Christ The King Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud of their caring and nurturing school. Staff, pupils, parents and carers agree that Christ the King is a close-knit family, where everyone is valued and supported.

This sense of belonging encourages mutual respect and a strong community spirit, with pupils consistently demonstrating kindness and acceptance towards one another. Pupils behave exceptionally well.

Pupils have highly positive attitudes to learning and enjoy attending school.

Disadvantaged pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are placed at the forefront of the school's ambition for all pupils to succeed. Staff have the highest e...xpectations of what pupils can achieve. By the end of key stage 2, pupils achieve high standards in English and mathematics.

Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for their next stages of education.

The school has thought very carefully about the visits, visitors and experiences pupils encounter. Every pupil has a rich set of opportunities during their time at the school, including residential trips and days at the seaside and museums.

These broaden their experience of the wider world. Pupils benefit from many chances to extend their talents and interests through a wide range of clubs, such as drama, cooking and sports.

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

Highly effective leaders have created a culture of success and high ambition.

Staff focus on helping all pupils to reach their potential regardless of capability or background. The school has identified the important information and vocabulary that it wants pupils to learn in each subject. Pupils learn this knowledge in well-ordered steps from the early years to Year 6.

Teachers ensure that activities build on previous learning. For example, pupils use skills they learn in yoga sessions to create imaginative dance routines in physical education.

Well-trained and enthusiastic teachers present new information clearly.

They ask careful questions and use regular review sessions to give pupils the opportunity to practise what they have learned. This helps pupils to know and remember more. Staff check pupils' learning and resolve misconceptions promptly.

Classroom routines for learning are well established. This means that no time is wasted and even the youngest children settle quickly to their work. However, the school does not always identify what it wants children to learn from some independent activities in the early years.

This means that some children could miss opportunities to develop important skills.

The school quickly identifies pupils with SEND. When necessary, it seeks external resources and advice to ensure appropriate and highly effective support is given.

These pupils feel well supported and are proud of the exceptional progress they make.

Children get off to a strong start in the lively and happy early years classes. Adults quickly build warm relationships with parents and children.

Staff take every opportunity to engage children in meaningful discussion and to introduce carefully chosen new vocabulary. Children become curious, independent and confident individuals with positive attitudes to learning. From the start of the Reception Year, children learn phonics from expert teachers.

The school provides books that help pupils practise the sounds they are learning. Teachers check how well pupils are progressing through the reading programme. Pupils who need help to improve their reading benefit from effective support and catch up quickly.

There is a well-established culture of high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Pupils consistently meet these expectations. As a result, the school is calm and orderly.

Pupils remain engaged throughout lessons and are motivated to do well because they are interested in their learning. Pupils exhibit wonderful manners and are bursting with pride when talking about the school to visitors.

The school places great importance on pupils' wider development and the programme for personal development is exceptional.

Leaders have crafted a carefully designed programme that not only broadens pupils' experiences but also promotes confidence and resilience. Pupils understand how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. They can talk about ways of supporting their own mental health and have strategies to calm themselves, persevere and concentrate when needed.

Pupils feel safe to make mistakes and learn from them, knowing they have strong support to help them along the way. The school fosters an environment where diversity is celebrated, helping pupils develop empathy and a deeper understanding of the world around them.

Leaders care about the well-being of staff and are dedicated to supporting them to develop their professional skills.

As a result, staff are proud to work here. They appreciate the school's efforts to manage their workload. These help them to focus on teaching well.

Well-informed and ambitious governors have secure oversight of the school's work. They check this regularly and provide effective challenge and support.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The intended learning outcomes for some activities in continuous provision in early years are not always clear. As a result, children gain little new knowledge from some of these activities. The school should ensure that intended learning for each activity is identified and communicated to all staff so that they can ensure children are engaged in meaningful learning throughout the early years setting.

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