Christow Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might be outstanding if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

The headteacher of this school is Amy Yeo. This school is part of Education South West, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Matthew Shanks, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Graham Austin.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Christow Primar...y School are confident and vibrant individuals with a real passion for learning. They are truly 'proud to be purple' and embrace all the opportunities available to them to develop, not only academically, but in their understanding and appreciation of the world around them and their place within in it. Pupils are at ease with consistently meeting the high expectations staff have of them.

This results in a welcoming, calm, yet purposeful school which pupils want to attend.

Pupils talk keenly about their roles of responsibility. They enable them to make a difference to the school.

Pupils value the extra-curricular clubs that nurture their talents and interests, including those requested by them. Pupils know the importance of the five Cs - care, compassion, consideration, co-operation and commitment. They appreciate how these values, along with other strategies such as '11 by 11', prepare them well for their next stage in education.

Parents and carers praise the school for its communication and enabling them to have a say in 'shaping the school' through the successful parent forums. They recognise that staff know the pupils individually. This enables them to provide strong support and genuine care so their child feels a real sense of inclusion.

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

Pupils achieve exceptionally well as a result of the highly ambitious curriculum that the school has designed in collaboration with the trust. This begins in early years where children start their school life with gusto. The school has adapted the early years class.

It now includes pre-school and Reception children. The school has made sure that staff have the expertise to focus on language and communication, as well as inspire children's love of learning from the very beginning.

Children's strong start to their education is evident through the teaching of the phonics curriculum.

It provides children with the strategies they need as soon as they are ready to begin to learn letters and sounds. As a result, they swiftly progress to become fluent and confident readers. Books are well-matched to pupils' ability and the school quickly identifies pupils who may fall behind.

They receive the help they need to catch up. Pupils develop a love of reading. Older pupils talk with conviction and enjoyment about their favourite authors and genres.

This is encouraged by staff reading to them and the wide range of texts they have available to choose from.

Pupils enthuse about their learning in mathematics. They enjoy the challenge it offers them as well as the success they experience.

The school is not complacent in the strong outcomes that pupils achieve. It continually looks to further improve and sustain pupils' fluency in number and skills to apply and build on their prior knowledge. Examples of this include 'flashback four' retrieval practice and 'Sparx' homework tasks.

Pupils continue this eagerness when they recall their learning in other subjects in the wider curriculum. They know how the school helps them to get better in different subjects. Pupils benefit from the clear sequence of learning and learning structure across curriculum subjects.

This routine and predictability supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities to learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Furthermore, the school makes sure that staff have an accurate knowledge of individual pupil's needs. This enables them to use the necessary strategies, approaches or tools to get the best from each pupil.

The school places the upmost importance on pupils' wider development. Opportunities to perform, work together, and compete in sports increase pupils' independence and resilience. Pupils can articulate their views and opinions extremely well.

They develop a strong sense of identity. They are well-prepared to be active members of their communities.

Pupils are respectful and polite when staff remind them of the high expectations for their conduct.

They support and encourage others with these expectations. For example, on the playground or when moving around the school. Pupils are confident in the school's ability to manage behaviour when it does not meet expectations.

They understand the response to behaviour but say it is rarely needed beyond a blue warning.

Those responsible for governance have an insightful knowledge of the school. They gain the necessary assurances that leaders' actions continue to move the school forward.

Staff are confident that have what they need to do this with real success because of the joint working with the wider trust and the support networks it offers.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2014.