Christ Church CofE Controlled Primary School and Nursery

Christ Church CofE Controlled Primary School and Nursery Claremont Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, B11 1LF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils in all ability groups make good progress. This is because teaching is good and improving. There are examples of outstanding teaching.  Pupils enjoy their learning because of stimulating curriculum activities. This contributes strongly to their excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher demonstrate total commitment to school improvement. Staff and governors share their ambition for the school and work well together to plan, monitor and evaluate improvements. They are quick to take action to bring about further improvements.  The management of teachers’ performance is used well to bring about school improvement.  Pupils’ behaviour and safety are outstanding, they show respect towards each other and have exemplary attitudes towards their learning.  Attendance has improved rapidly and is now above average.  Teachers’ marking and feedback is used well.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Pupils know exactly how well they are doing and how to improve their work, they have frequent opportunities to respond to the marking and make improvements.  The governing body, led by the strong chair of governors, provides good support and challenge to the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils do not have enough opportunity to use mathematics skills or write at length in different subjects.  Some pupils do not understand the meanings of the words they read. Inspection report: Christ Church CofE Controlled Primary School and Nursery, 15–16 January 2013 2 of 10

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed nine lessons including three joint observations with the headteacher or deputy headteacher. They also observed several parts of lessons.  In addition inspectors heard pupils read across the school and observed phonics (the sounds letters make) being taught in groups in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.  A wide range of school documents were looked at including development plans, self-evaluation reports, monitoring, safeguarding, monitoring records of staff performance and external evaluations.  Pupils’ books were scrutinised with members of the senior leadership team.  Inspectors spoke formally to a group of pupils and informally to many others throughout the inspection.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior staff and the Chair of the Governing Body. They also spoke to a representative from the local authority on the telephone.  There were no responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) but inspectors spoke to

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Information about this inspection

parents and carers at the beginning of the school day to ascertain their views of the school.  Inspectors considered the 14 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Emily Simpson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Doris Bell Additional Inspector Inspection report: Christ Church CofE Controlled Primary School and Nursery, 15–16 January 2013 3 of 10

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school  All pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion who speak English as an additional language is well above average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils in local authority care, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and pupils from service families, is well above average.  The proportion of pupils joining or leaving the school other than at normal times is above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported at school action is above average, as is the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ achievement and progress.  The school has its own breakfast club.

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Information about this school

 There have been a considerable number of staff changes since the last inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by maximising the opportunities for pupils to use their mathematics skills and writing at length in different subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate the progress pupils make in English and mathematics by:  embedding the use of the new ‘use and apply’ mathematics policy so pupils have wider opportunities to practice their calculation skills at times other than during the daily mathematics lesson  providing pupils with more opportunities to write in a variety of styles in different subjects  ensuring all pupils understand the meanings of the words they read. Inspection report: Christ Church CofE Controlled Primary School and Nursery, 15–16 January 2013 4 of 10

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards on entry to the Early Years Foundation Stage are very low, especially in the area of communication language and literacy. Children are taught well and benefit from additional Nursery hours funded by the school budget. Children leave the Reception class having attained standards that are low when compared to national standards, but which indicates that they have made good progress during their time in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 By the time pupils leave Key Stage 1, they reach standards in reading, writing and mathematics that are below average but show good progress. Pupils achieved low scores in the 2012 Phonics screening test which checks whether pupils understanding of letters and the sounds they make are at the expected level at the end of Year 1. The school records show that pupils have made good progress with their phonics but started at a low level of understanding.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils enjoy reading and are provided with plentiful opportunities to ready widely and often as well as to listen to stories, which they enjoy. Some pupils can sound out the words they read well, but are yet to develop skills in understanding the meaning of the words they read. They do not have opportunities for extended writing in all subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In Key Stage 2, pupils attain standards that are broadly average when compared to national. Progress by the end of Key Stage 2 is good in both English and mathematics when compared to national figures. Progress in English is better than in mathematics as there are not yet sufficient opportunities for pupils to refine their skills in mathematics across the curriculum.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs make good progress as they are carefully monitored and short programmes of work are planned carefully to help them improve. The large majority of pupils speak English as an additional language and they make good progress across the school because the school teaches English well and uses translators for additional support. This includes those who joined the school during Key Stages 1 and 2.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school is successfully narrowing the gaps and progress made by pupils for whom the pupil premium provides support is good. As a result, these pupils make better progress than the same group nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Learning throughout the school is enhanced by the excellent relationships between pupils. In all year groups they were seen to support and encourage each other.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now consistently at least good with examples of outstanding practice. This is contributing to increased pupil progress. Teachers provide pupils with target records about how to make their work better in English and mathematics. These records are used well in core subject lessons to help pupils evaluate their own successes and areas for improvement.  Teachers introduce new information in lessons clearly and concisely. Consequently, little time is wasted in lessons and pupils have maximum time to develop newly introduced skills independently. In lessons seen all pupils were engaged in their learning and rising to the challenge of work planned to match the different abilities of pupils. Inspection report: Christ Church CofE Controlled Primary School and Nursery, 15–16 January 2013 5 of 10

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants provide excellent in class support which is pertinent to the work being covered. In a Year 1 lesson the teaching assistant was checking some pupils’ understanding of the various pairs of numbers which add up to ten so they were able to participate in the main learning focused on adding values of money. Good feedback between teaching assistants and teachers ensures that pupil progress is monitored carefully at all times.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Relationships between teachers and pupils are good and there is a strong emphasis on developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills. In all subjects pupils are required to share their opinions, explain their thinking and suggest improvements.

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The quality of teaching is good

 A significant strength is how teachers assess pupils’ work frequently and set clear targets for improvement. Time is built in to lessons for pupils to respond to this feedback and make the necessary improvements. This is a consistent feature in key stages one and two and is contributing towards improvements in pupil progress. Pupils appreciate the feedback and write comments back to their teacher in their books.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is based on creative ways to inspire learning. In an outstanding mathematics lesson pupils were set a challenge for ‘The Apprentice’ based on earning maximum profit and keeping expenditure as low as possible. This real-life problem solving context provided plenty of motivation and challenge for pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils understand how to be successful in English and mathematics in Years 5 and 6 as teachers make good use of ‘TBS’ or ‘to be successful…’. Pupils respond well to this but at the moment this approach is not being used with the younger pupils. Opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills are not provided in all subjects across the curriculum.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils have incredibly positive attitudes towards their learning. They fully participate in their lessons and remain engaged and enthusiastic at all times. Their behaviour around the school is excellent and they move around the school quietly and calmly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are polite and courteous to each other and to all adults. They say good morning and hold doors open without prompting. They are happy and proud to be in school and are eager to arrive on time in the morning. This all contributes to a harmonious, friendly and welcoming atmosphere around school. The provision of a wide range of interesting activities outside at break and lunchtime means there is always something to do and all adults interact with the pupils and lead activities.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils feel safe from all forms of bullying and in a school where there is a wide ethnic mix they understand that ‘everyone is the same underneath.’ They treat each other, and their different beliefs, with respect. This was shown in the school assembly led by the local vicar who asked if he could pray with the pupils and they all said yes.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 A significant strength is that pupils are now able to address problems independently if they arise rather than always having to speak to an adult. This is because a carefully planned curriculum has been introduced, promoting alternative thinking strategies. Pupils are now equipped with independent conflict resolution skills and make use of these skills if needed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Attendance is above average as a result of work led by the deputy headteacher to reward good attendance and encourage parents and carers to avoid taking their children out of school during Inspection report: Christ Church CofE Controlled Primary School and Nursery, 15–16 January 2013 6 of 10

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteachers’ skills and determination have ensured that the school has improved from satisfactory to good since the last inspection. School improvement planning is well focused and based on evidence from monitoring. The leadership team is quick to make changes and implement new ideas when necessary.

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The leadership and management are good

 Policies and procedures in school are developed collaboratively. This approach enables teachers to be most effective as they have ownership over the approaches used. The leadership team has an accurate view of teaching in school and has made sure progress is still made when classes have experienced a change of class teacher.

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The leadership and management are good

 The monitoring of staff performance is used well to help the professional development of individual staff and bring about school improvement. Targets are set clearly and reviewed regularly. This is evidenced in the recent improvement in attendance, behaviour and progress in Key Stage 2.

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The leadership and management are good

 The senior leadership team works especially hard to support the behaviour and achievement of newly arrived pupils, many of whom are new to the country and speak no English. These pupils settle well, are quick to meet the high behaviour expectation and achieve well. This demonstrates the school’s strength in promoting equality of opportunity, fostering good relations and tackling discrimination.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers have developed an exciting curriculum and have invested considerable money in providing resources and opportunities for pupils in every year group. The way subjects are taught has yet to attain its full impact on progress, as there are not enough opportunities for pupils to write in different styles or develop mathematical skills in different subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 Provision for teaching different subjects makes sure that pupils are very well prepared for life in a global society and pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength.

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The leadership and management are good

 The track record for bringing about improvement in all year groups means that leaders and managers demonstrate they have the capacity to bring about further improvements. English and mathematics are now both well led. The mathematics leader is relatively new to post. Both subject leaders have acute skills in evaluating strengths and areas for development in their subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 All safeguarding requirements are met. Child protection procedures are comprehensive and all training up to date. Health and safety is a priority within the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers work hard to communicate with parents and carers. They provide many opportunities for parents and carers to come in to school and share learning. The parents and carers respond well to this welcoming approach and speak highly of the headteacher.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority now provides only ‘light touch’ support to the school as they rightly acknowledge the school has well established systems, strong leadership and accurate self- evaluation.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupil progress is reviewed with subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator and Inspection report: Christ Church CofE Controlled Primary School and Nursery, 15–16 January 2013 7 of 10

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The leadership and management are good

class teachers on a six week cycle. This approach makes sure support programmes are as effective as they can be. It helps bring rapid improvements for all pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers use the pupil premium money well to bring about improvement. This is carefully monitored by the governing body so that pupils overcome barriers to learning. The impact is evident as the gap between the pupils who receive pupil premium funding in school and those who do not, is narrower than the gap nationally.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is committed to helping the school improve and governors are frequent visitors to the school in both a monitoring and supporting capacity. Governors are provided with high quality information about the quality of teaching and comprehensive data about school performance. They are actively involved in the management of the performance of all staff. They question the headteacher about decisions taken by the leadership team including how to reward good teachers and to tackle underperformance. Governors attend frequent training so they can fulfil their role more effectively and most recently this has been on holding the school to account for its use of pupil premium funding. Inspection report: Christ Church CofE Controlled Primary School and Nursery, 15–16 January 2013 8 of 10

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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. Inspection report: Christ Church CofE Controlled Primary School and Nursery, 15–16 January 2013 9 of 10

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School details

Unique reference number 103397 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 404874

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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 controlled Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 233 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rev Steve Simcox Headteacher Sara Pecheur Date of previous school inspection 7 September 2011 Telephone number 0121 6755121 Fax number 0121 6759372 Email address enquiry@christch.com 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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