Christ Church CofE Primary School

Inspection of Christ Church CofE Primary School Church Street, Walshaw, Bury, Lancashire BL8 3AX

p.1

Inspection dates: 22 and 23 November 2022

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 22 and 23 November 2022

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Christ Church CofE Primary School is a happy and welcoming school. Pupils and children in the early years settle in well and quickly make new friends.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that there are trusted adults to talk to. Leaders and staff swiftly deal with any concerns, including bullying, effectively. Through the curriculum, pupils learn about the importance of looking after their emotional health and well-being. They are happy and safe.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils, both for their learning and behaviour. Pupils live up to these expectations. They achieve well. Pupils’ conduct embodies the school rules. They strive to be ready, safe, polite and kind. Pupils behave well and concentrate in lessons. Children in the early years are keen to share with each other and to take turns.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this school. They enjoy taking part in the wide variety of extra-curricular opportunities that leaders and staff provide. They value being members of the school choir. Pupils also enjoy representing the school in various sports teams.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff know their pupils and families well. There is a strong ethos of mutual respect and support. Parents and carers, who shared their views with inspectors, spoke very positively about the school. They appreciate the varied and engaging activities that leaders and staff provide.

p.2

better?

Leaders have developed an ambitious and rich curriculum which meets the needs of pupils effectively, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders and staff have worked together to identify the key knowledge that pupils will learn from the early years to the end of Year 6. They have also thought carefully about the order that pupils will learn this content, so that it is introduced in a logical order.

p.2

better?

Teachers value the training that leaders provide across a range of subjects. As a result, teachers explain new concepts to pupils clearly. Teachers use assessment well during lessons. They check pupils’ understanding and address misconceptions successfully.

p.2

better?

In a small number of subjects, leaders are enhancing their systems for checking how well pupils remember key concepts in the longer term. Teachers report that they would welcome further subject-specific training in these subjects.

p.2

better?

Leaders quickly identify any pupils with SEND. They provide effective and timely support. As a result, most pupils, including those with SEND, learn well. They are fully involved in different aspects of school life. 22 and 23 November 2022

p.2

3

Staff make sure that children in the Nursery class begin to learn about sounds in the environment. This helps them to be ready to learn about the connection between letters and sounds as soon as they start in the Reception class.

p.3

3

Staff provide engaging opportunities to foster a love of reading. Children across the early years love to listen and join in with rhymes and songs. Leaders have implemented a new phonics programme which introduces children and pupils to sounds in a logical sequence. Staff deliver the phonics programme well.

p.3

3

However, some pupils who struggle to learn to read, do not read books which are well matched to the sounds they are learning in class. Leaders do not make sure that these pupils are fully secure in previously taught sounds before moving on to new learning. This hampers the progress of these pupils.

p.3

3

By the end of key stage 2, most pupils read with confidence and expression. They have positive attitudes to their reading. Pupils spoke fondly about a visit from a local author. The youngest children also told inspectors how much they look forward to weekly mystery reader visits.

p.3

3

Pupils try their best to live up to leaders’ high expectations of them. Pupils usually learn without interruption. They enjoy their breaktimes and play well together.

p.3

3

Leaders make sure that children and pupils experience a wide range of activities to develop their understanding of the wider world. This begins in the early years, where children celebrate different festivals such as Diwali. Pupils also learn about the cultural and historical significance of events such as Remembrance Sunday.

p.3

3

Leaders place a strong emphasis on pupils’ emotional welfare. Pupils spoke knowledgeably to inspectors about a new mental health initiative. They talked about how it is supporting them to develop their resilience and well-being.

p.3

3

Pupils value the many jobs that they are given. They are proud to take on roles such as school ambassadors. The older pupils particularly enjoy acting as buddies for the younger children.

p.3

3

Governors and trustees know the school well. They keep a watchful eye on the school’s budget to make sure that money is well spent. Leaders, governors and trustees are mindful of staff’s well-being and work-life balance. Staff said that leaders take positive action to reduce staff workload as much as possible.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders, trustees and local academy partners make sure that all staff access regular training on a range of safeguarding issues. Staff know what action to take if they have any worries about pupils’ well-being or safety. Leaders and staff are highly alert 22 and 23 November 2022

p.3

4

to any change in a pupil’s behaviour or demeanour. They respond quickly to any concerns.

p.4

4

Leaders and staff engage well with a range of external agencies to provide pupils and their families with the support they need. Through the curriculum, pupils are taught about different aspects of safety, such as how to use the internet appropriately.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders are in the process of providing staff with more regular subject-specific training to develop their knowledge and confidence further. Leaders should check the impact of this training, so that they are assured these changes are making a positive difference to pupils’ learning in the longer term.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders are enhancing their systems for checking how well pupils are remembering key concepts in the longer term. This means that leaders and teachers cannot be certain that pupils have understood and retained important knowledge over time. Leaders should make sure that these refinements to assessment methods are used consistently well so that teachers can check that pupils’ learning is secure.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some younger pupils who find reading difficult lack confidence and fluency when reading. This hampers their progress. Leaders should ensure that these pupils are secure with previously taught sounds. They should also make sure that pupils read regularly from books which are well matched to the sounds they are learning, so that they become fluent and confident readers by the end of key stage 1.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 22 and 23 November 2022

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.5

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. 22 and 23 November 2022

p.5

School details

Inspection number 10199390 Type of school Primary

p.6

School details

Chair of local academy committee Katherine Ashworth

p.6

School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.6

Information about this school

 Christ Church CofE Primary School converted to become an academy school in June 2017. When its predecessor school, Christ Church CofE (Aided) Primary, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding.  Since the last inspection, the school has become part of the Christ Church CE Multi-Academy Trust.  Leaders provide a breakfast club and an after-school club.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision. 22 and 23 November 2022

p.6

Information about this inspection

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

p.7

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with leaders, discussed curriculums, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and reviewed samples of pupils’ work. An inspector also observed pupils from Years 1 to Year 3 reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also considered other subjects on the school’s curriculum. Inspectors talked to the leaders who lead these subjects. They also spoke with pupils about their learning in these subjects.  Inspectors held discussions with the trust leader, the headteacher, other leaders and staff. The lead inspector spoke to trustees and the chair of local academy

p.7

Information about this inspection

committee. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority and the diocese.  Inspectors spoke with different groups of pupils to gather their views of the school, including their behaviour and learning. Inspectors also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at playtimes.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses. They spoke to several parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.  Inspectors met with those responsible for safeguarding at the school. They scrutinised a range of documentation in relation to safeguarding. Inspectors spoke with a local academy partner, staff, parents and pupils about safeguarding.  Inspectors also considered a range of documentation provided by school leaders and staff. This included the school development plan, minutes of local academy

p.7

Information about this inspection

committee meetings, headteacher reports and the leaders’ self-evaluation document.

p.7

Inspection team

Louise McArdle, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

p.7

Inspection team

Christopher McDonald Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 November 2022

p.7

8

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.

p.8

8

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.8

8

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.8

8

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.8

8

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.8