Christ The King Catholic School, Amesbury

Christ the King Catholic Primary School Earls Court Road, Amesbury, Wiltshire SP4 7LX

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 The quality of teaching requires improvement because it is not consistently good or better throughout the school.  Pupils’ achievement requires improvement. Pupils do not always make the progress they are capable of because teaching does not always offer the right amount of challenge to pupils of different abilities.  Teachers’ subject knowledge needs to improve, especially regarding mathematics.  Teachers’ professional development has not always been matched to school improvement planning and to raising pupils’ achievement.  Leadership and management require improvement because the governing body has not been effective in challenging the school as to why pupils’ progress and achievement have not risen since the previous inspection.  The initiatives put in place by the new headteacher and his senior leadership team have not had sufficient time to deliver consistently good or better teaching throughout the school.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The school provides pupils with a very caring and nurturing environment which parents and carers fully appreciate.  Pupils feel safe and behave well both in and out of the classroom. They show respect for the feelings of others. Incidents of unsocial behaviour by pupils are rare.  The headteacher has developed a very firm understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses in a relatively short space of time and has gained the full backing of all staff who realise that the school needs to improve the quality of education it provides for pupils.  Effective systems to monitor the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress are now being used effectively to identify improvement priorities.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out with half a day’s notice and took place over two days.  The three inspectors spent a total of seven hours and 25 minutes observing 17 lessons taught by nine teachers. Two were joint observations: one with the headteacher, the other with the deputy headteacher.  The inspectors heard pupils from Year 2 and Year 6 read and made short observations of sessions on the teaching of phonics (pupils learning letter patterns and the sounds they represent).  Discussions were held with the headteacher, the senior leadership team, parents and carers, a representative of the local authority, members of the governing body and pupils.  The inspectors observed pupils’ attitudes and behaviour and scrutinised the school’s safeguarding procedures.  The inspectors took account of the 20 responses to the online Parent View Survey in planning and carrying out the inspection.  The inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at documentation including the

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Information about this inspection

school’s self-evaluation, teachers’ planning, school development planning, tracking documentation of individual pupils’ progress, performance management documentation, local authority reports and school policy documents.

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Inspection team

Michael Barron, Lead inspector Additional inspector Jo Curd Additional inspector Andrew Markham Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a slightly larger than average-sized primary school serving pupils from a wide geographical area around the town of Amesbury.  Pupils are taught in nine classes.  A large majority of pupils attending the school come from White British backgrounds.  A small number of pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds and a few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is above the national average and the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above the national average.  There is a resource base on the school site for pupils with speech, language and communication difficulties. It is managed by the governing body and was therefore included as part of this

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Information about this school

inspection.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The previous headteacher retired at the end of the summer term 2012. The new headteacher took up his position in September 2012, a month before the start of the inspection.  The school joined the Wiltshire Improving Schools Programme at the beginning of September 2012. This programme has been set up by the local authority to assist schools previously graded as ‘satisfactory’ by Ofsted to eventually move to the ‘good’ category.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by July 2013 to at least the national averages by the end of Year 6 by improving the overall quality of teaching to good or better in all year groups through:  ensuring teachers improve their subject knowledge, especially in mathematics  making sure that tasks given to pupils of different abilities in lessons offer them the correct level of challenge and are not too hard or too easy for them to complete  ensure that when teachers mark pupils’ work they always provide pupils with information about how to improve  ensure that staff professional development is always matched to school improvement planning and to raising pupils’ achievement.  Raise the quality of leadership and management of the school through:  ensuring the governing body offers the school a consistently effective level of challenge, especially regarding improvement of pupils’ progress throughout the school.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ progress needs to improve if achievement is to become at least good.  Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skill levels below those expected for their age and make good progress during their Reception Year because teaching caters for their needs well.  The parents and carers who completed the on-line survey in Parent View believe that their children are making good progress. However, although pupils make better progress during their later years at the school, their overall progress from Year 1 to Year 6 is average and this reflects variations in the quality of teaching in different classes.  By Year 6 pupils’ attainment is below average in reading, writing and mathematics and this was clear from pupils’ work, from records of their progress and from the school’s systems to track the progress of individual pupils in English and mathematics.  Attainment in numeracy has lagged behind pupils’ attainment in English for a number of years.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

The school has recognised the need to improve teachers’ expertise in this subject throughout the school if pupils’ attainment is to rise.  There are no significant gaps in between different groups of pupils. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and also those who speak English as an additional language make similar progress to all other pupils.  The funding the school receives for those pupils eligible for the pupil premium is used well to offer this group of pupils extra support with their learning.  Pupils in the learning resource base are integrated well into school life and receive an effective level of support with their learning. As a result, they make similar progress to pupils in the rest of the school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching requires improvement as pupils are not making consistently good progress over time. The recent initiatives implemented by the new headteacher are only just beginning to impact on raising the quality of teaching in the school.  The work pupils are asked to complete in lessons is not always well matched to pupils’ different abilities. In several observed lessons pupils commented that the tasks they were asked to complete were either too hard or, more often, too easy. This affected their attitudes to learning and they became passive learners and did not make the progress they were capable of.  In contrast, some teaching observed during the inspection was of a good standard, especially in Key Stage 2, and an example of this was observed in a stimulating numeracy lesson to Year 3 and Year 4 pupils. The teacher used a variety of teaching methods to keep pupils thoroughly engaged in learning at all times and, as a result, they enjoyed the lesson, worked hard and

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

made good progress in developing their understanding of number bonds.  Teachers’ relationships with pupils are good. Pupils say teachers are friendly and approachable. Teachers work effectively with teaching assistants to try to ensure that those pupils requiring extra help with their learning receive the support they need in order to make similar progress to all other pupils.  The quality of teachers’ marking varies throughout the school. Some is of a good standard and helps pupils to improve their work. However, there are occasions when teachers mark pupils’ work incorrectly. There are also occasions when work is not marked at all. In both cases pupils are not given any indication of how to improve and this affects their progress.  Teachers’ subject expertise also varies and the school has recognised the need to improve this situation, especially regarding improving teachers’ subject knowledge in mathematics if pupils’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say they enjoy school and this is reflected in their above average rates of attendance and good punctuality. Pupils of all ages behave responsibly and display a very good level of respect and consideration for others. Relationships between pupils and adults are very positive throughout the school.  Incidents of misbehaviour are rare and there have been no pupil exclusions from the school since 2010. However, older pupils say that a very small minority of pupils have, quote, ‘a few problems behaving well’, but that teachers deal quickly and effectively with any incidents that may occur from time to time.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school at all times. They have a very good understanding of what constitutes safe behaviour and older pupils provide good role models for younger ones, especially when at play.  Pupils also have a clear understanding of the different forms of bullying, for example physical,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

emotional and cyber-type bullying. Pupils of all ages are adamant that very little bullying takes place in the school and are confident that, should any instances ever occur, adults would deal with them quickly, fairly and firmly.  Although pupils are keen to come to school, their attitudes to learning vary in different classes. When teaching is stimulating and tasks in lessons are well matched to individual pupils’ different abilities, pupils display good attitudes to learning.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 This school requires improvement because leaders and managers at all levels, including those who lead and manage teaching, have, up until now, not been effective in ensuring that the education provided for pupils has been of a good enough standard to ensure pupils make good progress in their learning throughout the school.  The school is now led by a dedicated and experienced headteacher who displays a clear vision for school improvement and the ability to lead the school by example. During his relatively short time in charge he has already ensured that the recently expanded senior leadership team has started to play a greater role in the leadership and management of the school.  The headteacher has worked well with the school’s governing body and staff to ensure that the school has evaluated its performance accurately and already put in place initiatives to improve pupils’ achievement. However, these new initiatives have not yet had the time to impact on

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The leadership and management requires improvement

raising pupils’ progress. Even so, the rapidity in which these have been put into place is a clear indication that the school has the capacity to improve in the future.  Staff fully support the headteacher’s aims for the school and it was evident from returned staff questionnaires that they are as keen as the headteacher to ensure that the school improves the quality of education it provides for pupils. Individual members of both teaching and non-teaching staff were keen to explain to inspectors that staff morale had improved recently and that staff felt valued as individuals and believed they all had a part to play in improving the school.  The school has recently identified the need to link performance management more closely to school development planning and to raising pupils’ achievement. Targets set for staff in the past have not always been appropriately related to improving pupils’ progress. This has been

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The leadership and management requires improvement

improved and the process is now closely linked to identifying staff training needs, for example the need to ensure some teachers improve their subject knowledge in mathematics, in order to improve the overall quality of teaching.  The school promotes equality of opportunity well and discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. Pupils from the well-run on-site resource base are fully included in the life of the school.  The curriculum is well balanced and provides pupils with experiences that enhance their learning and understanding of the world in which they live. Pupils say that they enjoy meeting visitors to the school and taking part in interesting visits. Pupils in Year 6 are already looking forward to the school’s yearly residential trip to an outdoor activity centre in Dorset.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is especially strong and this reflects the Christian ethos of the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

school.  The local authority has identified the school as requiring improvement and is now providing it with a good level of support. However, this is a recent development and has not yet had time to impact positively on the school’s effectiveness.  The governance of the school:  has not been effective enough in the past in challenging the leadership of the school as to why pupils’ progress and achievement had not risen since the previous inspection  has recently undergone a change in membership which has resulted in improving its effectiveness in offering not only support to the school but also acting more effectively as a critical friend  is now aware of the school’s overall strengths and weaknesses  ensures that all statutory requirements are met and that safeguarding arrangements are fully implemented.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 126423 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 402397

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School details

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

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School details

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 252 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Carol Crossland Headteacher Jerome McCormack Date of previous school inspection 1–2 February 2010 Telephone number 01980 622039 Fax number 01980 622039 Email address head@christtheking.wilts.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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 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

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School details

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School details

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

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