Christ Church CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Christ Church CofE Primary School Crawley Way, Off Denton Lane, Chadderton, Oldham OL9 9ED

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2022

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Outcome

Christ Church CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Christ Church CofE Primary School is a welcoming and happy school. Pupils, and children in the early years, are polite and friendly. They respect differences between people. Pupils get on well with one another. They enjoy coming to school and feel safe. Staff deal with any rare incidents of bullying effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff expect all pupils to achieve highly and behave well. In lessons, pupils listen attentively. They are keen to learn. This helps them to achieve well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of activities to broaden their experiences. For example, pupils described the many interesting trips available, including to the local library, theatre and an outdoor activity centre. Pupils enjoy learning to play musical instruments, such as the violin and glockenspiel. They learn to cook and take part in many extra-curricular clubs, including ballroom dancing and sports.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take pleasure in playing an active and responsible role in the life of the school, such as being house captains, school ambassadors and members of the eco club. Members of the school choir spoke excitedly about their performance at a local supermarket, where they raised money for charity.

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

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is suitably ambitious for all pupils, including children in the early years. Leaders have carefully identified the important subject knowledge that they want children and pupils to learn from the early years to Year 6. Leaders have designed subject curriculums so that pupils can build their knowledge in a logical order. Children in the early years are well prepared for the demands of Year 1. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well across a range of subjects. 13 and 14 December 2022

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Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They use their expertise well to explain new ideas and concepts clearly to pupils. In the main, teachers successfully use a range of assessment strategies to check on what pupils remember. In most subjects, teachers make sure that pupils’ learning builds on what they already know and can do. However, in a very small number of subjects, teachers do not check carefully enough that pupils’ knowledge is secure before they move on to new learning. When this happens, some pupils do not learn as well as they should.

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Leaders ensure that reading is a high priority. Children start to learn phonics as soon as they start in the Reception class. Children and pupils read books that help them to practise the sounds that they have learned. Most children and pupils use their phonic knowledge well to read accurately and fluently. Well-trained staff provide effective support for weaker readers. This helps these pupils to catch up quickly.

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Pupils have a wealth of opportunities to read widely and often. Staff encourage pupils to read high-quality stories and non-fiction books in the classroom and around school. This helps to foster pupils’ love of reading.

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Leaders identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND swiftly. Staff use appropriate strategies to enable these pupils to access the same learning as their peers. This helps pupils with SEND to learn successfully. Pupils with SEND are involved in all aspects of school life.

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Staff develop positive relationships with pupils. Leaders and staff establish clear routines which pupils follow diligently. Pupils can concentrate on their work because lessons are rarely disrupted. Pupils behave extremely well in the dining hall. For example, they learn the value of good manners when eating their lunch.

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Leaders place a strong focus on supporting pupils’ well-being. Leaders ensure that the curriculums to promote pupils’ personal development contain many opportunities to develop their confidence and resilience. Pupils learn about other faiths and cultures and visit different places of worship. They spoke knowledgably about British values, such as democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Staff feel valued and are proud to work at the school. They said that leaders are mindful of their workload and well-being. Governors support and challenge leaders effectively. This is helping to bring about further improvements in the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff receive appropriate and regular safeguarding training. They provide regular updates to staff about safeguarding issues. Staff know how to spot the signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm. They know what to do if they have a concern about a pupil’s welfare. 13 and 14 December 2022

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Leaders work well with a range of external agencies to secure appropriate and timely support for pupils and their families when necessary.

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Leaders and staff teach pupils how to manage risks and to keep themselves safe in school and in the local community. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In one or two subjects, teachers do not check carefully enough that pupils’ learning is secure before moving them on to new learning. This prevents some pupils from building up their knowledge as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that teachers are well equipped to check that pupils’ knowledge is secure before introducing new topics and concepts.

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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 December 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.

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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. 13 and 14 December 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240164 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Heather Burtonwood

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England primary school. The most recent section 48 inspection was in May 2017. It is part of the Diocese of Manchester.  School leaders do not make use of 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 his evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and staff. The inspector also spoke with members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and a representative of the diocese.  The inspector spoke to pupils about their experience of school life and their views on behaviour and bullying. The inspector also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes. 13 and 14 December 2022

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 The inspector reviewed a wide range of evidence, including leaders’ self-evaluation document, improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings and records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  The inspector checked the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures and the single central record. The inspector met with leaders, staff and pupils to check how effective safeguarding is in the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, geography and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector observed pupils reading to familiar staff.  The inspector also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey,

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including the free-text responses. The inspector spoke with parents and carers before the start of the school day to gather their views.  The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Ahmed Marikar, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 December 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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