Christ Church New Malden CofE Primary School

Christ Church New Malden C of E Primary School Lime Grove, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 3TW

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The headteacher, in partnership with the governors, has built on the strengths of previous leadership. She has created an ambitious leadership team which is committed to ensuring that all pupils do as well as they can.  Pupils make good progress from their various starting points and reach standards that are above average in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to their classmates as a result of the well- tailored support and help they receive.  Teaching is typically lively, interesting to pupils and at the right level of difficulty for them. It is consistently good across the school with an increasing proportion that is outstanding.  Pupils enjoy school and they behave well. They feel safe in school because they know that adults care for them and will help to sort out any problems.  Pupils get on well together regardless of

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

background. They are polite and well mannered and talk enthusiastically about their learning.  The quality of music is a strength of the school and this makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  School leaders, including governors, have a good understanding of the strengths of the school and what needs to be further improved. They have successfully addressed issues from the previous inspection demonstrating that the school has a track record, giving confidence that it will improve further.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ attainment in writing is not as good as it is in reading and mathematics.  Leaders for English and mathematics are new to their responsibilities for Key Stage 2 and have not yet had sufficient development to enable them to check fully the work of teachers in these subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 30 lessons or parts of lessons, many of which were observed jointly with the headteacher. They looked at pupils’ work in their books and they listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with school leaders, governors, groups of pupils and a representative from the local authority.  Among the documents scrutinised were school development plans, pupils’ assessment and tracking information, minutes from governors meetings and information relating to the safeguarding of pupils.  The views of parents were considered through analysis of the 69 responses to the on-line survey Parent View and through informal discussions with parents at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Joy Considine, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Carol Worthington Additional Inspector Bimla Thakur Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than most primary schools and pupils are taught at two separate sites. Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 pupils are taught on the Lime Grove site. Key Stage 2 pupils are currently taught in temporary accommodation on the Chestnut Grove site, until their new school is built.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium initiative, which is additional funding provided by the government to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children in local authority care and children from service families, is lower than usual.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language is higher than usual.  The proportion of disabled pupils and who have special educational needs and are supported at

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Information about this school

school action is broadly average. The proportion of pupils who are supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.  A new headteacher joined the school in January 2012.  There is provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage in the Nursery and Reception classes.  The school does not use any additional off-site provision.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise pupils’ attainment in writing by:  ensuring that pupils respond to teachers’ marking by correcting and improving their work  ensuring that pupils develop their skills by teachers always planning lessons that build on what pupils already know and understand  providing pupils with more opportunities to record their work independently and to a high standard.  Develop the skills of leaders for English and mathematics so that they take a more robust approach to checking the work of other teachers, particularly for writing and in Key Stage 2.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well across the school so that by the end of Year 6 their standards in English and mathematics are above average.  Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are welcomed into a stimulating environment where they feel safe and cared for. From starting points, that are broadly as expected for their age, they make good progress. So that, by the time they enter Year 1 they have developed good basic skills which are reflected in their above average scores in the Year 1 phonics (linking letters with the sounds they make) screening check.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make progress similar to other groups because staff assess their needs and quickly put into place programmes of work to help them to catch up with their classmates. Support is usually provided in lessons by skilled teaching assistants who explain the activities so that pupils understand what they are expected to do.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who have English as an additional language make good progress owing to the good support they are given. Consequently, they achieve at least in line with, and often above, their classmates. In this way, the school’s commitment to providing equality of opportunity is demonstrated.  Pupils throughout the school enjoy reading. One pupil said, ‘Books take you to different places whenever you like and wherever you like.’ They read fluently and confidently, with good expression, and use the text to support their opinions about what they most enjoyed about stories. They read often in school, including in mathematics lessons where they often read to solve written problems.  Standards in writing are average. Although pupils make good progress in lessons, the work in their books does not always show how well they have done because too many photocopied worksheets prevent them from recording their work independently and to a high standard.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Although pupils write in subjects other than English, their writing skills are not so well developed as in mathematics and reading. This is because, across the school, they do not always respond to teachers’ marking by correcting and improving their work. By the end of Year 6, pupils write imaginatively using well-chosen words to express their ideas and to engage the interest of the reader.  Mathematics lessons are lively and challenging and, consequently, pupils make good progress. They use their knowledge of basic number to solve real-life number problems so they understand the relevance of what they are learning. In a Year 5 lesson, pupils were working out the ratio of water to cordial to make a fruit drink.  Although the average point scores (based on national test results) are lower for pupils eligible for the pupil premium than for other pupils, they make good progress from their typically lower

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The achievement of pupils is good

starting points and benefit from a wide range of support, including developing their communication and literacy skills. Consequently, the gap between their attainment and that of other pupils is closing steadily.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good across the school. One feature of most lessons is the high quality questioning that teachers use to probe pupils’ understanding and to develop learning further. In most lessons, teachers encourage pupils to share their ideas by working with ‘talk partners’ and this helps pupils to develop confidence in answering teachers’ questions.  Most lessons are planned well, with clear learning intentions, so that pupils understand what they are expected to learn. Subjects are often linked together so pupils develop a range of skills in lessons. Pupils in Year 2, learning about the Great Fire of London, built models and created a short, animated film using computers. This involved reading, writing, art, information and communication technology (ICT) and history. Very occasionally, particularly in writing, lessons do not always build on previous learning and this slows the progress that pupils make.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teachers have good subject knowledge. In many lessons, pupils are provided with challenging activities that make them work hard. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson, the teacher provided pupils with three answers to separate problems and asked pupils to apply their knowledge of rounding up or down to estimate which response was a reasonable answer.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and most make detailed comments informing pupils of how well they have done. Sometimes, however, the comments are too generous and do not provide pupils with enough guidance about what they need to do to improve their work.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage benefit from well-planned activities that are well matched to their developmental needs. This is because staff carefully observe them to plan appropriate next steps. Adults intervene sensitively during activities that children select for themselves and ask questions that help to develop their understanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Systems to record and track pupils’ progress are robust and this enables staff to quickly identify those pupils at risk of falling behind and needing additional help. Consequently, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. They are often given specific programmes of work in reading, writing or mathematics to help them overcome their difficulties.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy school and they behave well in lessons and around the school. They are polite and friendly and get on well together, regardless of background, reflecting the schools’ good provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Racial harmony is a strength of the school.  Pupils say they feel safe in school because they know that adults care for them and this fosters the good relationships between staff and pupils seen in lessons. Pupils are aware of different forms of bullying, such as cyber bullying and name calling, but they say bullying is rare. Records kept by the school show very few reported incidents of bullying or poor behaviour.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe from dangers outside school, such as that posed by road, railways and rivers. They are aware of the dangers associated with substance abuse and feel well prepared to resist peer pressure should it ever arise.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say that lessons are rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. Very occasionally, when the pace of lessons slows, a few pupils become fidgety and start to chat among themselves.  Most parents who expressed a view believe that their children behave well and are safe at school. Attendance is above average and there are very few exclusions.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has built on the strengths of previous leadership and has created an ambitious senior leadership team. Some reorganisation has enabled leaders for English and mathematics to expand their roles to cover whole-school developments. However, they have not yet acquired the experience to check robustly on the quality of teachers’ work in Key Stage 2.  The headteacher and senior leaders provide support and guidance to help teachers to improve their skills so that teaching is consistently good. Good systems for performance management have improved teaching. Targets set for teachers link to pupils’ achievement, and links between performance and salary progression are clear.  School leaders carefully check the progress of pupils in all classes to ensure that they achieve equally well. The school ethos promotes high expectations for all pupils and creates a welcoming atmosphere, valued by parents and pupils. There is a strong sense of community and

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The leadership and management are good

discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.  The broad, balanced curriculum meets the needs of pupils’ aptitudes and interests and promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Music is a strength of the school. Pupils sing well and the school orchestra adds a special dimension to assembly times.  Leaders make good use of resources, including the pupil premium funding. This allows targeted pupils to access curriculum enrichment activities so that they have similar opportunities as other pupils.  The school responds well to the minimum level of support provided by the local authority.  The governance of the school:  Governors visit the school regularly and have a good understanding of the quality of teaching and how the school’s academic performance compares with other schools. Recently, they have been heavily involved in strategic decisions including the appointment of the headteacher and

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The leadership and management are good

planning for the new Key Stage 2 building. Their training on performance management has enabled them to ensure that links between teacher performance and salary progression are clear and to ensure that the best teachers get rewarded. Governors have a detailed understanding of how the pupil premium funding is allocated and how it improves the progress of these pupils. They ensure that all statutory requirements regarding safeguarding and child protection are met.

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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 102585 Local authority Kingston upon Thames Inspection number 402893

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 477 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Elizabeth Hill Headteacher Tabitha White Date of previous school inspection 11 December 2007 Telephone number 020 8336 7800 Fax number 020 8949 0433 Email address admini@ccnm.rbksch.org 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

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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School details

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

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