Christ Church CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

The headteacher's high aspirations and clear view of just how successful the school can be has helped to create a dedicated team of staff who are all keen to improve. An active governing body adds to the effective school leadership. Good and occasionally outstanding teaching enables pupils from all starting points to achieve well.

This includes those supported by pupil premium funding and those learning English. Pupils really enjoy school life in the happy, friendly atmosphere. The high quality of care and support ensures that pupils settle quickly and confidently when they start school.

The pupils' good behaviour is obvious in ...classrooms where they are enthusiastic and keen to work hard. They are well-informed about risk and danger. Their positive attitudes are supported by the good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

The good curriculum and excellent range of interesting, first-hand learning experiences meets the wide range of need and background of pupils really well. Senior leaders have an accurate view of the school's performance and are decisive. Their actions have improved most teaching from satisfactory to good since the previous inspection.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Rapid progress and higher achievement are not yet sustained consistently over time. Progress is uneven when teaching is a little mundane and tasks less well matched to individual need. Teachers sometimes miss opportunities to use questioning to probe pupils' thinking, especially when they are applying their mathematical skills to solve problems.

At times pupils are less certain how they can improve their work quickly.

Information about this school

Christ Church is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding (which is provided to support the learning of pupils who are entitled to free school meals, in the care of the local authority or the children of members of the armed forces), is over double the national average.

The proportion of pupils whose learning needs receive the level of support known as school action is close to twice the national average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is higher than the average. Close to two-thirds of the pupils are from a range of minority ethnic groups with a few who are at an early stage of learning to speak English.

A higher-than-average and increasing proportion of pupils join or leave the school at other than the normal time. The school extends its services in that it provides a breakfast club each day. The school meets the current government floor standards which set out the government's minimum expectations for attainment and progress.