Christ The King Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Christ the King is a school where pupils are at the heart of everything.

Warm greetings from staff create a positive and welcoming start to the day. The exceptional early years provision builds a strong foundation for learning, ensuring that children feel supported and inspired from the start. This is an inclusive school, where everyone feels valued and welcomed.

The school has high expectations for both behaviour and achievement. Children in early years demonstrate exceptional kindness and respect towards others. Older pupils are polite and welcoming.

The school's rules of 'ready, respectful and safe' can be seen in the behaviour of both pupils and adults. A...s a result of the school's high expectations, pupils achieve well.

Relationships between staff and pupils are positive and supportive.

Pupils know that if they have a worry, they can speak to an adult in school who will help them. Pupils feel happy and safe.

The school's wider offer is exceptional.

Pupils are supported to thrive through the broad and rich range of experiences. They benefit from a wealth of opportunities to develop their talents and interests. For instance, pupils enjoy singing in the school choir, which helps them to build confidence and a sense of togetherness.

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

The school is ambitious for every pupil to succeed. It clearly sets out the essential knowledge pupils need to learn. In the early years, the curriculum is securely embedded, with adults expertly supporting children in developing strong foundations of knowledge across all areas of learning.

For example, in Reception, children confidently group numbers in various ways, articulating their reasoning with clarity. The mathematics curriculum builds on this foundation, enabling older pupils to tackle more complex problems involving number.

Pupils achieve well in the subjects that they study.

Teaching typically helps them to understand the concepts and ideas outlined in the curriculum. However, in Years 1 to 6, the curriculum in a few subjects is not currently fully embedded. As a result, there are times when pupils do not make strong connections between their prior learning and new knowledge and skills in order to build up their understanding.

Reading is a priority in the school. Daily reading opportunities foster a love of reading. The reading journey is particularly strong in the early years, where children develop their understanding of sounds and vocabulary with expert support.

This strong foundation ensures early success in reading. Those requiring additional help are promptly identified and appropriate support is swiftly provided. Improved consistency in delivery of the early reading curriculum is now positively impacting pupils' reading fluency, as reflected in the published outcomes.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are extremely well supported throughout the school. Their needs are identified early. Precise strategies are put in place so that staff know how to help them.

Pupils with SEND are fully included in lessons and receive the support that they need to succeed.

Behaviour throughout the school is calm and orderly. Staff actively support pupils who need help to focus and regulate their behaviour.

In the early years, staff establish strong routines and promote independence from the start. For example, children select their own resources to write a letter before posting it in the indoor post box.

The school has strengthened attendance through robust policies and procedures, providing targeted support for pupils and their families.

This approach has had a positive impact on pupils attending school regularly and on time.

The school provides exceptional opportunities for pupils' personal development. These opportunities are planned with the aim of shaping pupils into well-rounded individuals who demonstrate integrity.

Pupils take pride in their responsibilities, such as serving on the school council, knowing that their opinions matter and are valued. For example, the addition of flowers and benches in the outdoor area resulted directly from one of their initiatives.

The school carefully develops pupils' cultural capital by embedding it within the curriculum.

Thoughtfully planned trips and enriching experiences enhance their learning. From Nursery to Year 6, pupils enjoy visits to places, such as museums, parks and the theatre. They also take part in engaging events that explore future careers and their roles as citizens.

Visitors from various professions deliver talks and lead interactive workshops, inspiring pupils from the early years onward. Pupils actively raise money for charities, developing a strong sense of responsibility. They explained that helping others 'would make them feel happy,' demonstrating their empathy and commitment to making a difference.

The leadership team, together with governors, drive improvements decisively. Staff appreciate the consideration given to their workload and well-being. They describe the school as being like a 'family'.

The school actively engages with parents and the local community to strengthen its work and build positive relationships.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the curriculum design in Years 1 to 6 has been recently reviewed.

Some of the school's intended changes are not fully established. Where this is the case, it can sometimes affect how well pupils connect their prior learning with new knowledge and skills and, in turn, build up knowledge incrementally. The school should ensure that the curricular changes are fully embedded, so that pupils can achieve consistently well across all subjects.