Christ Church CofE Primary School, Pennington

Inspection of Christ Church C of E Primary School, Pennington West Bridgewater Street, Pennington, Leigh, Lancashire WN7 4HB

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 11–12 February 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is a safe and happy place for pupils. Pupils enjoy coming to school and they attend regularly. Parents and carers told us that they would recommend the school to other families. One parent told us, ‘Every member of staff seems to go that extra mile for children and parents.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations of pupils. They want pupils to do well. Pupils usually listen carefully. They develop positive and respectful relationships with staff. Pupils try hard. This is because they know this is what their teachers expect from them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the school rules and follow them well. They enjoy competing with other classes for behaviour rewards. The pupils who spoke to us know what bullying is and say that it is very rare at Christ Church. Pupils say that staff do not tolerate bullying and that they would put a stop to it if it happened.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide many opportunities for pupils to develop personally. For example, pupils visit museums and places of worship. They learn about the history of their local community. Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities in school, such as raising money for charity.

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better?

Since the school was inspected in September 2018, leaders have improved the curriculum for pupils. The curriculum is now well planned across a broad range of subjects. Across all year groups and all subjects, pupils learn topics in a logical way. This means that they build their knowledge well as they move through the school. Overall, pupils achieve well, not only in reading, writing and mathematics, but across the curriculum.

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better?

Leaders have made reading a priority. Pupils now have a new library with an exciting range of books. They spoke enthusiastically about their favourite books. Teachers choose books that introduce pupils to a wide range of vocabulary. Pupils develop their comprehension skills well.

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better?

Children in the Reception class start learning about phonics straight away. They practise the letters and sounds that they have learned every day. Teachers quickly provide help to anyone who falls behind. This helps all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to read successfully,

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better?

Pupils enjoy writing. Leaders have made sure that pupils use punctuation correctly and spell more accurately. Pupils now have more opportunities to practise grammar skills and apply them to their writing across most subjects. 11–12 February 2020

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Pupils learn equally well across the wider curriculum. For example, pupils told inspectors that they enjoy geography lessons. Teachers ensure that pupils build on what they already know. For example, pupils in Year 5 used map skills effectively. Pupils can remember what they have learned in earlier geography lessons. Pupils in Year 2 explained what they had learned about the Great Wall of China.

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There is also a well-planned art curriculum. Older pupils learn about skills and techniques used by artists from history. For example, pupils developed their sketching skills when they looked at artworks from the Mayan period. Pupils are proud of their work in art.

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The curriculum in the early years prepares children well for later learning in key stage 1. Teachers plan exciting activities for children. This enables all children, including those with SEND, to learn well across all areas of learning. Children learn to share resources and collaborate with each other, for example to build dens outside.

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Building on from the early years, teachers in the main school plan a curriculum that is increasingly ambitious for pupils with SEND. Leaders check the impact of teachers’ plans on pupils’ learning, especially in reading, English and mathematics. However, leaders recognise that in some subjects, teachers still do not adapt their plans well enough for some pupils with SEND.

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The curriculum supports pupils’ personal development well. Pupils take part in trips to local museums and the library. They visit theatres and concerts further afield, for example in Manchester. Pupils raise funds for charities, and lead services at their local church. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Pupils behave well as they move around school. They are polite and well mannered. Sometimes their enthusiastic chatter in class disrupts learning for other pupils.

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Staff are very positive about the improvements to the school brought about by the new headteacher and her leadership team. They feel that their opinions count. Leaders are mindful of staff workload. Governors know the school well. They support and challenge leaders effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong commitment to keeping pupils safe from harm. Leaders and governors carry out appropriate checks on new staff to ensure that they are safe to work with children. Leaders provide a range of safeguarding training to staff. This enables staff to be vigilant, and to recognise when pupils may be at risk. Procedures for reporting safeguarding concerns are clear. Staff follow these procedures consistently. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online. They know who to speak to if they have any worries. 11–12 February 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils behave well in and around school. However, on a few occasions in lessons staff do not manage pupils’ behaviour as well as they should. Some pupils cause minor disruption to the learning of other pupils. Leaders should ensure that all staff address any incidents of low-level disruption that may affect other pupils’ learning.  Leaders adapt their plans effectively for pupils with SEND in reading, writing and mathematics. However, leaders recognise that in other subjects there is more to do to tailor the curriculum for these pupils. Consequently, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as highly as they could. Leaders must ensure that they adapt curriculum plans in subjects other than reading, English and mathematics, so that pupils with SEND can remember more in all subjects.

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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 are the school and you are 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. 11–12 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10110929 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.christchurchprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 September 2018

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, a number of governors have left the governing body and new members have been appointed.  There is also a new deputy headteacher and there have been a number of staffing changes in the school.

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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

 We met with governors, senior leaders, subject leaders and staff. We also took account of the 14 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  The lead inspector spoke on the telephone with the school’s adviser from the local schools consortium.  We spoke with pupils in meetings and during lessons. We also spoke with them at breaks and lunchtimes. We spoke with some parents at the end of the school day. We took account of the 21 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. 11–12 February 2020

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 We looked at safeguarding procedures and records of safeguarding and behaviour. We observed pupils’ behaviour around school and considered leaders’ attendance information.  We considered a range of documentation, including leaders’ self-evaluation, plans for improvement and reports from the school improvement adviser.  We considered the following subjects in-depth as part of the inspection: reading, writing, geography and art. Inspection activity in these subjects included: evaluation of leaders’ curriculum planning; visits to lessons; scrutiny of pupils’ work; listening to pupils read; discussions with subject leaders, teachers and teaching assistants and discussions with pupils about their learning in these subjects.

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Inspection team

Mavis Smith, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sandie La Porta Ofsted Inspector 11–12 February 2020

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