN register. With Target Tracker, they ensure that targets are smart and that the monitoring is on point. Lauren shares,

“It’s just ensuring our Target Tracker targets are smart and our monitoring is on point. This accountability is around ensuring that those targets and the activities are there to support the children to achieve targets.”

Onwards and Upwards

The ‘Outstanding’ Ofsted report is not the end of the journey for All Saints CE Primary School. They plan to continue their professional development and expand the use of Target Tracker in the next academic year, focusing on inclusion and supporting all learners.