Christ The King Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy

Inspection of Christ The King Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy Kings Approach, Bramley, Leeds, West Yorkshire LS13 2DX

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 September 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 14 and 15 September 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this caring and inclusive school. The atmosphere is calm and cheerful. Pupils behave well in lessons and are enthusiastic about their learning. Teachers do a good job of helping them learn. Pupils are kind and thoughtful to each other. Different views, cultures and opinions are respected. Adults act as excellent role models. Pupils speak of how they debate issues such as the big bang theory. However, some pupils lack an understanding of vocabulary such as democracy and respect even though they are clearly promoted every day. Some pupils have missed learning and experiences during the pandemic. Staff have planned a curriculum to help pupils catch up quickly. Pupils know that there are adults they can speak to if they have any worries or concerns. Adults check and respond to the ‘worry box’ daily. Pupils feel listened to and cared for. Adults take any behaviour or comments that could cause offence seriously. Leaders make sure that

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What is it like to attend this school?

there are strong links between school and home. Parents say that ‘Christ the King Catholic Primary is not just a school; it’s a family’.

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better?

There has been significant change in staffing at all levels since the predecessor school was closed. The current leadership is strong and has a clear vision for this school. The trust directors have a clear strategic plan for supporting Christ the King school in its journey to excellence. They are beginning to improve the sharing of excellence and increase the collaborative working between the schools that have formed this relatively new trust. Staff in the school feel extremely well supported by senior leaders and their colleagues.

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better?

Ensuring that pupils learn to read with confidence and enjoyment is a priority. Pupils speak of how they can pop into the library whenever they need to and select from a wide range of books. All staff have received training in teaching phonics. Pupils learn to read well through a systematic process as soon as they join the early years class. Older pupils who have struggled to perfect the skill of reading are supported well so that resources continue to match their needs.

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better?

The mathematics and English curriculums have been planned well. Leaders have planned these curriculums to ensure that pupils know what they are learning, and that learning is sequential. As with reading, staff have been well trained. Pupils told inspectors how there are regular opportunities to complete quick revisions of knowledge at the beginning of lessons which help them become more confident at recalling information.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Pupils’ individual needs are addressed as required, sometimes through resources, such as writing slopes, along with support from adults in the room. The special educational needs coordinator works with the inclusion team staff and outside agencies to make sure pupils needs are met well. During the pandemic, some pupils 14 and 15 September 2021

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with SEND have been supported with home visits and daily catch ups when they have been unable to come to school. Parents of pupils with SEND are included in many aspects of their child’s education. However, some parents fed back in Ofsted’s Parent View that they felt that communication could sometimes be better. Senior and middle leaders are eager to improve this communication, so parents have confidence in the provision their child is receiving.

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Leaders of the foundation subjects, for example art and history, plan so that pupils gain knowledge and skills in these subjects. Pupils recall facts about different civilisations in history and about different religions from previous learning. However, senior leaders have rightly identified that they need to prioritise the knowledge that pupils need to support their future learning. Some planning focuses purely on skills rather than knowledge. For example, leaders note in their long-term planning in art that pupils will learn about William Morris, but their planning only details knowledge of pattern making.

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Children in the early years had only been in school for a week at the time of the inspection. In this short time, they had settled in well and were playing happily with their new friends. Teachers place great emphasis on language acquisition and developing a broad vocabulary for these young children. Early years leaders have ensured that all subject leaders know how the early curriculum is dovetailed into the long-term plans for the whole school. Science is the only subject where this long- term plan needs a little more attention to ensure learning in the early years supports learning later in the school. Leaders recognise how much the pandemic has affected these children and want to ensure that teachers can quickly help them catch up. Children’s individual needs, particularly those with SEND are quickly identified.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. A safeguarding team ensures that procedures and routines are firmly embedded to support the needs of pupils and their families. Staff request support from outside agencies in a timely manner when needed. Checks are made on all staff to ensure their suitability to work with pupils. All staff are aware of the damage that name-calling and harassment can cause to young pupils. They are acutely aware that anything that may cause offence should be dealt with and reported.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Too many pupils do not have an understanding of more complex vocabulary, particularly that pertaining to British values. Respect, tolerance and democracy are values that are promoted and practised in school. Teachers need to be consistently aspirational in regard to the vocabulary they teach so that pupils develop their vocabulary and understanding over time. 14 and 15 September 2021

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 A minority of parents of pupils with SEND do not feel their child gets the support they need. School leaders need to work more closely with parents of pupils with SEND to ensure they understand the curriculum their child is accessing and how well their child is gaining knowledge in different subjects.  The new interim headteacher has quickly identified that some of the long-term plans for foundation subjects do not clearly identify the knowledge that needs to be taught. This has caused some weaknesses in medium-term planning where key knowledge to be taught and links with future and previous knowledge are not clearly identified and prioritised. For example, plans of how pupils will build their knowledge of ‘empire’, ‘farming’ and ‘weather’ over time are not clear. Greater clarity is required, such as that seen in the reading and mathematics curriculum. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 14 and 15 September 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200755 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Christ the King Catholic Primary School converted to become an academy in July 2017. When its predecessor school, Christ the King Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate.  There have been significant changes in staffing at all levels since the school joined St Gregory the Great Catholic Academy Trust.  The school is jointly led by an interim executive headteacher, Phil Bowker, and an interim head of school, Anne-Marie Waide.  The school is Roman Catholic but accepts pupils from other faiths or those with no faith.  The school does not have any off-site provision or specially resourced provision, nor does it use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 14 and 15 September 2021

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the interim headteacher and head of school throughout the two days. They also met with representatives of the diocese, the trust and the academy council.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, English, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about other subjects.  Inspectors spoke to members of the safeguarding team and considered documentation about safeguarding.  Inspectors considered responses by staff, pupils and parents to the Ofsted online

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Inspection team

Jo Sharpe, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Stephenson Her Majesty’s Inspector 14 and 15 September 2021

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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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