Christ The King Catholic School, Amesbury

Inspection of Christ The King Catholic School, Amesbury Earls Court Road, Amesbury, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 7LX

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Inadequate 6 and 7 October 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Christ The King Catholic School is a welcoming and friendly school. Pupils are polite and get on well together. They play happily and look out for one another at breaktimes, including pupils from the specialist resource base ‘The Ark’. Pupils say that ‘everyone gets included’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There have been significant staffing changes since the previous inspection. This has slowed the pace of improvement. However, in the last year, leaders have worked with determination to halt the decline and put things right. Their hard work is paying off, especially in English and mathematics. Nevertheless, leaders know that the quality of education provided in the wider curriculum is not yet good enough.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils report that behaviour is improving. They enjoy earning stars on their wristbands for showing positive behaviours. Pupils wear these with pride. Bullying is not an issue. Pupils feel safe and are confident that adults will help sort out any worries they have. Despite leaders’ efforts, too many pupils do not attend school as often as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff provide many opportunities for pupils’ spiritual development. Through prayer and reflection time, pupils learn the importance of respect and love for each other. As a result, they understand how to treat people equally.

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better?

Since his appointment, the executive headteacher has established effective systems to begin to improve the quality of education. Alongside senior leaders, he has raised expectations of what pupils are capable of. Leaders have built the school’s curriculum right from the beginning. They have rightly focused on sequencing an effective curriculum in English and mathematics to ensure that pupils secure their basic skills. This is making a noticeable difference.

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better?

Leaders have not been as successful in implementing plans for the remaining curriculum subjects. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding. Curriculum leaders have put in place an ambitious and well- sequenced curriculum in some subjects. In science, for example, pupils in key stage 2 understand and talk confidently about concepts like gravity and light. However, in other subjects, such as history and computing, teachers are just beginning to use the new curriculum plans. It is too soon to know if they are helping pupils to know more and remember more.

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better?

Leaders have made reading a priority. All staff are confident in the school’s approach to teaching phonics. In Reception, children begin to learn phonics right from the start. There are ambitious end points for pupils to reach each term. Staff use assessment well. They make use of extra time throughout the day to support those pupils who need a boost. Many are catching up quickly. However, for a 6 and 7 October 2021

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minority of pupils who need the most support, occasionally, the books they read are too hard. This hinders their ability to read fluently. Older pupils talk enthusiastically about reading. They enjoy listening to stories in class. Many say this inspires them to read at home.

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There is a clearly thought-out sequence to the teaching of mathematics and writing. In Reception, teachers plan activities to support children’s learning. They have lots of opportunities to count, draw and order numbers successfully. In Years 5 and 6, pupils are becoming confident writers. Teachers’ high expectations mean that pupils write in different styles and with increasing accuracy.

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Staff are beginning to apply the new behaviour policy consistently. Most pupils conduct themselves in lessons and around the school sensibly. Pupils know the consequences of not following the school’s rules. As a result, interruptions to learning are reducing.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully involved in the life of the school. Leaders have an in-depth understanding of pupils with complex needs. Staff are becoming better equipped at adapting and personalising learning so that all pupils can succeed. For example, in key stage 2, pupils with SEND independently use a range of equipment in lessons to support their learning.

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Pupils enjoy opportunities to discuss and debate aspects of life, including equality and race issues. They are confident to challenge any form of discrimination. Leaders have bolstered pupils’ physical and emotional well-being by employing sports coaches at lunchtimes and teaching older pupils about mindfulness. Pupils say this is helping them to manage their emotions.

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Governors share leaders’ ambitions. They ask challenging questions to check the impact of the school’s priorities. They hold leaders to account rigorously, including overseeing how well the curriculum meets the needs of pupils with SEND. Governors are considerate of staff workload and well-being. Staff feel well supported by governors and leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have strengthened the safeguarding culture in the school. Staff are knowledgeable about how to spot and report signs of concern. Governors are aware of their safeguarding responsibilities. For example, they know that the attendance of some disadvantaged pupils is not good enough. They are working with school leaders to keep this at the forefront of their work.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school. They know who to approach if they have concerns. While online safety is part of the curriculum, opportunities to deepen pupils’ understanding of social media and mobile technology are weak. 6 and 7 October 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A minority of pupils in Reception and Years 1, 2 and 3, who are at the early stages of reading, struggle to read fluently. The books they are reading are too hard for them. Leaders need to ensure that these pupils access books that match their phonics knowledge so that they develop fluency and confidence.  Teachers are in the early stages of implementing new curriculum plans for many subjects in the wider curriculum. As a result, pupils have gaps in their learning in some areas. Leaders need to embed the new curriculum so that pupils know more and remember more in each subject as they progress through the school.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in school. However, they are less knowledgeable about how to stay safe online. Leaders need to ensure that pupils understand all aspects of safety.  The attendance of a minority of disadvantaged pupils remains low. These pupils miss valuable learning. Leaders, including governors, need to continue to work

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

with families to ensure that all pupils attend school regularly.

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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. 6 and 7 October 2021

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Michael Thompson

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School details

Headteacher Richard Sanderson (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26–27 May 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school entered a formal collaboration with a local Catholic primary school in September 2020. A strategic board of governance was set up across both schools to oversee the collaboration. The school has its own local governing body with full delegated responsibilities.  There have been significant staff changes since the previous inspection. The majority of teaching staff are new to the school. The executive headteacher took up post in September 2020. The director of curriculum and the special educational needs coordinator joined the school in September 2020. A new head of school started in October 2021.  The school has a specialist resource base for pupils with speech, language and communication difficulties. Currently, there are 20 pupils, aged from five to 11 years old, accessing this provision.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  Christ The King is a Catholic school. The most recent section 48 inspection took

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Information about this school

place in March 2018. The next section 48 inspection is due by March 2023. 6 and 7 October 2021

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 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 executive headteacher, head of school, director of curriculum and other senior leaders. Inspectors spoke with three representatives from the local and strategic governing body, two representatives from the local authority and the diocesan director of schools and colleges.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and science. 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 work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about some other subjects, including geography and music.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors listened to pupils from Reception and Years 1, 2, 3 and 6 read to an adult.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s safeguarding documentation, including safeguarding checks carried out on staff working at the school. They scrutinised the school’s single central record. They considered how well the designated safeguarding leader acts on concerns about pupils’ welfare and safety. Inspectors talked to pupils, staff and governors about safe working practices.  Inspectors considered 16 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 25 free-text responses and 18 responses to the survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Dale Burr, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Richard Lucas Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 October 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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