Christ Church CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This well-led school serves its community well.

Pupils are kept safe and always have someone to turn to if they have any problems. Pastoral support is excellent.

Pupils usually listen to their teachers. They get on well with one another, but there is some lively behaviour. This is usually good-natured because pupils enjoy being at school.

On occasions, some pupils upset other pupils, so adults step in to help. If bullying happens, pupils report it and adults work to stop it.

Leaders are ambitious for everyone to do well in all aspects of school life.

There is great team spirit and a huge sense of loyalty to the school from pupils and staff. ...Pupils learn to take responsibility by helping out with jobs and representing the school at events. There are many clubs that they can go to and take-up rates are high.

Pupils do a lot of physical education (PE) and achieve very well in different sports. English and mathematics are planned well and taught well every day. In both of these subjects, standards are rising, but could be even higher.

In other subjects, work is planned out carefully, but science and history are not taught as successfully as they could be.

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

Leaders care and everyone works hard. Morale is high.

A sign in the headteacher's office says, 'Never give up on anybody.' This captures the approach at Christ Church CofE Primary.

The school is full of books and staff are well trained in the teaching of reading.

In all classes, reading sits at the centre of the school day. Planning and teaching are consistent and parents receive information about how they can help at home. Consequently, most pupils master how to read.

Staff are now working to strengthen standards by improving pupils' vocabularies and stamina in reading and writing.

Mathematics work is also well planned. As in reading and writing, standards are rising, but could be higher.

In particular, girls do not do as well as boys.

In other subjects, work is often organised through 'learning journeys' that follow a particular theme. Teachers' plans set out what should be taught when.

On top of this, strong teamwork ensures that everyone understands expectations. Even so, some subjects are not taught as successfully as others. In history and science, for instance, some subject knowledge and skills get missed.

This is because tasks focus more on writing than on the subject matter being taught. Clearly, writing is important, but there is a balance to be struck. Currently, the balance is not quite right.

On the other hand, work in PE and sport is excellent. During the school day and in clubs, pupils take part in a huge variety of sports and activities. Participation rates and standards are high.

Teams enjoy success in competitions and pupils learn about healthy lifestyles. They also go on overnight visits to adventure centres, which helps to build independence and resilience.

Indeed, there are many opportunities beyond the classroom.

There is a school orchestra, a debating team and over 30 different clubs each term. Staff go above and beyond to make sure everyone is involved in something. Pupils have a voice in shaping school improvement and every pupil takes on a job to help out with school life.

The school has a positive track record of supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils who struggle with their learning or behaviour benefit from efficient support to help them concentrate and achieve.

In lessons, most pupils get on with their work.

A few find it hard to settle, but most staff deal with this well. In fact, staff go out of their way to provide extra support for pupils who need it. If anyone needs to talk about a problem, or needs time to calm down, they can go to the school's 'Place2Be'.

Here, an adult will listen and talk to them. This supports individuals to cope with their feelings and allows the school day to run smoothly for others. Consequently, learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour.

Pupils say that some pupils swear and can be rough, but that adults usually sort this out when it happens. School record-keeping for this is adequate, but could be better.

The early years classes are joyful places.

There is always plenty going on and lots of productive fun. Children dance, play and learn in lots of different ways, both inside and outdoors. Adults put a lot of energy into helping children settle in school and develop their social skills.

Even so, while ambitions are high, some adults speak for children instead of prompting them to talk.

Governors bring a healthy level of challenge and support to the school. They are ambitious for the pupils and equally mindful of staff welfare.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff receive weekly updates on safeguarding matters. They work closely with other organisations in order to support pupils and their families.

The school's family support worker is a familiar face to parents and this helps with the flow of information. Any unexplained pupil absences are followed up quickly.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe.

During this inspection, for example, the fire brigade visited to talk about fire safety. Pupils are also taught about the dangers of careless behaviour.All the correct checks are carried out on adults in school and the school site is kept secure.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has risen, but could be higher. Currently, standards at the end of Year 6 remain below average. To raise standards in reading and writing across the school, leaders should help pupils to build up their vocabulary and their comprehension skills, and develop their ability to be resilient when completing tasks.

In mathematics, leaders should maintain the current focus on improving the teaching of reasoning, with particular attention to raising girls' attainment. . In science and history, the sequence of learning is planned out carefully.

However, classroom tasks can lose focus and some subject-specific knowledge is missed. To improve this, leaders should make sure that staff interpret curriculum plans in the right way. In addition, they should do more to check what pupils know and remember in these subjects.