Churchtown Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this welcoming school. Relationships between pupils and staff are ones of mutual respect. This helps to create a positive and trusting atmosphere.

Staff have high expectations of all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils live up to these expectations, develop into well-rounded citizens and achieve highly.

Pupils' behaviour is exceptional.

Staff model and expect the highest standards of behaviour from all pupils. Pupils are polite and courteous and they show 'respect for all'. They conduct themselves maturely in class and around school.

If bullying does happen, incidents a...re dealt with well by leaders. Pupils know that staff will always help them if they need it. This helps pupils to feel happy and safe.

All pupils, including pupils with SEND, are offered a wide range of extra-curricular experiences. These include clubs such as chess, drama, choir, dance and boccia. Pupils play together fairly at breaktimes when competing in different sports.

Pupils learn about the importance of being active citizens in their community. For example, pupils are proactive in looking after the planet and they have recently organised a local beach clean-up. Leaders have established strong links with organisations within the local community.

These links help to enhance further opportunities for pupils' wider development.

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

Leaders have created a curriculum for pupils that is ambitious and meaningful. Subject leaders work collaboratively and successfully with colleagues across school.

This has helped them to better understand progression in the curriculum from the early years to Year 6.

In many subjects, leaders have thought carefully about the key knowledge that they want pupils to learn and in which order. In these subjects, pupils can build on earlier learning well and they acquire a deep body of knowledge over time.

However, in a small number of subjects, leaders have not finalised the knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which some content should be delivered. This hinders some pupils' learning in these subjects.

Teachers have secure subject knowledge and they deliver the curriculum well.

Leaders have provided teachers with extensive training, especially in relation to providing support for pupils with SEND. This has helped staff to identify the needs of pupils with SEND quickly. Pupils with SEND have access to the same curriculum as their peers.

Leaders work with many specialists who help to provide effective, targeted support for pupils with SEND if needed.

Teachers present learning clearly to pupils. They design appropriate activities so that pupils can practise, secure and deepen their learning.

In the main, teachers use assessment strategies well to check that pupils have a secure understanding of earlier learning. However, in a small number of subjects, leaders have not agreed on the approaches that teachers should use to assess pupils' learning. This means that teachers are hindered in making checks on how well some pupils learn the curriculum.

Teachers were full of praise for the level of support that they receive from leaders. Leaders are mindful of staff's workload and well-being.

Leaders ensure that reading is prioritised by staff.

Children in the early years develop a love of reading from the outset. Reading books are carefully selected by leaders and are plentiful. Older pupils have a wealth of knowledge in relation to their favourite authors and the types of books that they like to read.

Phonics is taught from the moment that children start school. The books that they read allow them to practise the sounds that they have been taught. This helps them to become fluent readers over time.

Pupils who struggle to read, or those who fall behind, receive appropriate, additional support from staff. These pupils are identified quickly by leaders and almost all catch up with their peers.

Staff establish effective routines from the early years that prepare children for future learning.

Pupils value their education. They demonstrate highly positive and mature attitudes to learning. Most pupils show high levels of self-control and they persevere when faced with challenges.

If pupils struggle with their behaviour, staff provide effective, personalised support. Low-level disruption is very rare.

The programme to foster pupils' wider development has been thoughtfully put together by leaders.

Pupils learn about how to stay physically healthy and to look after their own mental health. They learn about different types of worries and how to deal with them. Teachers encourage pupils to be aspirational.

Older pupils carry out their roles as prefects diligently. Leaders have forged strong, purposeful links with local colleges and universities. This helps pupils to become better informed about their options for the future.

Trustees and the local governing board are well informed about leaders' priorities. They share leaders' passion and commitment to nurturing and inspiring pupils. Governors provide leaders with necessary challenge and offer expert support.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders, including trust leaders, provide regular safeguarding training for all staff. This helps staff to identify those pupils who may be at risk of harm.

Staff know how to report and record safeguarding concerns appropriately. Leaders are vigilant and act upon any concerns quickly. They work effectively with a range of relevant safeguarding agencies.

Pupils have a secure understanding of how to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn about online risks, including the reliability of online content and fake news.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, leaders have not finalised their curriculum thinking.

This means that teachers are not sufficiently clear about the building blocks of knowledge in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that teachers have a secure understanding of the knowledge that pupils should gain. This is so that they can design learning that will help pupils to know more, remember more and deepen their understanding of concepts over time.

• In a small number of subjects, teachers are not as confident in using assessment strategies to check on pupils' understanding of key knowledge. This prevents staff from identifying and addressing some pupils' misconceptions in a timely manner. Leaders should develop further their approaches to assessment to ensure that staff use assessment strategies well in these subjects.

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