Christ Church Ainsworth Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Christ Church Ainsworth Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school.

They are enthusiastic learners and like being with their friends. Pupils talked confidently to the inspector about feeing safe. Pupils know that they can talk to any members of staff if they are worried, secure in the knowledge that their concerns will always be dealt with.

Pupils learn about racism, homophobic bullying and other forms of discrimination. This helps them to understand the harmful impact of such unacceptable behaviour on others. Pupils feel protected from bullying.

If it happens, they know that... staff will deal with it immediately.

Leaders and teachers expect pupils to behave well and achieve highly. This helps to ensure that pupils settle quickly and work hard.

Pupils' positive behaviour contributes to the calm and purposeful atmosphere in school.

Pupils are responsible citizens. They enjoy putting democratic principles into practice during school council meetings and they like helping their peers and teachers as digital leaders.

Pupils love outdoor activities, including maintaining the school's wooded area. They regularly participate in competitive sports, such as rugby, football, hockey and basketball.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and staff ensure that pupils benefit from a high-quality education that prepares them well for their future lives.

Staff have worked together to develop and deliver an ambitious, well-structured curriculum that helps pupils to achieve highly in a wide range of subjects. Leaders carefully organise pupils' learning in a logical order to help them to know and remember more. Governors know where the school's strengths lie.

They have a strong overview of the quality of education that pupils receive. The parents and carers who shared their views were very positive about all aspects of their children's education and personal development.

Right from the start, the curriculum engages children and helps them to settle into learning and achieve well across different areas of learning.

For example, in the early years, staff are highly skilled at helping children to develop their counting and calculation skills. The curriculum is well organised and builds on children's prior learning. This continues in key stage 1, where pupils extend their knowledge as they move through topics and year groups.

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Teachers and teaching assistants' recent training in phonics is helping to ensure that the early reading programme is delivered well. Children in the early years, and pupils in key stage 1, enjoy reading every day.

They use their knowledge of phonics to help them to read accurately and fluently. Pupils in key stage 2 enjoy reading books from a widening range of authors. Those who need help to catch up with reading are well supported.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an impact on how well pupils have retained some of their learning. Leaders are adapting the curriculum to ensure that pupils can catch up on forgotten or missed learning. However, some gaps are still evident.

For example, pupils' interesting writing is sometimes spoiled by poor grammar, punctuation and spelling because they have forgotten some of the basic rules for effective written communication.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well catered for by well-trained staff. Leaders and staff quickly identify the needs of pupils with SEND.

Staff know how to adapt teaching so that pupils with SEND can access learning in all subjects. These actions help to ensure that pupils with SEND do not miss out on any aspect of the curriculum. Pupils with SEND achieve as well as their classmates.

Lessons are rarely interrupted by low-level disruption. In the early years, children know exactly what is expected of them. Staff work closely together to teach all pupils in the school to be responsible and respectful.

Staff adhere to the school's behaviour policy and help pupils to make the right choices.

Some of the activities to promote pupils' wider development, including field trips, musical and sporting events, have recently restarted. The school choir performs at events during festive seasons, such as Christmas.

Pupils are also well known in the community for their singing at commemorative events. Such activities are helping pupils to become confident and active members of the local community. Pupils take their responsibilities seriously.

For example, members of the pupil leadership team plan and deliver assemblies. Librarians manage the library. Pupils in Year 6 relish their role as 'gardeners', who help to make sure the 'seeds', the children in the Reception class, are safe and well looked after.

Staff appreciate the trust that the leadership team places in them. They also recognise leaders' efforts to consider their workload and well-being. Staff said that they were well supported during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This gave them the skills and confidence to deliver the curriculum remotely. Staff feel valued and fully included in decision-making about school improvement and the way in which the curriculum is implemented.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Staff are adept at spotting signs of potential neglect or abuse. They know exactly what to do if they are concerned about the safety or welfare of a pupil.

Staff and governors are trained well. They are familiar with the school's safeguarding policies and the latest government guidelines on keeping pupils safe. Leaders work effectively with a wide range of agencies.

They take swift action to ensure that pupils get any support that they need.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, some pupils do not remember some of their prior learning. As a result, some pupils are not on track with the planned curriculum in some subjects.

For example, pupils' knowledge of grammar, punctuation and spelling is not as strong as leaders want it to be. Leaders should continue to find out where pupils have gaps in their learning and ensure that the adapted curriculum enables pupils to catch up and make the progress that leaders intend.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2016.