Christ Church Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Christ Church Church of England Primary School Baker Street, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset BS23 3AF

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 February 2022

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Christ Church School. They follow the school rules which are ‘be kind, be ready, be safe’. Most pupils are polite and behave well. Some pupils attend the ‘calm club’ which supports them during breaktimes and lunchtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the school’s connection to the church. Some develop responsibilities as worship leaders. Pupils enjoy extra-curricular opportunities, including sports, yoga and the ‘Jesus and Me’ club. Members of the school choir visit a local residential home where they sing to residents. Leaders plan to re-establish other activities, such as trips and visits, which have been limited by the COVID-19 pandemic.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn without disruption to their lessons. Leaders have high expectations and there are clear consequences for poor behaviour. Pupils understand what bullying is. They say this happens sometimes. Most pupils trust staff to deal with any concerns they have. This helps them to feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In some subjects, the curriculum pupils follow is not ambitious enough. This means that some pupils do not learn as much as they could. Pupils, including those with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not remember important curriculum points well.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Reading is a high priority for the school. Staff read high-quality texts to pupils regularly. As a result, pupils enjoy reading. Pupils begin learning phonics from the start of the Reception Year. They learn a well-sequenced curriculum. The teaching of each sound is precise. Pupils practise reading from books that focus on the sounds they know. This supports most pupils to become confident, accurate readers. For example, some older 15 and 16 February 2022

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pupils spoke about a range of different authors. They are developing their personal preferences when it comes to reading. However, the reading curriculum for these pupils is not organised as well as the curriculum for those in the early stages of reading.

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Leaders have strengthened some aspects of the curriculum. They have high expectations of how pupils present their work. In the early years, leaders have set out what they want children to know and remember. In the rest of the school, the mathematics curriculum builds well on what pupils already know. Leaders recognise that some pupils, especially pupils with SEND, require further opportunities to practise solving problems.

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In some subjects, leaders have introduced a new curriculum. However, they have not identified the most important knowledge and skills for pupils to learn. In these subjects, pupils do not benefit from clear sequences of learning. As a result, some pupils, including those with SEND, do not develop a secure understanding.

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Leaders have not checked the quality of education in every subject carefully enough. Consequently, pupils do not follow an ambitious curriculum that meets their needs in each subject. Sometimes, pupils complete enjoyable activities, but they do not develop knowledge or increased understanding as a result. When this happens, pupils cannot use what they know to learn something more difficult. Furthermore, leaders do not check that pupils with SEND are learning essential curriculum content successfully.

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Pupils learn about different religions and model the school’s Christian values. They agree that everyone should be treated equally. Older pupils understand how to lead a healthy lifestyle. They know that mental and physical health are important. However, pupils do not remember enough about different places and cultures. This leads to misconceptions about how other people live. Some parents who responded to the online questionnaire ‘Ofsted Parent View’ would like the school to offer a wider range of opportunities.

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Staff feel well supported by leaders. They feel that their workload and well-being is a high priority. Many governors are new to the role and seek to improve their own knowledge. They understand their statutory responsibilities and challenge leaders. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has meant that governors do not know as much as they could about the quality of education within the school.

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspector agreed that leaders’ monitoring of the wider curriculum to ensure that it is consistently well sequenced and implemented as intended may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have developed appropriate policies which they use to keep pupils safe. They provide regular training for staff. Staff understand how to report concerns about pupils’ welfare. Safeguarding leaders meet regularly to monitor any patterns or trends. Leaders make appropriate checks on new staff. They ensure that safeguarding is a focus for staff’s induction. 15 and 16 February 2022

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Pupils learn to keep themselves safe through the personal, social and health education curriculum. For example, local coastguards visit the school to talk to pupils about water safety. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. Leaders have prioritised teaching pupils about peer-on-peer abuse. Pupils are developing their understanding of such issues.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not planned the content and sequence of the curriculum well. Teachers are not clear about what pupils should know. As a result, they do not use the curriculum to help pupils to build knowledge incrementally. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in each subject is ambitious, well sequenced and identifies key knowledge so that pupils learn well over time.  Leaders have not assured themselves that the curriculum is being implemented as intended in all subject areas. As a result, pupils do not learn the planned curriculum in full. Leaders need to monitor the curriculum so that they have an accurate view of its effectiveness in helping pupils to know and remember more.  Some pupils with SEND do not consistently benefit from precisely planned support which meets their needs. Therefore, these pupils do not learn the curriculum as well as they could. Leaders, including those responsible for governance, must ensure that the

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

curriculum is implemented in such a way that it reliably meets the needs of pupils with SEND.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Christ Church Church of England Primary School, to be good in May 2017.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 15 and 16 February 2022

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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

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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. 15 and 16 February 2022

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School details

Website www.christchurchprimaryschool.org/

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Christ Church Church of England School is a voluntary aided school. The last section 48 inspection took place on 21 May 2019.  This school is part of the Kaleidoscope Multi Academy Trust.  The school has a breakfast club provision.  Christ Church Church of England School converted to become an academy school in September 2017. When its predecessor school, Christ Church Church of England School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged good overall.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject 15 and 16 February 2022

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leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the pastoral leader, curriculum leaders and the teaching and support staff.  The inspector met with the chair of trustees, the chief executive officer and members of the governing body.  The inspector spoke with the designated safeguarding leads. She considered the school’s recruitment procedures, staff’s induction and training, records of concern and engagement with external agencies. The inspector also spoke with staff and pupils.  The inspector considered responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. The inspector also took into consideration responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Donna Briggs, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 15 and 16 February 2022

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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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