Christ Church (Church of England) Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Christ Church (Church of England) Infant and Nursery School Shaw Lane, Tettenhall Wood, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV6 8EL

p.1

Outcome

Christ Church (Church of England) Infant and Nursery School 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.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Christ Church feel happy and enjoy school. There is a strong sense of pastoral care across the school, which reflects the school’s Christian values. A comment made by a parent was shared by many others: ‘The Nursery provides pupils with a super start to a child’s learning, teaching them important values of caring, cooperating and loving one another.’

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils meet leaders’ high expectations for behaviour. Teachers make sure that pupils follow the school rules, but also support pupils who need help to manage their own behaviour. The school is therefore a calm and orderly place in which to learn. Pupils say that bullying does not worry them. They know that leaders will respond to any incidents of bullying and take effective action. Parents and carers know that their child is safe in school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are highly ambitious for what pupils can achieve. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. Pupils thrive academically and socially. Pupils’ experiences are broadened by trips and visitors in school. For example, pupils took part in a music workshop, and a local author came into school to share her book with the pupils. Pupils value these experiences.

p.1

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

All pupils, including those with SEND, study a wide range of subjects alongside their peers. Leaders make sure that subjects are planned and sequenced well. As a result, teachers are clear about what to teach and when to teach it. The things pupils learn build on what they have learned before. Leaders have created an environment in which pupils 2 and 3 March 2023

p.1

2

enjoy learning. They speak with enthusiasm about school. ‘I love maths,’ was a view shared by many pupils.

p.2

2

Adults use a variety of ways to check pupils’ learning. For example, they use questioning well in lessons to check pupils’ understanding and deepen their knowledge. However, occasionally, in some lessons, the work set for a few pupils is too easy. This limits their progress.

p.2

2

Children get off to a good start in Nursery. Adults are highly attentive and know how to support all children effectively. Leaders check whether children in early years and pupils in the rest of the school need extra support. They make sure that pupils who require more help get it. Staff seek specialist advice from external agencies when needed. For example, the speech and language therapist gives advice about how to meet pupils’ additional needs. Teachers and teaching assistants use this advice well to plan additional support for those who need it. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

p.2

2

Leaders have successfully prioritised reading. All classrooms have a reading area. Leaders have purchased more books for pupils to take home to read. This means that pupils have a wider choice of books to read that match their reading ability. Children in Nursery quickly develop a love of reading. Adults base children’s learning around different stories each week, such as ‘The Three Little Pigs’. A highly effective reading programme is in place. Staff receive regular, useful training on how to deliver the programme. Leaders check how well pupils are reading. They put appropriate support in place if needed. Consequently, pupils are developing into confident, fluent readers.

p.2

2

Leaders provide many high-quality opportunities for pupils’ moral, social and cultural development. Very clear routines and structures help children to settle well into early years. Adults teach children how to take turns and share toys. They play well together and are caring towards each other. For example, children help each other to put on their coats before they go outside. These high expectations for pupils’ conduct continue throughout the school. Pupils live up to these expectations. Behaviour at all times is good. Little learning time is lost.

p.2

2

Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. For example, they celebrate Diwali and the links with a school in Kenya is helping pupils to learn about life in different cultures. Leaders teach pupils how to be responsible, active citizens by raising money for charity.

p.2

2

Governors are highly committed to ensuring that the school continues to improve and that pupils achieve well. They provide leaders with an appropriate balance of support and challenge. Governors make sure that pupils have a well-resourced environment in which to learn. Governors and leaders consider staff workload and well-being. Governors check on the well-being of senior leaders. Senior leaders in turn check on the staff. As a result, staff feel valued and respected. All staff are proud to work at the school.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 2 and 3 March 2023

p.2

3

Leadership of safeguarding is strong. Staff report concerns, confident in the knowledge that leaders will take effective action. Leaders make sure that staff have regular training. The school completes all the appropriate checks on all adults who work at or visit the school.

p.3

3

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe through lessons and visitors who come into school to speak to them. For example, when working online, pupils know that they need to check with an adult first before they go to a new website. As a result, pupils say that they feel safe.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, in some lessons, the work set for a few pupils is too easy. This hinders these pupils in achieving their full potential. Leaders need to ensure that teachers use assessment consistently well across all subjects to plan learning activities that are precisely matched to pupils’ ability.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

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

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 2 and 3 March 2023

p.3

4

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. 2 and 3 March 2023

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10212451 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Website www.christchurchfederation.co.uk

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 1 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 In September 2018, Christ Church (Church of England) Infant and Nursery School joined together with Christ Church (Church of England) Junior School to form Christ Church Federation. The headteacher of the junior school was appointed as executive headteacher for both schools. A head of school and assistant headteacher were appointed at the infant and nursery school.  The assistant headteacher was acting as head of school at the time of the inspection.  A diocesan inspection to evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of the school as a Church of England school took place in May 2017. Such inspections take place approximately every five years.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school has an after-school club operating on the site. This provision is managed by the school.  The school has a nursery that admits three-year-olds. 2 and 3 March 2023

p.5

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher, the head of school, the acting head of school and other leaders. She also held meetings with members of the governing body (including the chair), a representative of the local authority, staff and pupils.  The inspector spoke on the telephone with a representative of the diocese.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and religious education. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject 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 also looked at pupils’ work in history and listened to pupils read.

p.6

Information about this inspection

 The inspector talked to pupils and staff at unstructured times during the day.  The inspector talked to parents at the school gate.  The inspector evaluated a range of school documents and looked at information on the school’s website.  The inspector checked the single central record of checks on adults in school and met with the school’s safeguarding leaders.  The inspector reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and considered the responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

p.6

Inspection team

Lesley Yates, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 March 2023

p.6

7

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.7

7

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.7

7

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.7

7

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

p.7

7

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

p.7