Christ Church CofE Primary School

Christ Church CofE Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 29–30 September 2011 Inspection number 377329 Unique Reference Number 105935 Local authority Salford Inspection number 377329 Inspection dates 29–30 September 2011 Reporting inspector Lynne Read

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 203 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Lynn Boardman Headteacher Wendy McCormack Date of previous school inspection 05 May 2009 School address Nelson Street Patricroft Eccles Manchester M30 0GZ Telephone number 0161 921 1955 Fax number 0161 921 1956 Email address christchurch.ceprimaryschool@salford.gov.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 priso ns and other secure establishments. It rates council children's services, and inspects services for looked after

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children, safeguarding and child protection.

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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.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. The inspectors visited 16 lessons and observed nine teachers. They held meetings with members of the governing body, managers, staff and groups of pupils. In observing the school’s work, they looked at pupils’ workbooks, assessment records, school policies and school development plans. In total 111 parental questionnaires were received, analysed and considered, alongside 89 questionnaires completed by the pupils and 22 by school staff. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 What the quality of learning and progress is, focusing on the girls at Key Stage 1 and on boys and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities at Key Stage 2.   What the quality of pupils’ personal development and their behaviour is.  How effective leadership and management are in sustaining improvements and driving the school forward.

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Information about the school

This school is an average sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is more than double the national average. A lower than average proportion of pupils has special educational needs and/or disabilities. The number of pupils with a statement of special educational needs is much higher than that usually seen. The school caters for pupils from a wide number of ethnic groups, including those of White British, European, Asian and African heritage. The school holds the Activemark, Eco Schools and International Schools awards and has Healthy School status. The school is led by a recently appointed executive headteacher who shares her time between Christ Church and another local school. Two assistant headteachers are also in post. The governing body offers a daily breakfast club on the premises and this is reported on within the text.

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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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Main findings

This is a good school. The headteacher, ably supported by the assistant headteachers, leads the successful drive for improvement and generates strong ambition. Thorough reviews of performance are completed by managers and the school sets itself challenging targets. This system of self-evaluation is successful in providing a comprehensive and accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and provides the basis for development planning. In turn, this has led to improved pupils' progress and higher attainment over the last three years. The capacity for sustained improvement is, therefore, good. The governing body is supportive but its systems for monitoring the school’s work and planning strategic direction are in the early stages of development.

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Main findings

Attainment is average by the end of Year 6. This represents good progress from pupils’ starting points and standards are rising. A successful programme for teaching letters and sounds in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 means that children are beginning to read and spell at an earlier stage and has made a good impact on the quality of writing. Learning is consolidated well as pupils move through the school, and progress is often rapid in Years 5 and 6. However, some Year 1 pupils are not ready for the National Curriculum work and their progress slows when there is insufficient practical work to meet their learning needs. Teaching is good overall and some is outstanding, especially in Years 5 and 6. Tasks are set at different levels of difficulty and lessons usually include a good amount of problem- solving and collaborative activities. Marking and advice given to pupils are very useful

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Main findings

in helping them to reach their challenging targets. Children in The Early Years Foundation Stage are usually taught in small focused groups where they make good progress. However, when they are taught in a large mixed-ability group, learning is slower.

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Main findings

The school is a harmonious community where pupils from different ethnic backgrounds get on very well together. Their good behaviour ensures that lessons run smoothly and creates a calm, positive atmosphere for learning. The good curriculum includes intervention strategies that successfully boost pupils' learning. Lessons pay good attention to promoting personal development so pupils know how to stay safe and have a good understanding of a healthy lifestyle. The school provides good care for pupils and staff seek out expert help or resources in order to remove any barriers to learning and ensure equal opportunities for all. A good system of rewards has helped to improve attendance which is now average. However, there is insufficient rigour in the policy to make an impact on the proportion of absence due to holidays being taken in term time.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and progress further by: - ensuring that children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are consistently taught in small, focused groups where their learning needs are met fully - ensuring that the Year 1 curriculum provides a good amount of practical work to ensure a smooth learning journey for pupils between the Early Years Foundation Stage work and the National Curriculum programmes of study.  Develop more rigorous systems to further promote good attendance and reduce absence due to holidays taken during term time.  Develop further the role of the governing body in monitoring the school’s performance and planning strategic development and direction.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils relish the challenges that their teachers set for them, clearly enjoy their learning and achieve well. In Years 5 and 6, pupils worked collaboratively to investigate prime numbers and factors. In Year 3, pupils used interesting adjectives and alliteration to describe characters in their story and those in Year 2 demonstrated a good knowledge of letters and sounds when spelling accurately. All age groups have positive attitudes to learning and work diligently.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

When children enter the Nursery class, their skills are below the expectations for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and throughout the school. A concerted effort to boost attainment in Key Stage 1 has been successful, especially through one-to-one teaching. However, in Year 1 progress is slower for some pupils because they do not have a smooth transition into National Curriculum work. By the end of Year 6, attainment is average and achievement is good, with an improved proportion of pupils working at the higher level. Boys and girls learn equally well and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported so that they make good progress. Pupils from minority ethnic groups progress at an equal rate to other groups.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Good links with the church support pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development well. Pupils play an active role within the local community and are very successful in their fund-raising activities. They are polite and show kindness and care towards each other; they assert that they feel safe and have no worries about bullying. Pupils have a sound knowledge of, and good respect for, faiths and cultures that are different from their own. Pupils are keen to succeed and are soundly prepared for their future education. These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

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2

Pupils' attainment 1 3 The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 2 The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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How effective is the provision?

Relationships are good and pupils trust their teachers. Lessons have clear objectives so pupils know what is expected of them and good use is made of information and communication technology (ICT) to support learning. Teachers assess pupils’ progress frequently in order to plan tasks that build systematically on prior learning. However, in Year 1 some pupils require a more practical element to learning. On occasions, their needs are not fully met because they are taught within the class group where the work is too difficult or the pace of learning is too fast for them. Teaching assistants generally provide good, targeted support for groups or individuals who need extra help or challenges, both in class and group sessions. Marking is good and teachers set helpful targets to indicate the next steps for pupils.

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How effective is the provision?

The good curriculum is well-balanced and successfully extends pupils' skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT through other subject studies. For example, pupils combined English and history studies as they wrote stories set in war-time. Lessons include a good emphasis on personal education, as well as varied opportunities for creative and practical work. Pupils say they especially enjoy their physical education and drama lessons. A good range of visits enhances learning well, including opportunities for pupils to be ‘learning detectives’ in other schools. Pupils take good advantage of an interesting selection of extra-curricular activities, including the popular journalism and cooking clubs and one run by the church to extend personal and spiritual development.

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How effective is the provision?

Pupils’ welfare is at the heart of this school’s work and pupils feel secure within the safe, nurturing environment. School leaders and pupil councillors are currently working together to develop the playground further, including more choice of activity during break and lunch times. An established behaviour policy ensures that pupils know exactly what is expected and, by the time they reach Years 5 and 6, they demonstrate a good level of self-discipline. Habits of good attendance are well promoted through reward incentives. However, some families do not cooperate fully

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low with school and take their children on holidays during term time. Leaders recognise that a more rigorous policy is now needed. The daily breakfast club is popular; it provides a welcoming start to the day and encourages pupils to be punctual.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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2

The use of assessment to support learning 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher provides good, focused leadership and clear direction. Teamwork is good and staff are focused on providing the best for pupils. The school is well run on a day-to-day basis; procedures and policies are consistently followed and value for money is good. Staff pay good attention to ensuring that no groups of pupils are disadvantaged, so all have an equal opportunity to succeed. For example, an improved system for tracking pupils' progress means that senior managers have an accurate view of the achievements of different groups of pupils. They use the information well to provide for a wide range of needs, to target support and provide a boost to learning, where needed. Good partnerships support learning well. For example, the ‘higher futures for you’ project is run in conjunction with the local university and helps to expand pupils’ horizons, as well as their ambitions.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The governing body is supportive and includes a good range of expertise and experience. Some members are active in school but their involvement in checking provision and performance, holding the school to account and planning for the future is not yet fully developed. Parents and carers are encouraged to engage in their children’s learning and receive a good amount of information about progress, the curriculum and school life. Safeguarding meets requirements. Staff have regular updates in their child protection training and are well equipped to deal with any concerns. Community cohesion is satisfactory in promoting harmony in school and in providing opportunities for pupils to engage with the local community, for instance, by planting bulbs and caring for the environment. The governing body and staff are currently exploring ways of developing links with different communities nationally and around the world to extend pupils’ experiences of the wider community.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for the leadership and management

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2

The leadership and management of teaching and learning 2

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Early Years Foundation Stage

When they start in the nursery, children’s levels of development vary widely. Overall, they have a range of skills that are below expectations for the age group and for some, they are well below. Good induction procedures, including home visits, ensure that children settle quickly. Teaching is good overall and children learn especially well when they work in small groups. Learning is slower, however, when they are taught in larger, mixed-ability groups because individual needs are not fully met. Children's independence is promoted successfully as they are encouraged to follow their own lines of enquiry and explore their world. For example, during inspection, staff supported children well as they investigated and learned about some spiders they found. Progress is constantly assessed and ‘learning profile’ booklets provide a detailed record of each child’s development. The outdoor area has been attractively

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Early Years Foundation Stage

designed to provide a good variety of active, learning experiences. Staff are currently developing the indoor environment in order to create more accessible ‘learning bays’ and resources. Children make good progress and most are now working at the expected levels by the time they enter Year 1, which is higher than in previous years. A small minority, however, have not reached the expected standards by the end of the reception year. Leadership and management are good and ensure that routines, policies and procedures are consistently followed. There are good systems for sharing information with parents and carers, and for involving them in their children’s education. Workshops in reading and numeracy, for instance, provide them with useful ideas to support learning at home.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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2

Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

The parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire have very positive views and all agree that their children enjoy school, are safe and taught how to have healthy lifestyles. Quotes that reflect these opinions include, ’this is a fantastic family-feeling school’, ‘the teachers are excellent and willing to listen anytime I need to talk to them’, and ‘the school provides a safe, fun learning environment’. There are commendations for the good quality of teaching and the high standard of care. Inspection endorses these views. No major issues were raised.

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questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Christ Church CofE Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 111 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 203 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 65 59 35 32 0 0 1 1 The school keeps my child safe 71 64 31 28 0 0 1 1 The school informs me about my child's progress 60 54 46 41 4 4 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 59 53 46 41 6 5 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 63 57 46 41 2 2 0 0 The school helps me to support my child's learning 65 59 43 39 3 3 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 57 51 54 49 0 0 0 0 The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 58 52 49 44 1 1 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 56 50 54 49 1 1 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 53 48 52 47 2 2 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 46 41 60 54 0 0 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 55 50 54 49 1 1 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 71 64 39 35 1 1 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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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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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9 Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5 All schools 10 44 39 6

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above is for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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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

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on 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 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. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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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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Inspection of Christ Church CofE Primary School, Manchester, M30 0GZ

Thank you for the very warm welcome and lovely smiles you gave the inspectors when we visited your school. We thoroughly enjoyed our time with you and appreciated the interesting conversations we had and all the help you gave us.

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Inspection of Christ Church CofE Primary School, Manchester, M30 0GZ

Christ Church CofE is a good school. Your behaviour is good and you all get on very well together. You are a credit to yourselves, your families and your school. Thank you to the pupils who filled in their questionnaire and those who chatted with us. It is good to hear comments such as ‘we have good computers and we use them a lot’, ‘this is a great school; I love it!’ and ‘teachers help us a lot’.

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Inspection of Christ Church CofE Primary School, Manchester, M30 0GZ

You are keen to learn and work hard. Those of you in the Nursery and Reception Years enjoy your work and play, especially investigating and finding things out for yourselves. When you work in a big group, however, you do not learn as well. Also, some of you in Year 1 do not have enough practical and independent work. In Key Stages 1 and 2 your learning has improved and you do well. Your attendance has also improved but we think it could be higher still for a few of you. To make the school even better we have asked your teachers to:

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Inspection of Christ Church CofE Primary School, Manchester, M30 0GZ

 make sure that those of you in the Nursery and Reception classes work in small groups so you always learn to the best of your abilities  provide more practical activities for some children in Year 1  improve attendance by making sure that a small number of pupils do not miss school because of holidays taken in term time. In addition, the governors will be checking to see that your school is the best it can be and making plans to make sure it stays that way.

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Inspection of Christ Church CofE Primary School, Manchester, M30 0GZ

You can help by continuing to work hard, completing your homework and being ambitious. Thank you once again for the interesting conversations we had and for letting us share your work and play. Please accept our best wishes for the future and continue to enjoy your happy school.

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Inspection of Christ Church CofE Primary School, Manchester, M30 0GZ

Yours sincerely, Lynne Read Lead Inspector

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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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