Christ Church Church of England Primary School

Christ Church Church of England Primary School Royal Park, Clifton, Bristol, BS8 3AW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected N/A 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.  The headteacher, governors and staff have developed a strong and caring community atmosphere.  Pupils’ behaviour is excellent and they are keen to learn. Planned activities are interesting and create an enthusiastic attitude in lessons.  Teaching is typically good. Teachers plan tasks carefully to ensure that they are at the right level of difficulty for all pupils, including those with particular individual requirements.  Pupils read very well and the school’s results for reading tests and checks are well above average.  Pupils achieve well and attainment is above average in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.  Governors have a good knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and are closely involved in the development of the school.  Senior staff and governors have good plans for improvement and these are carefully implemented and checked. As a result, the school has a secure capacity to improve in the

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 The progress that pupils make in writing and mathematics, although strongly improving, is not consistently rapid enough.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to learn by finding things out for themselves, or to develop their mathematics skills across the range of subjects.  Teachers do not always provide opportunities for pupils to respond to marking.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 18 lessons, accompanied by the headteacher or deputy headteacher on some occasions.  The inspectors observed play and lunchtimes, attended two assemblies and a class ‘afternoon tea’.  Meetings were held with pupils and inspectors talked to many other pupils during lessons and break times. The inspectors also met with governors.  The inspectors held meetings with school staff, including senior leaders, and took account of the 27 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors spoke informally with a number of parents and carers and took account of the 84 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) as well as a letter from a parent or carer.  The inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ progress, improvement plans, leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching, records on behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Tom Morrison, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Alex Baxter Additional Inspector Tracey Kneale Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is slightly larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is slightly above the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is slightly above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly below the national average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium (additional money provided to schools by the government to support pupils who receive free school meals, who are looked after by the local authority, or who are the children of service families) is below average.  The proportion of pupils joining or leaving the school between Years 1 and 6 is slightly above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about this school

 Christ Church Church of England Primary School converted to become an academy school on 1 July 2012. When its predecessor school, Christ Church Church of England Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the progress that children make in writing and mathematics is consistently high by:  providing more opportunities for pupils to take responsibility for their own learning, including investigating and finding things out for themselves  making sure that all pupils have suitable opportunities to respond to guidance in teachers’ marking, particularly on their written work, so that pupils have a clearer view of how to improve  more frequently developing pupils’ mathematical skills in challenging real-life problem solving situations across the full range of subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the school with generally good skills in speaking and listening, but some are lacking in confidence or have not developed strong personal, social or emotional skills for learning. They make excellent progress in developing these skills and, more recently, in phonics (letters and the sounds they make), reading and writing. As a result, pupils leave the Early Years Foundation Stage well equipped to make progress in Key Stage 1.  The successful start children make in Reception is effectively built on during Key Stage 1 and pupils continue to learn well in response to good teaching so that their attainment by the end of Year 2 is generally well above average. For example in a Year 1 lesson, the pupils were enthused to write up an experiment that they had recently performed, thus building their writing skills and use of tenses.  Reading is a strength in the school. Pupils achieved well above the national standard in the Year

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The achievement of pupils is good

1 phonics check, and progress in reading is much better than typically expected across the school. Attainment in reading is well above national averages at the end of both Key Stages 1 and 2.  Pupils’ attainment by the end of Year 6 is consistently in line with, or above the national average. The school has improved pupils’ progress in mathematics, as is shown in lessons and in the schools data, although this has not yet impacted on outcomes at the end of year 6. Leaders are aware that there is also scope to accelerate pupils’ progress in writing and recent actions are now helping to improve achievement in these two areas.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve as well as their peers. They are fully integrated in lessons and the support given by teaching assistants is good. The school provides a range of additional support sessions which help pupils to make good progress and

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The achievement of pupils is good

leaders are now looking at ways of making this support even more effective.  The performance of pupils from different ethnic backgrounds is generally above that of similar pupils nationally and the school carefully checks the progress of all groups of pupils to ensure that they achieve equally successfully. This reflects the school’s diligence in securing equal opportunity for all pupils.  Although there are slightly more pupils entering or leaving the school than average the effective school systems and good teaching mean that there is little difference in performance between such pupils and the rest of the school.  Pupils eligible for the pupil premium also make good progress through the school. Support offered through various activities and careful tracking of performance have ensured that these pupils also do particularly well in reading. Last year the attainment of this group was more than a year ahead of other pupils at Key Stage 2 in both English and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good, and at times outstanding, teaching enables pupils to make good progress in all subjects. Planned activities meet the wide range of pupils’ needs well. Teaching assistants deliver good quality group work to ensure pupils acquire basic skills. More-able pupils receive additional challenges that probe their understanding and extend their thinking.  Teachers plan a wide range of interesting and innovative activities which capture the pupils’ interest and build their motivation in lessons. For example, a ‘bird pie’ problem-solving activity in Year 1 used pictures to help children find the total number of insect legs. Skilful targeted questioning and a range of more challenging activities ensured that all pupils made outstanding progress in this lesson.  Reports and photographs showing pupils’ participation in such activities are quickly published on the school website. This provides good information for parents and carers about what their

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The quality of teaching is good

children are doing and builds the motivation of the pupils.  In the Reception classes, well-equipped indoor and outdoor areas provide a stimulating environment for the pupils. Despite changes to staffing over the past year teaching is at least good and often outstanding. As a result children make excellent progress.  Teachers use an effective range of techniques to structure the learning in lessons and use questioning well to get quick responses from the pupils about their understanding. In the best lessons these techniques support pupils’ good progress. For example, in a mathematics lesson aimed at the most able the teacher asked the pupils to visualise a shape and then write its properties for their partner to guess. This stimulating activity built their ability to use their imagination, developed their mathematical vocabulary and encouraged discussion and reasoning.  Occasionally, where teaching is less effective, planned activities are not thought through well

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The quality of teaching is good

enough, do not challenge pupils through problem solving and investigation and do not always enhance the learning of the pupils.  Pupils are well aware of their own targets for development and know how these are checked. They say that they are happy when they have these ticked by the teacher and they are able to move on to the next challenge. The school conducts regular meetings to assess the progress of each and every pupil and this helps the planning of support sessions for pupils and the setting of targets for improvement. A pupil reported that ‘The teacher really works our head off.’  Pupils have increasing opportunities to develop their writing skills in every subject but this is not yet the case for mathematical skills.  Staff subject knowledge is strong, reflecting effective support from senior staff, and the school is keen to develop this further, particularly to improve teaching of the more able pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ books very carefully and often provide detailed advice and guidance to the pupils. However, pupils are not always given enough time to act on the teacher’s suggestions and sometimes do not have a clear understanding of how to improve their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons is exemplary. Behaviour is outstanding because pupils have excellent attitudes to learning and to school. Lessons are stimulating and, together with the wide range of other activities provided by the school, enthuse and interest the pupils. As a result, all groups of pupils are highly motivated to learn and thoroughly enjoy school.  Pupils are very polite and relate extremely well towards each other and adults.  A strong feature of the school is the support of the whole community and the inclusive culture that has been created. One parent or carer whose child had started in the school less than a year ago commented on how welcome the school had made her son and the good support he had had to learn English.  As a result of exemplary behaviour, pupils say they feel very safe in school. They have a good understanding of what bullying is and the impact it can have, but say bullying is extremely rare

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

in school and they have full confidence in staff to deal and resolve any problems. From Parent View responses it is clear that parents and carers feel that their children feel safe in school, that pupils are well behaved, and that the school deals effectively with bullying.  Pupils are very positive about the reinvigorated house system which has reinforced the rewards offered by the school through celebration assemblies. They enjoy earning points for their house through academic, sporting and other opportunities.  The school has thought carefully about the needs of its community and has responded well to these. For example, there has recently been work with pupils on e-safety and the school website supports parents and carers in this.  Pupils respond well to the school’s promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They develop a mature and sensible approach, evident in the way they work together. During

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

the inspection an assembly led by the minister from the local church strongly promoted one of the school values, ‘honesty’.  Attendance is above the national average and persistent absence is low, reflecting the school’s close partnership with parents and carers and pupils’ love of school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and governors, supported by senior staff, set high expectations for the school. These are fully supported by the staff and parents and carers and as a result there is a constant effort to improve pupils’ achievement.  There is strong and accurate checking of pupil progress, coupled with effective action to address underachievement. As a result there is a trend of improvement in pupil progress.  The school’s view of its own strengths and weaknesses is accurate and means that leaders can identify priorities for improvement. High levels of staff morale and good teamwork have contributed to improvements in the school’s work.  The quality of teaching is regularly checked and prompt action is taken to improve any underperformance. The school has provided training to teachers linked to priorities in the school development plan, as well as support for teachers’ individual needs. There is now a close link

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The leadership and management are good

between the quality of teachers’ work, including the progress made by their pupils, and pay progression. The strong teaching within the school means that there are examples of outstanding practice that can be used to support and develop other staff.  The curriculum is well planned and incorporates many opportunities for pupils to use their literacy skills in other subjects. The school also plans to do this for mathematical skills, but has not completed this process as successfully yet.  Senior leaders manage the school’s finances efficiently, including teachers’ pay.  The local authority has provided appropriate support and challenge to the school since the last inspection.  The governance of the school:  The governors have a very good knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. For example, they know that data of the school’s performance compare well with other schools’ nationally and that pupils in receipt of the pupil premium are well supported. They are

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The leadership and management are good

closely involved in the life of the school through meetings, visits and involvement in school activities. Governors are fully supportive of the school’s welcoming community ethos and of the high-quality care provided by all staff. They have very high aspirations for the school and ambitious plans to improve now that the academy status and finances are secure. Checking of the school development plan, of pupils’ progress and of teaching are strong features. They have a very clear understanding of the management of staff performance and how this links to rewarding good teaching.  The governing body reflects the local community well, is well trained and has a wide range of expertise. As such governors have been able to spearhead the change to academy status without taking leadership attention away from the needs of the school. The governors fulfil all of their statutory responsibilities, including those related to safeguarding.

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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 138317 Local authority Bristol Inspection number 411791

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 292 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Richard Puttick Headteacher Louisa Wathan Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 0117 3772830 Fax number 0117 3772833 Email address christchurchp@bristol.gov.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

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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