Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend

Inspection of a good school: Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend Christchurch Avenue, Downend, Bristol BS16 5TG

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 September 2022

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Outcome

Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a graded (section 5) inspection now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Christ Church Infant School is a welcoming and caring place to learn. Leaders have high expectations of what all pupils can achieve. Pupils enjoy school and thrive on the rich experiences they are offered. All parents who shared their views are delighted with the school. Typical comments include, ‘I cannot commend the school highly enough’ and ‘It really feels like being part of a big family.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pastoral provision is exceptionally strong. Staff form supportive partnerships with pupils and their families. Pupils feel safe at school and say that adults take good care of them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are excellent role models. They are kind and respectful. Pupils know what it means to be a good friend. They reflect on the importance of welcoming Ukrainian refugees into their community. Leaders provide pupils with a wide range of experiences to support their wider development. These include gardening, dance and musical theatre.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know what is expected of them. As a result, their behaviour is very positive. Pupils listen carefully and become absorbed in their learning. Throughout the school, there is a purposeful buzz of activity. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They are confident that adults would sort any problems out if they arose.

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

Leaders, at all levels, are enthusiastic and dedicated. They engage with and support staff exceptionally well. Staff are highly motivated and proud to work at the school. They have high aspirations for all pupils. Pupils are strongly encouraged to have pride in their 14 and 15 September 2022

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achievements. Pupils learn to say, ‘I am an author’ and ‘I am an engineer.’ The school’s values are central to their work.

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Leaders have designed an ambitious and exciting curriculum. They have carefully thought about what pupils must learn in each subject and when, including in the early years. Planned learning ignites pupils’ interest and they concentrate well. For example, children in the early years eagerly search for coded messages hidden outside. Staff use assessment well to check how well pupils are doing. They adapt learning when necessary. As a result, pupils build on what they know and can do across the curriculum.

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Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exceptionally strong because they have a thirst for learning. They listen to others’ ideas with maturity and respect. Pupils’ behaviour enables them to apply themselves to their work. Pupils can confidently explain what they are learning. Low-level disruption is extremely rare.

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Leaders provide extremely effective additional teaching for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers successfully.

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Leaders inspire pupils to develop a love of reading. Children learn to read as soon as they start school and are given regular opportunities to practise. This helps pupils to develop their fluency and vocabulary, as well as develop their comprehension skills. Adults read to pupils, which sparks pupils’ enthusiasm for reading. Pupils listen in awe when adults read to them from books, such as ‘Matilda’ and ‘The Boy at the Back of the Class’. Pupils have a wide range of books to choose from. They readily share books in the library and the reading tepee. Staff provide well-planned, extra support to help pupils who struggle to read. This helps them to catch up quickly, so they develop into confident and fluent readers.

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The mathematics curriculum is coherently sequenced, so pupils develop the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. For instance, children in the early years count spots on dominoes and match them to numbers. Pupils regularly practise and apply what they have learned. Year 1 pupils confidently use number lines to find out ‘one more’ and ‘one less’ and can write the corresponding calculation. Year 2 pupils use their knowledge of place value to compare numbers, using the symbols for ‘greater than’ and ‘less than’. Pupils enjoy undertaking tasks of increasing complexity to consolidate what they have learned. However, opportunities for pupils to solve problems are not as consistently embedded in the curriculum.

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Leaders ensure the provision for pupils’ wider development is highly effective. For example, in music lessons, pupils made a soundtrack to go with a ‘Toy Story’ animation. Pupils in the choir were proud to represent the school when they sang at the Jubilee celebrations. Pupils are thrilled to have the chance to play in a rock band. They enjoy becoming ‘Mudpie Explorers’, where they learn to climb trees and make campfires. Pupils can join sports clubs, such as gymnastics and football. 14 and 15 September 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise safeguarding. Staff are well trained to recognise when a pupil may be at risk. Staff refer and record concerns promptly. Leaders do not hesitate to seek the support of outside agencies when families need their help. They meticulously record their actions and routinely check that these are making a difference. Parents are confident that pupils are safe. The curriculum teaches pupils how to keep safe. For example, pupils learn about firework safety, drug awareness and how to use the internet safely.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Problem-solving opportunities are not consistently embedded in the mathematics curriculum. This means that pupils do not routinely have the chance to practise and apply what they know to reason and solve mathematical problems. Leaders and staff must ensure that problem-solving opportunities are carefully planned so pupils can consolidate their knowledge and skills and improve their fluency in mathematics.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2012.

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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 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. 14 and 15 September 2022

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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 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 April 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Christ Church Infant School is a Church of England school. Its last Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) took place in 2017, where it received a good judgement.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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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 consideration in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator.  The inspector held a meeting with a group of governors and held a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector did deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons jointly with leaders, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about 14 and 15 September 2022

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their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also spoke to leaders about curriculum planning in other subjects.  The inspector reviewed the school’s safeguarding records and checked the school’s single central record. They discussed safeguarding arrangements with designated safeguarding leaders. The inspector also spoke to pupils and adults about safety.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at various times of the day, including break and lunchtime.  The inspector spoke to pupils, staff and parents to gather their views of the school. They reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, along with additional free-text comments. The inspector considered responses to the staff survey and to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Catherine Beeks, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 September 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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