Christ the King Catholic Voluntary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love learning in this school.

They are happy and they feel safe. They talk with clear enthusiasm about learning new knowledge. They behave well and respectfully.

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. The staff are a strong team. They support each other well in striving for improvement.

All staff and pupils live out the school mission 'to be the best we can be.' The school is welcoming and inclusive. Staff work hard to ensure that this is a safe place in which to learn.

Pupils enjoy wider opportunities in school and in the local community. They can attend activities such as sports clubs for athletics and archery. The warmth of the school's posi...tive ethos reaches out into the local area through opportunities, such as planting bulbs, sending letters to the local care home or volunteering in the community.

Pupils get on well with each other, including those in the early years. They play happily and older pupils support younger pupils with their reading. Bullying is rare.

If bullying happens it is sorted quickly.

Parents and carers are very positive about the school. They welcome the way the school makes them feel part of a community through their kindness and support.

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

Leaders have set out an organised, ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum. Staff develop pupils' vocabulary from the start of the early years through to Year 6. Pupils use their precise vocabulary to talk confidently about what they have learned.

Teachers typically plan activities that enable pupils to learn well across all subjects. Teachers' subject knowledge is generally strong. However, occasionally, in some subjects, this is not the case.

Some teachers, on occasion, do not use precise subject knowledge. Sometimes, the activities teachers plan do not match what they want pupils to learn well enough.

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum.

Children make a good start with their phonics from the beginning of the early years. Pupils describe reading as 'diving into an adventure'. They talk about their favourite authors confidently.

Staff help pupils who struggle with reading to catch up. Staff provide pupils with books that are matched to the sounds they have learned.

Mathematics is taught through a well-planned curriculum, including in the early years.

Teachers revisit previous learning. This helps pupils to remember what they have been taught, and to address any gaps in pupils' understanding.

Pupils who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities learn well alongside their peers.

Teachers provide support when it is needed. Those pupils who speak English as an additional language, make a good start and catch up quickly. Staff help these pupils to quickly master the English language.

Teachers check what pupils know and remember. This begins in the early years. Teachers use these checks to adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils.

Pupils typically behave well at breaktimes and during lessons. They are courteous towards each other. There are very occasional times of minor low-level disruption in class, and when moving from one activity to another.

Teachers manage it well, so that it does not interfere with learning.

Pupils' personal development is a strength of the school, including in the early years. The personal, social, health and economic education curriculum is planned well.

Pupils learn about many aspects of life in modern Britain. Sometimes, however, their knowledge is not as secure when recalling their understanding of different cultures and religions.'

Pupil Voice' is the opportunity for pupils to participate in leadership and citizenship.

For example, they spread happiness across the school by painting stones to be found by their friends. They are very proud of their work in chaplaincy roles and pupil parliament roles as well as community activities.

Leaders develop pupils' social and emotional development, including in the early years.

This is evident in the extensive way they support families and pupils facing challenges or emotional needs. Leaders engage the support and specialisms of external partners to help with this, for example, to further improve the school's approach to the teaching of equality.

Senior leaders, as a relatively new team, have established, and shared, their vision and direction in improving the school even further.

Teachers, including those early in their career, are well supported by the positive can-do culture in the staff team. Workloads are realistic and balanced.

Governors know and understand their roles and responsibilities and provide challenge and support to school leaders.

They check on aspects of school life such as the school ethos, attendance and safeguarding.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school ensures all staff are well trained to know and understand local challenges.

They give timely and regular updates, so staff have current information.

School leaders work together well to use systems that support them to identify and manage concerns, so that help and support is actioned quickly for pupils. The school goes above and beyond to engage wider agency support for its pupils and families in a rigorous approach and positive safeguarding culture.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, some teacher subject knowledge is not precise or learning activities do not match the intended learning. This hampers the implementation of the curriculum and pupils' learning. Leaders should continue to build on the support they already give to ensure that staff reliably use correct subject knowledge and plan activities that support the learning intention.

• Some pupils cannot recall with confidence or depth, their knowledge and understanding of different cultures, faiths and beliefs. This could affect their preparedness for life in modern Britain. Leaders should ensure that all pupils have a good knowledge of a range of faiths and cultures, so that they can play a highly positive role in understanding and celebrating difference and commonalities.

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