Christ Church CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Christ Church CofE Primary School is a happy and welcoming school.

Pupils and children in the early years settle in well and quickly make new friends.

Pupils know that there are trusted adults to talk to. Leaders and staff swiftly deal with any concerns, including bullying, effectively.

Through the curriculum, pupils learn about the importance of looking after their emotional health and well-being. They are happy and safe.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils, both for their learning and behaviour.

Pupils live up to these expectations. They achieve well. Pupils' conduct embodies the school rules.

They strive to be ready, safe, p...olite and kind. Pupils behave well and concentrate in lessons. Children in the early years are keen to share with each other and to take turns.

Pupils are proud to attend this school. They enjoy taking part in the wide variety of extra-curricular opportunities that leaders and staff provide. They value being members of the school choir.

Pupils also enjoy representing the school in various sports teams.

Leaders and staff know their pupils and families well. There is a strong ethos of mutual respect and support.

Parents and carers, who shared their views with inspectors, spoke very positively about the school. They appreciate the varied and engaging activities that leaders and staff provide.

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

Leaders have developed an ambitious and rich curriculum which meets the needs of pupils effectively, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders and staff have worked together to identify the key knowledge that pupils will learn from the early years to the end of Year 6. They have also thought carefully about the order that pupils will learn this content, so that it is introduced in a logical order.

Teachers value the training that leaders provide across a range of subjects.

As a result, teachers explain new concepts to pupils clearly. Teachers use assessment well during lessons. They check pupils' understanding and address misconceptions successfully.

In a small number of subjects, leaders are enhancing their systems for checking how well pupils remember key concepts in the longer term. Teachers report that they would welcome further subject-specific training in these subjects.

Leaders quickly identify any pupils with SEND.

They provide effective and timely support. As a result, most pupils, including those with SEND, learn well. They are fully involved in different aspects of school life.

Staff make sure that children in the Nursery class begin to learn about sounds in the environment. This helps them to be ready to learn about the connection between letters and sounds as soon as they start in the Reception class.

Staff provide engaging opportunities to foster a love of reading.

Children across the early years love to listen and join in with rhymes and songs. Leaders have implemented a new phonics programme which introduces children and pupils to sounds in a logical sequence. Staff deliver the phonics programme well.

However, some pupils who struggle to learn to read, do not read books which are well matched to the sounds they are learning in class. Leaders do not make sure that these pupils are fully secure in previously taught sounds before moving on to new learning. This hampers the progress of these pupils.

By the end of key stage 2, most pupils read with confidence and expression. They have positive attitudes to their reading. Pupils spoke fondly about a visit from a local author.

The youngest children also told inspectors how much they look forward to weekly mystery reader visits.

Pupils try their best to live up to leaders' high expectations of them. Pupils usually learn without interruption.

They enjoy their breaktimes and play well together.

Leaders make sure that children and pupils experience a wide range of activities to develop their understanding of the wider world. This begins in the early years, where children celebrate different festivals such as Diwali.

Pupils also learn about the cultural and historical significance of events such as Remembrance Sunday.

Leaders place a strong emphasis on pupils' emotional welfare. Pupils spoke knowledgeably to inspectors about a new mental health initiative.

They talked about how it is supporting them to develop their resilience and well-being.

Pupils value the many jobs that they are given. They are proud to take on roles such as school ambassadors.

The older pupils particularly enjoy acting as buddies for the younger children.

Governors and trustees know the school well. They keep a watchful eye on the school's budget to make sure that money is well spent.

Leaders, governors and trustees are mindful of staff's well-being and work-life balance. Staff said that leaders take positive action to reduce staff workload as much as possible.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders, trustees and local academy partners make sure that all staff access regular training on a range of safeguarding issues. Staff know what action to take if they have any worries about pupils' well-being or safety. Leaders and staff are highly alert to any change in a pupil's behaviour or demeanour.

They respond quickly to any concerns.

Leaders and staff engage well with a range of external agencies to provide pupils and their families with the support they need. Through the curriculum, pupils are taught about different aspects of safety, such as how to use the internet appropriately.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, leaders are in the process of providing staff with more regular subject-specific training to develop their knowledge and confidence further. Leaders should check the impact of this training, so that they are assured these changes are making a positive difference to pupils' learning in the longer term.

• In a small number of subjects, leaders are enhancing their systems for checking how well pupils are remembering key concepts in the longer term.

This means that leaders and teachers cannot be certain that pupils have understood and retained important knowledge over time. Leaders should make sure that these refinements to assessment methods are used consistently well so that teachers can check that pupils' learning is secure.

• Some younger pupils who find reading difficult lack confidence and fluency when reading.

This hampers their progress. Leaders should ensure that these pupils are secure with previously taught sounds. They should also make sure that pupils read regularly from books which are well matched to the sounds they are learning, so that they become fluent and confident readers by the end of key stage 1.