Christchurch Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The headteacher and senior leaders have made sure that teaching is good, and that pupils learn well to reach standards which are typically above average. Achievement is good.

Leaders have tackled writing, where standards were lower than other subjects, and this is now a strength of the school. Good teaching also ensures pupils are confident readers. Pupils have a wide range of opportunities which ensure they develop and use their skills confidently.

The recent focus on improving the teaching of mathematics is proving successful; this is now a strength of the school. Progress is increasing quickly and is now good. Leaders know that markin...g is most effective in mathematics because : they regularly check the quality and confirm that pupils are given time to respond to comments made.

Teachers make good use of the information they have about their pupils' learning. They plan work which is interesting and which challenges them appropriately. Behaviour is good because pupils are proud to be part of the school and enjoy their learning.

They particularly like the opportunities they have for wider experiences, through trips, visits and the many after-school clubs. Attendance has improved steadily and is now above average. The work of the resourced provision for pupils with complex communication needs is exceptional.

The pupils who attend this part of the school make outstanding progress, both academically and in their personal development. Governors make sure their view of the performance of the school is accurate. They check that plans to bring about improvements are effective.

They also check that all statutory requirements are met, including those to make sure pupils are kept safe. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Progress is not consistently rapid across all classes and year groups. Teachers' expectations of what pupils can and should do are not always as high as they should be.

Some teachers do not give pupils enough time to think about their own responses to questions. Some teachers' marking does not give pupils specific advice on what they need to do to improve. Pupils do not always get enough opportunity to respond to the feedback they get.

Information about this school

This is a larger-than-average junior school, with four classes in each year group. The vast majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. Other pupils come from a wide range of ethnicities.

Very few pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is above average. In addition, the school includes a resourced provision for pupils with complex communication needs, which caters for up to 16 pupils in two rooms.

This is run by the staff at the school and is known in school as 'the base'. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is average. The pupil premium funding provided by the government is used to support the progress and attainment of these pupils.

These pupils include those eligible for free school meals and children looked after by the local authority. Most pupils come from the adjacent infant school. At the time of the inspection, there were two trainee teachers in the school, as part of their training.

These student teachers were not observed as part of the inspection. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' progress and attainment in reading, writing and mathematics. The headteacher is a local leader in education.

Also at this postcode