Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend

Age group 4–7 Inspection date(s) 19–20 January 2012 Inspection number 377884 Christ Church Church of England Infant School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 109166 Local authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 377884 Inspection dates 19–20 January 2012 Lead inspector Alex Baxter

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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 Infant School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 220 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ann Smith Acting Headteacher Dean Moran Date of previous school inspection 14–15 October 2008 School address Christchurch Avenue Bristol BS16 5TG Telephone number 01454 866562 Fax number 01454 866575 Email address admin@christchurchinfant.bristol.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 information 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 by two additional inspectors. The inspectors visited 20 lessons taught by 10 teachers and listened to pupils reading. The inspectors also attended collective worship/assemblies, observed break times and held meetings with representatives of the governing body, staff, pupils, and parents and carers. The inspectors took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at plans and policies, records of assessments and the tracking of pupils’ progress. The inspectors analysed 77 questionnaires completed by parents and carers.

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Information about the school

This infant school is broadly similar in size to other infant schools. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. Most pupils attending the school are of White British heritage and there are few pupils who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is broadly average. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in discrete Reception classes. Privately run breakfast and after-school clubs operate on the school site and share some of the school’s facilities; as they are managed independently, they were not a part of this inspection. The school is currently led by an acting headteacher. 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

 Christ Church is a good school. It has made good improvement since the previous inspection, particularly by securing a strong partnership with parents and carers and enhancing pupils’ enjoyment and confidence in learning. The efficient tracking of pupils’ progress represents another key improvement, which has lifted achievement, especially in English. This has enabled the tackling of pupils’ individual needs, including those of the more able, at an early stage with additional adult support and intervention.

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Key findings

 Pupils achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and increasingly so in writing. Pupils’ speaking, listening and reading skills are well developed and are above average by the end of Year 2. Although their progress in mathematics is now improving, pupils’ attainment in basic numeracy is less good.

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Key findings

 Teaching is good overall, with outstanding elements in the systematic way pupils are taught reading and writing as they move through the school. Other strengths include well-focused questioning by adults and good management of behaviour so that very positive relationships are engendered. Occasionally, adult-led introductions fail to enthuse pupils and, especially in Reception classes, leave too little time for children to learn more independently.

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Key findings

 Most pupils and parents feel that this is a good school where children are very safe and behave well. All those questioned also feel that progress is good. These views match inspection findings, which also identified consistent strengths in the way adults care for pupils, especially those with emotional needs.

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Key findings

 The acting headteacher works effectively with senior colleagues and, with good support from the governing body, has steered the school successfully through a period of staff change. Together, they provide good leadership and management, promote an inclusive ethos and sustain a good breadth of curricular activity that effectively supports the development of pupils’ communication and social skills. 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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By the end of 2012, raise pupils’ achievement in mathematics to at least match that in English as they move through the school by more systematically extending their basic number and calculation skills through practical problem solving and in activities chosen by the children themselves.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop more imaginative teaching strategies to enthuse and engage pupils fully in their learning by:  ensuring that pupils do not spend too long sitting and listening in lessons  providing more opportunities, particularly in the Early Years Foundation Stage, for pupils to initiate their own learning.

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Achievement of pupils

Children’s skills on entry vary considerably from year to year and reflect a very wide range of pre-school learning experiences, but, overall, their levels of skill on entry are below those expected, especially in communication and calculation. Observations of pupils’ learning in lessons, and when receiving additional adult support in small groups, show that the pupils’ broadly average attainment by the end of Year 2 represents good achievement. Their good progress is especially apparent in pupils’ well-presented, expressive, extended story writing. The pupils’ well-developed speaking and listening skills are clearly evident in their spoken responses and in their mastery of a good breadth of vocabulary. Listening to pupils reading also shows that they make good progress in learning how to pronounce letter sounds and how to blend them to tackle new words. As a result, pupils’ attainment in reading is above

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Achievement of pupils

average by the end of Year 2 and shows that parents, carers and pupils are right to express the view that progress in reading is good.

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Achievement of pupils

Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. This is because adults present caring role models, promote enjoyment in learning and question children well. Good learning and progress continue through the school because lesson objectives are specifically chosen to meet pupils’ different needs. This school year, for example, more-able pupils are benefiting from increased challenge and, because of tailored guidance, are also contributing more effectively by evaluating their own and each other’s work.

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Achievement of pupils

The school’s accurate assessments show that well-targeted intervention and support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, and for pupils who may have fallen behind are steadily closing any gaps between their attainment and that of other pupils. More targeted, guided group work in and out of class this academic 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

year is accelerating pupils’ progress in mathematics, and is sufficient to secure their expected progress and sound attainment by the end of Year 2. However, pupils’ ability to calculate when solving number problems is not developing quickly enough as they move through the school.

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Quality of teaching

Information from assessment is used well to identify relevant learning objectives and to plan work which accurately meets pupils’ needs. In most classes, for most of the time, teachers use questioning well to make links with previous work and to extend pupils’ thinking, as for example in a lively exchange in Reception when talking about germs. In addition, by encouraging pupils to explain their ideas, teachers are effective not only in clarifying and achieving learning objectives, but also in extending pupils’ speaking and listening skills. A representative example was seen in Year 2 as pupils discussed patterns and shared ideas for their collage designs. This form of creative work, class topics about Noah and his ark and assembly themes such as ‘Forgiveness’ also successfully support the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Quality of teaching

The systematic development of pupils’ reading and writing through daily phonics teaching about the sounds that letters make, accompanied by regular adult-guided reading in groups, is a consistent strength across the school. For example, in a guided reading lesson in Year 1, the teacher used praise very effectively to advance pupils’ understanding and ability to tackle tricky words. Adults also manage behaviour well and sustain warm relationships. The current whole-school focus on writing increasingly extends and supports enjoyable learning across all the subjects of the curriculum. For example, exercises like writing instructions about how to make the Olympic symbol and writing words to please Ginger the teddy bear are increasingly motivating the pupils.

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Quality of teaching

However, on occasions, whole-class, adult-led discussions continue for too long and a few pupils lose interest and are not sufficiently included in good learning. Such sessions, especially in Reception classes, also constrain the time available for pupils to work more practically in groups, pairs or independently. The school is already tackling this weakness through guided work in mathematics and plans for the Early Years Foundation Stage show more opportunities for children to make their own learning choices.

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Quality of teaching

Most pupils, parents and carers feel that their children are taught well and that they enjoy learning. These views match inspection findings.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

In keeping with the school’s caring, inclusive ethos, pupils’ good behaviour and warm, friendly relationships are consistent features across the school, in and out of lessons. Discussions with pupils and feedback from parents and carers showed that 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

these aspects have been strong aspects of the school over time. There have been no recorded incidents of poor behaviour or bullying over the past academic year and no bullying or unacceptable behaviour were seen during the inspection. The school’s record of the one isolated incident of racial name calling, which occurred during the previous school year, shows that parents and carers were fully consulted and that the school addressed the matter effectively. All the pupils, parents and carers questioned said that the likelihood of future incidents is low given the school’s well- established procedures for managing behaviour. If any incidents should occur, they are confident that the school would deal with them swiftly and effectively.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils say that, ‘The teachers and their assistants are very kind to us and look after us well.’ As a result, they enjoy school and feel very safe, and parents and carers agree. These views are mirrored in the pupils’ above-average attendance and positive attitudes to learning. Inspection findings confirm the accuracy of these views, with the school’s safeguarding procedures, especially the vetting of new staff, being exemplary aspects.

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Leadership and management

The acting headteacher has sustained a clear vision of improvement during his stewardship this academic year. With good support from other senior staff and the wisdom and active commitment of the governing body, the school has continued to make good progress since the previous inspection. Links with parents and carers, pupils’ achievements in English and staff leadership skills have all been improved, helped by well-planned professional development. Together, these show the school’s well-founded capacity to bring further improvement.

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Leadership and management

As it did at the time of the previous inspection when inducting a new headteacher, the governing body continues to manage staff change successfully. Governors also demonstrate determined strategic leadership, as in their very recent decision to hold on to existing expertise and to bring in fresh skills by creating a co-headteacher role. The governing body, supported well by the acting headteacher, also fulfils its statutory duties. For example, strategies to secure good attendance, and arrangements for safeguarding pupils’ welfare, including safe recruitment and child protection procedures, are implemented very well. Monitoring is an effective tool in strengthening teaching and assessment to secure the pupils’ good personal and academic achievements. This is evident in the consistent promotion of equality of opportunity for all pupils and elimination of discrimination across all aspects of the school’s work, now apparent in the effective use of guided group and intervention

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Leadership and management

work to narrow the achievement gap between those pupils who find learning difficult and others.

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Leadership and management

The school provides an effective curriculum, which successfully develops the pupils’ self-confidence and promotes their good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Regular, whole-school assemblies, which promote the school’s Christian values, also include presentations led by each class in turn. For example, in Year 2, a Noah’s Ark theme promoted the pupils’ cultural understanding of other 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

countries and prompted reflection about the natural world. The school’s good links with other local schools are also used well to widen and enrich curricular activity, as for example when more-able pupils drawn from several schools advanced their collaborative learning skills during a music-making workshop.

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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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5TG

Thank you for making us feel so welcome when we visited your school. We greatly enjoyed meeting and talking to you. Adults work hard to help you learn well and to prepare you for the future. We agree that you go to an improving school that provides you with a good education. These are the other main things we found.

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5TG

 You enjoy school and get on really well with each other.  You feel very safe, behave well and treat each other in a very kindly and caring way.  You like your teachers and teaching assistants and try your best to please them.  You are well behaved and make a good contribution to the school.  All adults who work in the school look after you very well.  Your acting headteacher, staff and governors all work well together to help you to achieve.

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5TG

To bring further improvement, we have asked the teachers to:

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5TG

 help you to improve your number skills in a step-by-step way as you move through the school  make lessons as lively and interesting as possible and give you more opportunities to learn by following your own ideas.

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5TG

All of you can help by thinking hard about your work and doing your best.

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5TG

Alex Baxter Lead Inspector 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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