Christ Church CofE First School

Inspection of Christ Church CofE First School Feltham Lane, Frome, Somerset BA11 5AJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 8–9 October 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Christ Church is a happy, caring school. The warm welcome each day from staff helps pupils to settle well. Staff have high expectations of behaviour. In response, most pupils behave well and try hard. The few pupils who have challenging behaviour are well supported. They soon learn the school’s six core values, such as kindness and respect, that guide their behaviour. Pupils like the rewards system and ‘golden time’ is highly prized. Bullying seldom happens and is not tolerated here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. They like the clubs and after-school activities available to them. They know how to live healthy, active lives. There is a strong sense of community. Everyone is valued here. Staff are good at helping pupils with their social, emotional and mental health needs. Pupils feel safe and well cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Nonetheless, pupils do not do as well as they could. There are aspects of what the school provides that require improvement. Leaders do not put their plans into action well enough in different subjects, including early reading. This means some pupils’ learning is too limited.

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better?

The headteacher and his leadership team are working with determination to improve the school. Despite tangible improvements, there is still more to do to improve the quality of education to become good. Leaders’ work has raised teachers’ expectations of pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning successfully. Pupils present their work well. There is no disruption in lessons.

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better?

Leaders make sure that they prepare pupils to be good citizens. Pupils are polite and friendly. They enjoy taking on responsibilities, such as school councillors. The school plans trips, visits away and visiting speakers to inspire and motivate pupils. Pupils learn how to accept others from a variety of backgrounds and to tolerate and value their differences.

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better?

Leaders have set out ambitious plans for pupils’ learning in different subjects. For example, in history there is a clear order for learning about key events. Pupils talk knowledgeably about the invasions of Britain. However, these plans are not delivered consistently well in the classrooms. Plans in some subjects do not order the learning logically. For instance, in science, pupils were asking to test which materials were waterproof before securing pupils’ understanding of what waterproof means.

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better?

Leaders do not ensure that the teaching of phonics is good enough. Teachers do not adjust their plans to meet pupils’ needs. As a result, pupils who struggle to read do not have books that are matched to the sounds that they know. Leaders have not checked how successful the teaching of early reading is across the school. Pupils who find reading difficult do not get enough practice. As a result, they do not catch up. 8–9 October 2019

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Leaders are putting plans in place to raise teachers’ expectations of what pupils know and can do in mathematics. Teachers’ plans are ordered so that pupils can gain the necessary mathematical knowledge and skills. Nevertheless, teachers do not deliver these plans well enough in Reception and Year 1. Teaching does not build on what pupils already know and can do. So, teaching in mathematics does not help those pupils who struggle with mathematics to catch up effectively.

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The support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is mostly effective. Teachers consider carefully what pupils need to know, which helps them to make positive steps in their learning. However, on occasions, pupils struggle to apply what they have learned.

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Recent improvements to the curriculum in the Nursery class are taking hold well this year. Children settle well. Adults’ focus on teaching speaking and listening is helping the two- and three-year-olds to talk confidently. Regular teaching is increasing their love of early reading and understanding of numbers. As a result, disadvantaged children and those who need to catch up are seeing success. However, plans for learning in the Reception Year do not build on what children can already do. As a result, some work is too easy, and children in Reception do not do as well as they might.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure staff are well trained and follow the school policies and procedures. Staff know pupils and their families well. They take their welfare seriously. They are extremely vigilant about their safety. Leaders are quick to refer concerns, follow advice and work well with other agencies.

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Safeguarding

Staff provide strong help and support for all pupils. They support pupils’ emotional and mental health well. Pupils find activities such as yoga very calming. Parents and carers appreciate the school’s nurturing and inclusive environment. They feel their children are in ‘safe hands’.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Subject leaders have stated their high ambition in their curriculum plans. However, this work is in its infancy in some subjects. Leaders need to make sure teachers build knowledge and skills in a logical order. Teachers need to check what pupils already know, and that pupils remember what has been taught.  Phonics teaching is not matched well enough to pupils’ abilities. Teachers should ensure that pupils who struggle with reading have books that enable them to practise the sounds they have learned with sounds they already know. 8–9 October 2019

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 The curriculum for mathematics is planned to develop pupils’ understanding of place value and number in a clear order. However, leaders need to check how well plans are implemented. They need to ensure that all aspects of mathematics are taught well and remembered by pupils. Teachers should use their information about what pupils can do to plan work so that those pupils who struggle, or have fallen behind, catch up.  Leaders’ and teachers’ work in the Nursery has paid off and the two- and three- year-olds get off to a good start. However, the lack of continuity in the early years curriculum does not support children’s progress well enough. Leaders should ensure that children’s learning moves on smoothly between the Nursery and Reception classes. Teachers should use information about what children already know and can do to make the next steps in learning suitably challenging.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 8–9 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111468 Type of school First

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.christchurchschoolfrome.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13–14 June 2017

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Information about this school

 The school provides nursery education for two- and three-year-olds.  The school has a Christian character.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with four members of the governing body, the headteacher, the senior leaders of the school and subject leaders. The lead inspector spoke with an external adviser who provides advisory support for the school.  Inspectors considered reading, mathematics, science and history as part of the inspection. They interviewed senior and subject leaders. They looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons and talked to teachers about their work. They heard pupils read, looked at pupils’ workbooks and talked to them about their learning.  Inspectors examined information about safeguarding arrangements. They reviewed the school’s single central record, and looked at reporting procedures and staff training logs. They held meetings with senior leaders and governors 8–9 October 2019

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about safeguarding. They spoke to staff, pupils and parents about how well pupils are cared for.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils to gain their views on school life. They made visits to the playground and to breakfast club.  Inspectors took account of the 21 responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted’s Parent View, as well as their written responses. They also considered the 30 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Sandra Woodman, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Tracy French Ofsted Inspector 8–9 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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