Corpus Christi Catholic School

Age group 4-11 Inspection date(s) 16–17 January 2012 Inspection number 376956 Corpus Christi Catholic School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 103725 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 376956 Inspection dates 16–17 January 2012 Lead inspector Geof Timms

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 248 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Dr Gerard McAleese Headteacher Debra Newman Date of previous school inspection 13 July 2009 School address Langbank Avenue Ernesford Grange Coventry CV3 2QP Telephone number 02476 454931 Fax number 02476 652714 Email address admin@corpusChristi.coventry.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the i nformation in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Inspectors observed 18 lessons, taught by nine teachers. They observed over nine hours of teaching. Meetings were held with staff, pupils and members of the governing body. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. They observed the school’s work, and looked at a range of policies, planning documents and the school’s self-evaluation. One hundred and nine questionnaires returned by parents and carers were scrutinised.

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Information about the school

This is an average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well-above average. The vast majority of pupils are White British. The remainder are from a range of other ethnic backgrounds, the largest being Polish and Black African, and most of these pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is average. The main needs are speech, language and communication difficulties, behavioural, social and emotional difficulties or autistic spectrum disorders. The school was below government floor standards for English and mathematics last year. The school has achieved Healthy Schools status, Achievement for All accreditation, and an ECO school award. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 This is a good school.  The school provides outstanding levels of care and welfare for pupils and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent.  Pupils make good progress in reading and writing, although progress in mathematics is more inconsistent and attainment remains below that of other subjects.  The youngest children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and are well prepared for their future learning.  The teaching is of consistently good quality.  Teachers use resources and other adult support very effectively to provide appropriate work for different groups of pupils, including those with disabilities or who have special educational needs.  The provision for pupils at an early stage of speaking English is effective and good additional support enables them to take a full part in all school activities and to make good progress.  The planning for the most-able pupils is less effective and does not always

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Key findings

provide them with sufficiently challenging activities.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is good and has a positive impact on learning.  A minority of parents and carers expressed concerns in the inspection questionnaires about the behaviour of some pupils, but the school has dealt with these issues appropriately and pupils are safe and very well looked after.  The school is led and managed well by the headteacher, an effective governing body and other senior leaders.  Middle leaders, such as the ‘standards' leaders’, do not yet have sufficient opportunities to use the excellent available data and other information to check pupil progress.  A good curriculum is being enhanced and, consequently, pupils’ skills are being promoted increasingly well through imaginative opportunities to apply their learning in different situations. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Key findings

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure all pupils make good progress so that attainment in mathematics improves by:  improving pupils’ knowledge and understanding of mathematical language and vocabulary  providing more opportunities for problem solving and investigative work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure the work provided for the most-able pupils is sufficiently challenging in all lessons so they always achieve as well as they can.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Build on the recent changes to the leadership so that middle leaders have more opportunity to check on pupils’ progress in the areas for which they are responsible.

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Achievement of pupils

The pupils’ achievement in the lessons observed during the inspection and that evident in their books and displays of work is good. This supports the picture of attainment in the schools’ data, which shows that pupils make good progress to reach average attainment. In the Nursery and Reception classes, children, rapidly, learn school routines and how to work and play together. They make at least good and, in areas such as their personal, social and emotional development, often excellent progress from their largely very low starting points. Some of the main weaknesses found when staff assess the children on entry to the school are in the children’s number and calculation skills. The weakness continues throughout the school and, currently, standards in mathematics remain lower than those in reading and writing. A number of mathematics lessons were observed during the inspection and these demonstrated that the staff are working hard to improve pupils’ basic

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Achievement of pupils

skills. In addition, the school has a number of improvements to teaching and resources in mathematics already under way. Even so, some pupils are hindered by a lack of knowledge and understanding of mathematical vocabulary and do not have sufficient opportunities to investigate and solve practical problems.

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Achievement of pupils

There has been a picture of falling standards in Years 1 and 2. However, the strong and improved teaching now evident has reversed this trend and learning and progress are now good. This is especially the case in reading and writing. The pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of linking sounds and letters and are developing sound skills in reading and spelling. This good work continues into Key Stage 2. Achievement is good overall and the current Year 6 pupils are on track to achieve close to the national average in reading, which would represent some Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

excellent progress given their starting points.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils with special educational needs make good progress through a variety of well- organised and effective interventions. These address needs in communication, reading and number and in pupils’ social skills. In addition, the excellent care and support for the pupils facing the most challenging circumstances, supports their ability to access all the school offers and helps them achieve well. Polish children are well supported and quickly make rapid gains in learning English, while many of the Black African pupils make progress that is even better than their peers. The inspection findings are supported by the views of parents and carers, almost all of whom say the school helps their children make good progress.

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Quality of teaching

The good teaching is the result of effective planning and very strong relationships with the pupils. The best lessons are those where pupils are actively involved in their learning. For example, the use of movement and role play in a reading session in Year 2 involved pupils more with the text and developed a deeper understanding of the characters. Teachers know their pupils’ skills and prior learning well and, most of the time, they provide appropriate work, with effective support for those with learning difficulties or who are at an early stage of learning English. This is often done with good-quality support from teaching assistants and other teachers. However, the provision for the most-able pupils is less well planned and, in some lessons, they are not provided with sufficiently challenging or imaginative work. From talking to some of these pupils, it is clear that they enjoy challenging work and one

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Quality of teaching

spoke of how in a mathematics lesson ‘It is hard, but I like that’. In the small number of lessons where teaching was satisfactory, the pace was slower and resources not always appropriate for the task. In one lesson, the pupils were not sufficiently engaged because the teacher dominated the discussion at the start.

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Quality of teaching

A good curriculum supports learning through a range of interesting activities. Pupils’ outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is supported in lessons regularly and by the increasingly creative curriculum. For example, Year 1 pupils were learning about other faiths through creating some Hindu art work and this proved very popular and interested them greatly. Staff make great efforts to support the most potentially vulnerable pupils and to help them make good progress. A very large majority of the parents and carers say that their children are helped to learn and almost all of the pupils who completed a questionnaire praised the teaching.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. They are polite and friendly to those they know and to visitors. Their good behaviour in lessons helps their learning, as they have positive attitudes towards school, enjoy challenges and new topics. These positive attitudes are developed very effectively in the Early Years Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Foundation Stage. A strong focus on routines, a structured day and opportunities to learn and play together in the Nursery and the Reception classes help develop good learning skills and attitudes in children as they start in Year 1. The school makes excellent use of a learning mentor and a family support worker as part of a health and well-being team, whose outstanding work ensures the excellent care and support for a number of potentially vulnerable pupils and their families. This work has also been part of a very successful drive to improve attendance and this is now above average.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The school keeps good records regarding behaviour, bullying and other incidents. Bullying is rare, but dealt with very effectively when it occurs and pupils talk about the confidence they have in adults to deal with such issues. A number of pupils have behavioural and emotional difficulties and the school supports these pupils very effectively. Exclusions are rare, but used appropriately and correctly when required. Firm efforts are made to ensure all pupils are safe and able to learn effectively. Training for staff in child protection and first aid is detailed and pupils with medical needs or disabilities are cared for and supported very well. Teachers ensure pupils are aware of the dangers of computer misuse and cyber-bullying. The inspection evidence is supported by almost all parents and carers who say their children feel safe at school.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher gives the school strong leadership, with a clear focus on raising achievement. The leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage is equally strong and supports the good progress children make when they start school. Self- evaluation is accurate and honest and provides a good basis for improvement planning. An excellent grasp of the available data, both national and local comparisons, and the school’s own assessments of progress, ensures teachers are held to account by the senior staff for their teaching and the pupils’ progress. The ‘standards leaders’ do not yet support this work sufficiently and the school is aware that they need more opportunities to use their skills and experience in checking on pupils’ progress and supporting the more-inexperienced staff. Training is valued as a means of raising standards and well-targeted professional development has a very strong and positive impact on learning. For example, recent changes to the teaching

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Leadership and management

of reading and writing have quickly improved pupils' reading skills and ability to sound out new words as well as write more accurately. This is one example of how well the school has improved since the last inspection and indicates its good capacity to improve.

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Leadership and management

The governing body has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses through efficient systems for collecting and evaluating evidence about performance. Many governors visit the school regularly and they ensure the school is fully aware of its place in the diverse local community and its spiritual and religious role. The governing body ensures safeguarding requirements are fully met and all health and safety matters are assessed and updated regularly. The school leadership, Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

including the governing body, ensures all pupils have equal opportunities to access all aspects of the provision and no form of discrimination is tolerated. Pupils are taught about and to respect others from backgrounds different from their own. For example, a wide range of cultures and other countries and faiths is studied. The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils well. The creative curriculum is developing into an imaginative and positive vehicle for enhancing the full range of skills pupils need, including for their communication and use of information and communication technology. This is evident in a recent award received for a Key Stage 1 film. The leadership ensures strong links are built with parents and carers and the local community. In addition, a wide range of effective partnerships with outside agencies and organisations has a positive impact

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Corpus Christi Catholic School, Coventry, CV3 2QP

Thank you for the way you welcomed the inspectors to your school recently. We enjoyed our visit and talking with many of you about your school. We enjoyed especially seeing your good behaviour and how much better is your regular attendance at school. Clearly, you enjoy your learning.

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Inspection of Corpus Christi Catholic School, Coventry, CV3 2QP

Corpus Christi is a good school. You are all working so hard together to make it successful. This is especially evident in your reading, which is much improved, and we saw how much you enjoy your reading and writing lessons. You are not always as confident in mathematics and we have asked the school to help you get better at this by teaching you more about mathematical language and by giving you better opportunities to investigate and solve problems. Nearly all of you make good progress in your lessons. You all get on well together and this helps those who find learning more difficult, or who are at an early stage of learning, to speak English to join in lessons and make good progress. We have asked the teachers to make sure they give those of you who find learning easier work that challenges you and makes you think.

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Inspection of Corpus Christi Catholic School, Coventry, CV3 2QP

The headteacher, governing body and senior teachers provide good leadership. We have asked some of them who are in new posts to check your progress even more closely so any one who is falling behind is quickly helped to catch up. Your teachers work very hard to give you good and interesting lessons. You help by being well- behaved and by having positive attitudes towards your work. You are learning your basic skills well and this is helping you be ready for secondary school and your future lives.

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Inspection of Corpus Christi Catholic School, Coventry, CV3 2QP

Thank you again for your friendliness and help. We hope you continue to enjoy your time at Corpus Christi and keep working hard.

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Inspection of Corpus Christi Catholic School, Coventry, CV3 2QP

Geof Timms Lead inspector (on behalf of the inspection team) procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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