Christ Church Primary School

Christ Church Primary School Byng Road, Barnet, EN5 4NS

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a good school

 Leaders work closely with governors and have been effective in improving the quality of teaching. As a result, pupils make good progress.  The governors provide appropriate support and challenge to the school and are committed to ensuring that it develops and improves.  The school is effective in promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils learn about British values and are prepared well for life in modern Britain.  There is a strong sense of togetherness in the school. Staff are extremely supportive of the school’s leadership and morale is high.  Pupils are extremely polite, courteous and respectful. Their positive attitudes and good behaviour make an effective contribution to their learning. The strong, caring relationships help pupils to keep safe and secure in the school.  Teaching is good, and improving. As a result, pupils make good progress and achieve well. Teachers

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This is a good school

and teaching assistants work effectively together to plan interesting and engaging activities for pupils.  Pupils’ attainment at Key Stage 1 has been above average over time in reading, writing and mathematics. Their attainment at Key Stage 2 over time has been well above average, with marked improvements in writing.  Disadvantaged pupils, and disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, receive effective support from teachers and teaching assistants. As a result, they make good progress.  Leaders ensure that children in the early years get off to a good start. Teaching is good and pupils make good progress with their learning. They are prepared well for their next stage of education in Year 1.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils are not always encouraged to develop their thinking and reasoning skills to deepen their understanding, particularly in mathematics.  The most-able pupils are not always challenged in lessons to help them achieve higher levels, especially in Key Stage 1.  Pupils are not always given time to act upon teachers’ marking of their work to make improvements and further their understanding.  The role of subject leaders is not sufficiently developed in checking the quality of teaching and holding teachers accountable for the progress pupils make.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 14 lessons, four of them jointly with the interim executive headteacher, the interim head of school or the deputy headteacher. Inspectors also observed pupils’ behaviour and attitudes in classrooms, and at breaks and lunchtimes.  A meeting was held with different groups of pupils, and inspectors listened to pupils read in Years 1 and 6 and discussed their reading with them.  The inspectors held discussions with senior and middle leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body. A discussion was also held with a local authority representative.  The inspectors examined a range of documents, including information on pupils’ progress across the school, improvement plans and checks on the quality of teaching. They also examined the school records relating to behaviour, safety and attendance.  The inspectors scrutinised pupils’ books and written work to see what progress pupils make and the

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Information about this inspection

quality of teachers’ marking and feedback to pupils.  The inspectors took account of 92 responses received from parents to the online questionnaire, Parent View. In addition, inspectors spoke to parents in the playground at the start of the school day. Inspectors also considered 12 letters they received from parents.  The inspectors also considered 25 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Avtar Sherri, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Christ Church Primary School is an average-sized primary school.  The school has a full-time Nursery class and a full-time Reception class.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic heritages is well above average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is well below average. This is additional government funding provided to give extra support to disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and to those who are looked after.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  The previous headteacher retired at the end of the school year in August 2014. An interim headteacher was appointed until April 2015. In April 2015 an interim leadership team was put in place with an interim executive headteacher and an interim head of school, both from St Catherine’s Primary School. The

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Information about this school

executive headteacher is a National Leader of Education.  The school has been through a turbulent time with changes in staffing and governing body composition. In April 2015, a new Chair of the Governing Body was appointed.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum 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 from good to outstanding so that pupils make rapid and sustained progress by ensuring that:  teachers always provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to extend their thinking and reasoning skills to deepen their understanding, particularly in mathematics  the most-able pupils are always challenged in lessons to help them achieve higher levels, particularly in Key Stage 1  pupils have time to act upon teachers’ comments in their marking to further their understanding and improve their work.  Improve leadership and management by ensuring that:  the role of subject leaders is developed in monitoring the quality of teaching and in holding teachers accountable for the progress that pupils make.

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The leadership and management are good

 This is a good school at the very heart of the community, where expectations are high and pupils are keen to learn and succeed. Leaders, including governors, are ambitious for pupils, and their vision is shared by staff.  The interim leadership team, working closely with governors, has been effective in improving the quality of teaching. Leaders have given staff effective support and training, and tackled underperformance by taking decisive action when necessary. There have been improvements in managing the performance of teachers, with a sharper focus on learning and the progress that different groups of pupils make.  The interim executive headteacher and the interim head of school have been highly effective since their recent appointment in bringing about rapid improvements. For example, all the parents that either spoke or wrote to inspectors said that communication with the school has improved markedly. There are weekly

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The leadership and management are good

parent forums and monthly coffee mornings for parents with staff. One parent wrote, ‘There is buzz of excitement and positive change in the school.’  There is a good sense of ‘togetherness’ among staff and a shared commitment to improve the school. There is overwhelming support for the leadership from staff and morale in the school is high.  The leaders’ view of the school’s effectiveness is accurate, and plans for improvement identify its main strengths and areas to develop with timings of actions and how success will be evaluated. Governors are beginning to be more involved in the process of monitoring and evaluating these actions to enable them to hold senior leaders more accountable for the work they do.  Subject leaders know the school’s main strengths and areas for development, including how well pupils are doing overall. However, their role in monitoring the quality of teaching more frequently to hold

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The leadership and management are good

teachers accountable for the progress that pupils make is not sufficiently developed.  Leaders check the progress of different groups of pupils carefully. They identify those who are not making the expected progress and provide them with high quality support. The school makes sure that weaker learners, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, make good progress with their learning. This ensures that there is equality of opportunity for all pupils and no discrimination.  An effective action plan outlines how the school intends to meet the needs of disadvantaged pupils. Leaders ensure that the additional funding for these pupils is used effectively. As a result, disadvantaged pupils make similar good progress to their classmates.  Leaders ensure that the early years provision is at least good and that children achieve well.  The subjects taught in the school are broad and balanced and are based on the primary National

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The leadership and management are good

Curriculum. They capture pupils’ interest and effectively engage pupils in their learning. Literacy, reading and mathematics skills are well taught. Pupils enjoyed the experience of being involved in ‘elections’ and selecting ‘candidates’ who had to present their ‘manifestos’ to capture the votes of their peers. In this way, pupils learned about how democracy works and about British values. The school knows that there is still more to do to implement fully the assessment procedures for the primary National Curriculum. However, leaders do not always ensure that the most-able pupils are well challenged in lessons to work at, and achieve higher levels, especially at Key Stage 1.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. Pupils take part in a wide range of sporting activities, visits and musical experiences. They know about the different cultures and the main religious beliefs represented in Britain, and have an appreciation of and respect for diversity.

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The leadership and management are good

The school prepares them well for life in modern Britain.  Leaders ensure that the primary sport premium is used effectively to offer pupils a wide range of clubs and sporting activities to increase their participation in sports and improve their physical fitness. Pupils have greater opportunities to be involved in competitive games with other schools. The use of sports coaches is enhancing the skills of teachers and their confidence in teaching physical education. As a result, the quality of teaching is improving in this subject.  Safeguarding arrangements are secure and effective. Leaders, managers and staff, including governors, work effectively to ensure that pupils are safe.  A large majority of parents responding to Parent View say that the school is well led and managed and that the school responds well to any concerns they raise.  The local authority has provided effective support for the school during the period of staff changes,

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The leadership and management are good

including working with governors to secure an effective interim leadership structure.  The governance of the school:  Governance is effective. Governors are ambitious for the school and are committed to pupils achieving their very best. They attend appropriate courses, including those on safeguarding, to keep themselves informed.  They know about the school’s strengths and areas for development. They use the information available about pupils’ progress to check how well the school is doing in comparison to other schools nationally.  From the information they receive from the interim leadership team, they know about the quality of teaching and arrangements for the management of teachers’ performance, and know how pay is linked to teachers’ performance and the progress made by pupils. Governors have worked closely with interim leaders to tackle underperformance to ensure teaching is good and that pupils make good progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors have the appropriate skills to ensure that financial management is effective. They know how the pupil premium and sport funding are used, and their impact on pupil outcomes.  Governors are becoming increasingly effective in strengthening links with parents; this is promoting greater confidence in the work that governors do among parents.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite, courteous and respectful to each other and adults. They have positive attitudes to their learning, and this contributes well to the good progress they make.  Pupils show great pride in their school, and have a great respect for its environment by making sure it is clean and free of litter. They enjoy coming to school, which is reflected in their above-average attendance.  The school is a harmonious place and pupils from all backgrounds play and get on well with each other. Pupils say that behaviour is always good. A few pupils mentioned that the reason why behaviour is good and ‘everyone gets on well with each other’ is because the school is ‘a Christian school’. One pupil said that ‘most children have a high standard of behaviour’.  Behaviour is not outstanding. Occasionally, a few children lose concentration in lessons and talk when the teacher is talking. When this happens, progress slows.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say that they feel safe in the school at all times, and that if they have any concerns about their safety they can easily approach an adult who would deal with the matter.  Pupils know about unsafe situations and how to keep themselves safe. They are taught well about safety issues, and know about road and fire safety and how to keep themselves safe when using the internet.  Pupils are aware of different types of bullying. They say that bullying, racism and name calling are not an issue for the school. This is supported by the school’s records on behaviour that show that the number of bullying incidents is rare, with no incidents of exclusion.  Most parents responding to Parent View, and all the parents that inspectors spoke to and received letters from, said that their children feel safe at school and that the school makes sure its pupils are well

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The quality of teaching is good

 Senior leaders have been effective in improving the quality of teaching and taking decisive action to tackle underperformance. As a result, the quality of teaching is good and improving, and pupils make good progress with their learning.  Relationships are strong, and teachers and teaching assistants work effectively as a team to create a culture where learning can flourish.  Teaching assistants are effective in supporting the learning of pupils, particularly of the weaker learners, through one-to-one and small-group support. This ensures that disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, and those who are disadvantaged, make good progress with their learning.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good, and sometimes better, progress than their classmates. They receive high quality support from staff and greatly benefit from the rich opportunities in the classroom for speaking and listening.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use assessment data effectively to track the progress of different groups of pupils, and take responsibility in identifying those in need of further support to ensure they make good progress. The school is in the process of fully implementing the assessment system for the primary National Curriculum.  Writing is improving, and pupils have greater opportunities to write at length in English and in other subjects. There is a good emphasis on improving grammar, punctuation and spelling. Pupils’ writing is celebrated through displays around the school.  Reading is taught well, and pupils enjoy reading. They have a good understanding of phonics (the sounds linked to letters), which helps weaker readers in particular to read difficult or unfamiliar words.  Pupils enjoy mathematics. One Year 6 pupil said, ‘We get through a lot of work!’ Pupils are taught a range of calculation skills, which they use well to solve mathematical problems and investigations.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Although teachers use questioning to test pupils’ understanding, pupils do not always have sufficient opportunities to extend their thinking and reasoning skills to deepen their understanding, particularly in mathematics. As a result, their progress slows.  Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is improving, and pupils are usually given guidance on how they can improve their work. However, pupils are not always given the time to act upon the advice given in marking to further their understanding. This restricts how well their work improves.  Occasionally, the most able pupils are not challenged sufficiently to work at, and achieve, higher levels of attainment, especially at Key Stage 1. This slows their progress.  Most parents responding to Parent View say that their children are taught well at school and that they make good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils enjoy learning, make good progress and achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics.  At Key Stage 1, the attainment of children over time has been above average in reading, writing and mathematics. However, in the 2013 and 2014 end of Year 2 national tests, the proportion of pupils attaining the higher levels, Level 3, has been broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because the most-able pupils are not always challenged sufficiently in lessons to work at and achieve higher levels. Despite this, current school information shows that the most-able pupils in Key Stage 1 are on course to do much better in reading, writing and mathematics in the 2015 tests.  Pupils’ attainment on entry to Key Stage 2 was broadly average for the Year 6 cohorts in 2013 and 2014. However, their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was well above average by the end of Year 6 national tests in 2013 and 2014. Their attainment in English, spelling, punctuation and grammar was

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The achievement of pupils is good

well above average in 2013 and above average in 2014. This means that pupils made at least good progress in their learning from their different starting points in those years.  The most-able pupils do well in Key Stage 2, and the proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels at Level 5 and above in reading, writing and mathematics is well above average. Pupils are given challenging work in lessons, and are able to complete a good quantity of work.  The results of the Year 1 phonic screening check increased considerably in 2014 to well above average. The improvements in the teaching of phonics have a positive impact on pupils’ ability to read and write. Attainment in reading has been particularly strong in both Key Stages 1 and 2.  The progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good, like their classmates, in reading, writing and mathematics. Their progress is closely checked and they receive

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The achievement of pupils is good

effective care and support to meet their needs.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language make at least good progress and achieve well through the effective support they receive. There are no marked differences in the achievement of different ethnic groups of pupils in the school.  There were too few disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 in 2014 to comment on their achievement without identifying them. The school’s performance information, including the work in books, shows that disadvantaged pupils across the school are now making similar good progress to their classmates because of closer targeting and more effective support, both inside and outside the classroom.

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The early years provision is good

 Teaching is good in the early years, and children make good progress from their different starting points.  Children join the school with skills and knowledge that are typical for their age. By the end of the Reception year, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development is well above the national average. Children are prepared well to move into Year 1.  There is good engagement with parents. Home visits are used effectively to gather important information about children to ensure they settle down to routines quickly and get off to a good start.  Children have good attitudes to learning and are very well behaved. They are kind and considerate and get on well together. They are keen to learn and show confidence in talking with adults about their learning. Children are able to make their own choices about their learning. Staff keep children safe and secure, and ensure that all safeguarding requirements are met.

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The early years provision is good

 The few children who speak English as an additional language and those who are disabled or who have special educational needs are supported effectively and make good progress. Assessment information shows that there are no marked differences in the progress of different groups of children.  The leadership and management of the early years are good. There are effective systems for assessing the achievement of pupils so that staff have a clear and well-informed view about children’s achievement. Staff plan learning effectively to build on children’s experiences and meet their interests.  At times there are insufficient opportunities for children to ‘mark-make’ and develop their early writing skills, and opportunities are occasionally missed to extend children’s language and vocabulary.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 101316 Local authority Barnet Inspection number 449714

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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 243 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tim Bennett Headteacher Eileen Quigley (interim executive headteacher) Elena Print (interim head of school) Date of previous school inspection 29−30 September 2009 Telephone number 020 8440 2198 Fax number 020 8441 4700 Email address office@christchurch.barnetmail.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 and 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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