Setting

Peter Eccles Head of School Christ The King Catholic School Earls Court Road Amesbury Wiltshire SP4 7LX

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School

Following my remote inspection with Jen Southall, Her Majesty’s Inspector (HMI), of your school on 10 and 11 February 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to provide education to all pupils during the current circumstances.

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School

This monitoring inspection was conducted under section 8 (2) of the Education Act 2005 (as amended) and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for visiting schools while routine inspections remain temporarily suspended. It was additional to the usual monitoring process for schools that are judged to require special measures.

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School

Following changes to government guidance and the imposition of COVID-19 (coronavirus) lockdown restrictions, this monitoring inspection was carried out remotely. As such, the range of evidence available to inspectors was narrower than would normally be the case during an on-site inspection. As a result, this letter provides a more limited level of assurance than our usual monitoring reports.

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School

The inspection took place because the school was judged to require special measures at its previous section 5 inspection. The school’s most recent section 5 inspection took place in February 2018.

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School

Having considered all the evidence and taking into account the impact of COVID-19 on the school, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

to provide education in the current circumstances. Ofsted

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Context

 Since September 2020, there have been significant staff changes. More than half of the teaching staff are new to the school. You have joined as head of school. The school shares an executive headteacher with a local school. A new chair of the local governing board took up the post after the last monitoring inspection in September 2019.

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Context

 Across the autumn term 2020, approximately 20% of pupils had to be educated remotely. One ‘bubble’ in Years 4 and 5 needed to self-isolate for three days.

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Context

 At the time of this inspection, about 50% of pupils were being educated at home. Around 50% of all pupils who are vulnerable and approximately 70% of pupils with education, health and care plans were attending on site.

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Context

 At the time of this inspection, two members of staff were absent due to COVID-19. Leaders are redeploying staff from elsewhere in the school so that lessons can continue without disruption.

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Main findings

 You and other leaders are working at pace to transform many aspects of the school. You are taking the necessary action to ensure that pupils receive an education whether they are in school or working remotely.

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Main findings

 In September 2020, you rightly set about revamping the school’s curriculum. Leaders have provided a detailed training programme for staff to improve their subject knowledge and expertise. This is beginning to pay off. Teachers are adapting their curriculum plans to help pupils remember important information more readily. Extra teaching in English and mathematics is supporting pupils with gaps in their knowledge to catch up. For example, by January 2021, many pupils were more secure in the recall of key mathematical facts.

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Main findings

 Leaders are creating a strong reading culture across the school. There is a well-structured approach to the teaching of early reading. There are daily phonics lessons for pupils in the early years and key stage 1. However, leaders and staff are aware that some pupils need additional help to catch up. Extra phonics sessions are helping these pupils to become more confident readers. You are planning further staff training to refine the teaching of phonics, including in the school’s resource base.

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Main findings

 In October 2020, you and other leaders acted swiftly to overhaul the remote education available to all pupils. Staff training has helped teachers to deliver daily ‘live’ lessons to pupils with increasing confidence. You have worked closely with the school community to provide access to both on-site and remote education. You have supplied extra electronic devices to help pupils take part in online learning. There are clear systems in place to track and ensure pupils’ participation. There are high levels of interaction from pupils, regardless of how they are accessing education.

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Main findings

 You have taken effective steps to ensure that vulnerable pupils and the children of key workers who are learning in school follow the same timetable as their classmates who are learning at home. Daily reading, writing and mathematics lessons ensure that pupils get lots of practice in these subjects. In addition, teachers’ careful planning of sequences of work in other subjects is beginning to build pupils’ knowledge and skills more effectively. For example, in art and geography.

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Main findings

 The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with staff to review the quality of support for pupils. She holds ‘surgeries’ to help develop the expertise of staff, including teaching alongside staff. Teachers are becoming more confident in breaking down what pupils need to know into small steps. You recognise that there is more work to do to meet pupils’ individual needs in the resource base. Staff do not always sequence lessons well for these pupils.

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Main findings

 Governors have stronger systems in place to help them hold leaders to account for the education pupils receive. For example, a governor is working closely with the SENCo to focus on the educational provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Governors recognise that COVID- 19 has stalled some of their face-to-face work. Nevertheless, they understand the challenges staff are facing. They are making regular checks on the well- being and safety of staff at this time.

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Main findings

 You and your governors welcome the external support from the school improvement adviser. This recent work is beginning to have a positive impact on both the curriculum and pupils’ achievement. You are about to start work with the local English hub to develop staff’s expertise in the teaching of early reading, including phonics.

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Evidence

This inspection was conducted remotely. We spoke to you, the executive headteacher and the director of curriculum and assessment. We also held meetings with staff, representatives for those responsible for local governance, the school improvement adviser and a representative from the local authority to discuss leaders’ actions to provide education to all pupils during a national lockdown.

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Evidence

We also looked at samples of pupils’ work online, reviewed documentation, talked to pupils and watched recordings of lessons. We looked at 20 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and 12 staff questionnaires. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Clifton, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Wiltshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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