Christ Church CofE Primary School

Christ Church CofE Primary School Sheinton Road, Cressage, Shrewsbury, SY5 6DH

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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 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 has ensured that most aspects of the school’s work have improved considerably since its last inspection.  Pupils’ attainment is rising fast, and is now above average by Year 6 in reading and writing. Pupils do particularly well in developing their reading skills.  Teaching and learning are good overall, and sometimes outstanding. All staff know their pupils very well and this is helping to accelerate the progress made by all groups of pupils, regardless of their background or ability level.  Pupils are keen to come to school and attendance has risen since the last inspection to above average. Behaviour is good, and at times exemplary, and pupils feel safe in school.  The headteacher has very high expectations and a clear vision for continued and sustained improvement.  This is a caring school, and the support given to pupils who need extra help is particularly strong.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders monitor and evaluate the work of the school effectively. The governing body supports and challenges the school well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Standards in mathematics in Years 3 to 6 have not risen as strongly as those in reading and writing.  In a few lessons, pupils’ progress slows when they spend too long listening to the teacher and the work set for them is not always hard enough.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector visited 10 lessons, six of which were seen together with the headteacher.  The inspector also observed playtime and lunch breaks and ate lunch with pupils.  A meeting was held with older pupils and many other pupils were spoken to during lessons and break times. Meetings were held with the headteacher, staff, governors and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector took account of 19 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and spoke informally with a number of parents and carers as they brought their children to school. She also considered one view given in a letter and the responses to a recent parental survey carried out by the school, and the 13 responses to a staff questionnaire.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documentation, including information about pupils’ progress, planning and monitoring documents, records relating to

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Information about this inspection

behaviour and attendance, and safety and safeguarding procedures.  Independent pre-school provision is provided on the school site, but it is not managed by the school’s governing body and was not included in this inspection.

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Inspection team

Mary Hughes, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Pupils are taught in three mixed-age classes: Reception and Year 1; Years 2, 3 and some Year 4; and Years 4, 5 and 6.  The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage, and all pupils speak English as their first language.  There has been an increase in the proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium since the last inspection, which is now average. In this school the funding applies to children who are known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by school action is below the national average. The proportion supported by school action plus or a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils who join or leave partway through their primary school education is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum

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Information about this school

expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that more is outstanding by:  making sure that lesson introductions are kept brief, so pupils have more time and opportunity to investigate and find things out for themselves  making consistently effective use of the good-quality information available on pupils’ progress to increase the pace and challenge for all ability groups in lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Build on the success of the strategies used in reading and writing to increase pupils’ progress in mathematics in Years 3 to 6 by:  ensuring that when marking their work in mathematics, teachers always make clear to pupils their next steps in learning and how to achieve them  giving pupils more group and independent problem-solving activities to develop their understanding and help more-able pupils in particular to make accelerated progress  telling pupils clearly how to use their calculation skills when working independently.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement has risen since the last inspection. Standards in reading and writing have risen markedly. Standards have not risen as quickly in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children’s skills on entry usually match those expected for their age, but vary from year to year. They make good, and often rapid, progress in all areas of learning during the Reception Year because they are offered challenging learning activities. They are prepared well for Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils continue to do well during Years 1 and 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. They make particularly good progress in developing their understanding of the sounds that letters make (phonics), and confidently use this knowledge to tackle new words. The school achieved above- average results in the 2012 national phonics check for Year 1 pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Overall, pupils achieve well in Years 3 to 6. Pupils who join the school in Key Stage 2 often have a range of social and emotional needs and particular gaps in their learning. The school provides a successful range of activities to support these pupils, particularly to improve their literacy skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils now reach above average standards in English by the end of Year 6, as a result of effective whole class and small group teaching and a strong focus on building up their basic skills. They write well in different styles and greatly enjoy books, reading widely for pleasure and information.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment in mathematics by the end of Year 6 is now broadly in line with levels seen nationally. In the 2012 tests the proportion of pupils who had made nationally expected progress was above average. Some gaps remain in pupils’ knowledge of how to confidently calculate with numbers when solving problems.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has already taken some action to improve pupils’ progress in mathematics. For example, more time is now spent on solving problems, and pupils have more opportunities to reason and give explanations. Some group work now focuses sharply on developing particular skills pupils have previously struggled with. However, these initiatives have not yet had a full impact on standards, particularly for the more-able pupils, whose progress was not as rapid in mathematics last year as it was in English.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. Pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium also do well, and benefit from extra adult guidance. They made good progress last year in English, where results showed that the attainment gap between these pupils and others in the school had closed. The gap is narrowing in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Since the last inspection, the headteacher has successfully raised the quality of teaching and learning. Teaching is now typically good, and occasionally outstanding. Teachers now monitor the progress of their pupils more effectively and most lessons are now well paced.

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The quality of teaching is good

 At its best, teaching inspires pupils to work independently with great enthusiasm and to think deeply about their learning. This was seen in a writing lesson for the oldest pupils. The quality of discussion, questioning and demonstrations enabled pupils to carefully craft a piece of persuasive writing to sell a Roman villa.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The recent focus on improving the teaching of writing has resulted in a considerable rise in pupils’ achievement across the school. Teachers extend pupils’ writing skills well by involving them in using success criteria and targets to improve the quality of their work. The marking of writing helps pupils to understand their next steps in learning. However, the marking of mathematics is not as well developed as that of writing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most staff have high expectations, plan for the wide range of abilities in their class and provide good opportunities for pupils to develop literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects.

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The quality of teaching is good

 A small proportion of teaching requires improvement. On occasion, teachers talk for too long and this leaves less time for pupils to get on, explore ideas and work things out for themselves. In these few lessons teachers do not always plan carefully enough to set work that challenges pupils at the just right level of difficulty, particularly in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Some pupils, when working on their own in mathematics, lack confidence in recalling number facts, tackling number problems and recording their answers because teachers have not yet reinforced these skills enough.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school encourages good behaviour by praising those who show it. All staff have high expectations for the way pupils conduct themselves. This helps to ensure that pupils work effectively together in mixed-age classes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Strong teaching in Reception enables children to follow their own ideas and interests. Teachers’ high expectations for what children can achieve were evident during an outdoor ‘forest school’ session, when children showed excellent cooperative learning to search for and record signs of spring.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour throughout the school is good, and at times it is outstanding. There is an inclusive and orderly atmosphere. Parents and staff agree that behaviour is good.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have very good attitudes to learning. They take responsibility for others in a mature fashion, learn to tolerate differences and are proud to be part of the school community. They appreciate the changes that have been made to the fabric of the building and in the quality of the lessons. Some pupils feel that a small number of lessons do not fully challenge them, and say that when this happens, some pupils’ behaviour ‘isn’t as good’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel safe in school. They say there is no bullying and have a good awareness of the different types of bullying, such as cyber-bullying. Relationships are strong and this contributes well to pupils’ confidence and sense of security.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is monitored well. It has improved and is now above average. The close links established with families have helped to reduce absence levels and lateness.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides strong and effective leadership. Since the last inspection an effective tracking system has been introduced for checking pupils’ attainment and progress, and good improvements have been made to the quality of teaching and learning. The headteacher has welded together a strong team of enthusiastic staff and morale is high.

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The leadership and management are good

 Effective monitoring and evaluation have helped to raise expectations throughout the school. This is particularly the case in reading and writing, where leaders have ensured consistency of practice particularly well. The monitoring of mathematics is not yet as thorough.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher makes frequent close checks on teaching and the quality of learning, and follows them up with focused individual feedback to staff. This is effective in addressing weaknesses and developing teachers’ skills.

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The leadership and management are good

 The help and guidance for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, or who are vulnerable, is a particular strength of the school. Close links with an extensive range of external agencies such as therapists ensure that these pupils receive the individual support they need.

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The leadership and management are good

 Almost all parents and carers expressed positive views about all aspects of school life. They particularly appreciate the family atmosphere, and say things like the school is ‘like one happy family where teachers are like friends’. The school provides courses and workshops, for example in phonics, which helps parents to support their child’s learning at home.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has supported the recent initiatives to raise the school’s performance very well. It has advised on standards, helped to review practice and provided training.

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The leadership and management are good

 The way subjects are taught makes a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. Pupils particularly value the wide range of after-school clubs, the range of sports available and the many opportunities for visits.

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The leadership and management are good

 The good progress in raising the achievement of all pupils since the last inspection is testament to the school’s strong determination to provide an education that gives all pupils an equal chance to succeed, and indicates good capacity for further improvements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is currently going through a period of transition due to changes to its membership, but it continues to be very supportive. The governors have a good knowledge of the school, based on their regular visits and their roles as ‘link’ governors with a responsibility for checking specific subject areas. They challenge leaders and have used training to help broaden their expertise. They have helped contribute to the school’s good improvement. They check the school’s results carefully and are aware that standards in mathematics have not improved as much as those in English. They check that challenging targets are set for staff. Governors ensure that the management of financial resources is effective, including efficient use of pupil premium funding to raise the achievement of eligible pupils. They carefully monitor the arrangements for safeguarding children to ensure they continue to meet national

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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 123471 Local authority Shropshire Inspection number 406166

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 79 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Simon Jones Headteacher Rachel Braybrooke Date of previous school inspection 22 June 2011 Telephone number 01952 510383 Fax number 01952 510383 Email address admin.christchurch@shropshirelg.net 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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