Christ The King RC Primary School

Christ The King RC Primary School Holly Avenue, Worsley, Manchester, M28 3DW

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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

 Pupils do not achieve well or make good progress across Key Stage 2, particularly in reading and mathematics.  Teaching is not consistently good across Key Stage 2, and there are insufficient lessons in which it is outstanding.  Teachers do not consistently plan lessons, set tasks and ensure lessons move at a pace that challenges all pupils to achieve their potential at Key Stage 2.  The written feedback that teachers provide to pupils in English and mathematics is improving. However, the same good standard of marking is not consistently applied in all classes and in other areas of the curriculum.  There is too much variance in the implementation of actions aimed at improving how well pupils learn because these are not consistently and rigorously checked by school leaders.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children reach a good level of development in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Standards at Key Stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics are good.  Standards of writing are good throughout the school.  Small-group activities are helping pupils who need extra support to make progress at the same rate as other pupils.  There is some good teaching, particularly at Key Stage 1, which helps pupils in Years 1 and 2 to achieve above-average standards.  This is a happy school in which all pupils are valued.  Pupils behave well and have very good attitudes to learning. They enjoy school and feel safe and cared for well.  Since the last inspection, a new leadership team has developed a clear view of how successful the school can be and what needs to be done to achieve this. Leaders, managers and governors are working to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors saw all teachers teach in the nine part-lessons observed. In addition, the inspectors made a number of short visits to lessons and learning areas.  Separate meetings were conducted with governors, staff, senior and middle leaders, an adviser from the local authority and a group of pupils. The inspectors talked to pupils during lessons and also listened to pupils read.  The 16 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), the responses to parental questionnaires provided by the school and the information from 15 staff questionnaires were taken into consideration.  The inspectors looked at pupils’ books, the school’s information on how well pupils make progress, planning documentation, records of behaviour, attendance and punctuality, as well as documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Andrew Morley, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jennifer Lawrence Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils speaking English as an additional language is well-below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after.  The school met the government’s current floor standards in 2012, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of Year 6.

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a local learning network with other schools and works in partnership with initial teacher education establishments.  The school holds a number of awards, including the Inclusion Quality Mark and Investors in People.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and learning so that it is consistently good or better in Key Stage 2 by:  remedying any remaining variability in teaching and sharing best practice more widely  ensuring the pace of learning and the activities that are set meet the needs of individual pupils so that progress in lessons at Key Stage 2 is accelerated  ensuring that the high quality of feedback and marking evident in some classes is applied consistently across Key Stage 2 to provide all pupils with clear guidance on what they need to do next to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise further pupils’ attainment and progress in mathematics and reading at Key Stage 2 by:  giving pupils more time to tackle problems and apply mathematical skills more consistently and providing opportunities for these skills to be reinforced in other areas of the curriculum  ensuring that reading comprehension skills are taught systematically in all Key Stage 2 classes.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by using performance management more effectively to move teaching and learning forward, thus ensuring that all staff see more clearly the link between the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils make variable rates of progress. The good progress that pupils are making at Key Stage 1 is not maintained at Key Stage 2. Pupils are reaching above-average standards in reading, writing and mathematics at Key Stage 1 but their levels of attainment by the end of Year 6 fluctuate.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 was below average in 2013, in both reading and mathematics. Some pupils did not make the progress expected of them, because their learning across Key Stage 2 was too variable.  From their expected starting points, children learn and develop well in the Early Years Foundation Stage and enter Year 1 having achieved a good level of development in all areas.  Progress across Key Stage 1 is good and pupils attain above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Reading is promoted appropriately across the school and an increasing number of pupils are reading more widely for enjoyment within and beyond the school day. However, pupils do not

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

have enough opportunities to develop high-level reading comprehension skills in Years 3 to 6.  Phonics (linking letters and the sounds they make) are taught particularly effectively from the Nursery to Year 2 and this ensures that pupils have a good foundation in early reading skills. Pupils make good use of their knowledge of phonics to make plausible attempts at more difficult, unfamiliar words.  The school’s systems for checking pupils’ progress show that all Key Stage 2 classes are making improved progress in reading and mathematics and pupils are on track to attain higher standards. However, the quality of teaching is not yet consistently good to make sure that these improvements can continue.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, as well as pupils who speak English as an additional language, make the same progress as all other pupils in the school because their needs are identified early and they receive effective personal support.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals make similar progress to other pupils at the school in English and mathematics. In the last year, attainment has improved for this small group of pupils because pupil premium funding is used well to fund extra teaching assistants who provide helpful and targeted support for this group of pupils. The gaps in the attainment of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and their peers are narrowing. The attainment of pupils who benefit from this support are approximately one term behind other pupils in English and in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because too many of the pupils currently in the school have not achieved well enough over their time in Key Stage 2. The quality of teaching at Key Stage 2 does not build on the good quality learning the children experience from Nursery to Year 2.  In some of the Key Stage 2 classes, the pace of learning is too slow because teachers do not pay enough attention to how the pupils engage with, and tackle the activities that they are set. In mathematics, pupils spend valuable time in learning calculation skills but do not then have the challenge to use this knowledge to solve problems and apply their knowledge in other areas of the curriculum.  Teaching has improved recently and some is good, but there are still too few outstanding lessons and too many inconsistencies in the quality of teaching.  Pupils are given opportunities to read independently and develop some good decoding skills at

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

Key Stage 1. However, at Key Stage 2, key comprehension skills are not taught systematically, which limits the progress pupils make.  The quality of marking is inconsistent in Key Stage 2 and is not always appropriately focused on identifying errors and informing pupils on how they can improve. However, evidence in books shows that when marking is good, pupils understand what they need to do next and make good progress.  There is some good teaching, with good questioning and where pupils’ collaboration in learning is strong. For example, in a Year 2 science lesson, pupils made good progress in their understanding of electric circuits because they asked each other good questions and provided good explanations that helped each other move forward in their understanding.  The most effective teaching captures the imagination of pupils by providing good starting points for learning. Year 6 pupils developed some exciting language in their writing due to their

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

enthusiasm for Shakespeare’s play ‘Macbeth’.  Teaching of writing is a particular strength. Pupils are given ample opportunities to write for different purposes. Pupils are appreciative of these opportunities and this is reflected in their attitudes and the good progress they make.  Teaching assistants are deployed very well to support individual pupils or small groups. They have a positive effect on pupils’ learning. As a result pupils with special educational needs enjoy learning and make good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are very polite and talk confidently to teachers and visitors. They are friendly, helpful and thoughtful. For example, pupils move to the side of corridors to let others pass or wait at the door without being asked.  Pupils are often enthusiastic about their learning and cooperate well with each other in group activities in lessons. Pupils respond well to the requests of teachers and quickly settle down to their learning activities. Only very occasionally do they struggle to meet the school’s expectations of behaviour in lessons or at playtime. Pupils work hard to ensure their classrooms are tidy.  Pupils understand the school’s behaviour policy very well and are clear about the rewards, and also the consequences, of any misbehaviour. Evidence from the school’s records shows that the number of sanctions is low and has reduced over time.  Behaviour in the small playground and outdoor area at playtimes is lively and managed well by

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

staff. The dining hall is a calm environment and pupils enjoy talking to their friends over lunch.  Pupils help to improve the school through the work of the school council as well as the older pupils who are ‘playground buddies’. The younger children appreciate the work and kindness of the older pupils. As one young child said, ‘My buddy is very kind, she always looks for me at playtime to see that I am okay.’  The vast majority of parents and all staff who expressed a view consider behaviour to be good and that children are safe in the school. Pupils say they feel safe because adults will act quickly to stop any misbehaviour. Pupils say that they are happy to talk to adults and that adults care for them.  Older pupils told inspectors that bullying is rare. When it does happen, it takes the form of name-calling and it is dealt with quickly and effectively by teachers. Pupils are taught how to recognise different forms of bullying and how to respond to them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a good knowledge of e-safety and can describe in detail how to stay safe online.  Attendance levels are high and above average. This is because pupils are very happy coming to the school and feel very secure and confident.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The new leadership team, including middle leaders, are checking the quality of teaching systematically. However, these checks are not appropriately targeting the impact of teaching on the progress of pupils. This means that, particularly in mathematics and reading, the quality of teaching remains inconsistent at Key Stage 2.  School leaders have set teachers challenging targets in order to hold them to account. Performance management of staff is linked to pupils’ progress, teachers’ professional development needs and pay progression. However, there are still elements of weak teaching that means that the performance of teachers is inconsistent.  The school has some very effective teachers who are beginning to support their colleagues. This process is at an early stage and, as yet, has not had a positive impact on some classes.  The new leadership team now works well together and shares in the determination to improve

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The leadership and management requires improvement

the school. There is an increasing effectiveness in finding solutions to school improvement issues. For example, writing was targeted for improvement and a consistent approach in all classes has meant pupils have made good progress since the last inspection.  A rich curriculum supports a range of links to different subjects, is meaningful and is exciting for children. It is enriched by a variety of well-attended extra-curricular activities and visits to places of educational interest. Pupils spoke with great enthusiasm about the forthcoming residential experience at Lledr Hall.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is driven effectively by the Catholic ethos of the school. Pupils learn about other religions and cultures in activities such as ‘world religion week’. Leaders are keen to establish first-hand links and experiences to support pupils in their appreciation of other cultures. Pupils take a lead in charity work. They planned and managed a

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The leadership and management requires improvement

‘Children in Need’ event in school during the inspection that was joyful and of a high standard.  The school has benefited greatly from its engagement in local cluster activities and links with Saint Ambrose Barlow RC High School. Support offered by the local authority enables the school to obtain advice and training at an early stage, while allowing time to implement and embed good practice independently.  The new primary school sports funding is being used to provide specialist sports coaches to deliver physical education lessons alongside school staff, to enable regular competition with other local schools and to provide extra sports equipment in school. Pupils and staff benefit from the extra professional development offered by specialist coaches who are extending the skills of class teachers.  The governance of the school:  Governors are committed and regular visitors to the school. In the past, they have not always

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The leadership and management requires improvement

held school leaders fully to account for the performance of the school. They have now undertaken training on how to analyse data, to keep track of pupils’ progress and to check the leadership of teaching. They ensure that performance management of teachers takes place and that these targets are linked to salary progression, but these targets are not currently sharp enough. They ensure that safeguarding policies and practices are robust and fully meet requirements. The governing body manages the budget appropriately and challenges leaders about how effectively the pupil premium funding is used to raise the achievement of pupils who are known to be eligible for this support. They are focused on working towards the improvement of the school’s performance.

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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 105950 Local authority Salford Inspection number 426101

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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 239 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Columb O'Shea Headteacher Rosanne Eckersley Date of previous school inspection 24 January 2012 Telephone number 0161 790 4329 Fax number 0161 799 0497 Email address christtheking.rcprimaryschool@salford.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

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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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