Christ Church Church of England Controlled Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Christ Church Church of England Controlled Primary School Brookhill Road, Waterworks Street, Bootle, Merseyside L20 3JL

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Outcome

Christ Church Church of England Controlled Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy at this nurturing school, where everyone is valued and included. They understand that staff know them extremely well, take good care of them and keep them safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ expectations of how pupils behave are very high. Staff unfailingly model positive relationships and behaviour and pupils respond with courtesy and respect. Pupils told the inspector that leaders do not tolerate bullying and that they deal with unkind behaviour quickly, so that it does not happen again.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school motto, ‘Together we Can’, is evident in the strong team spirit, which permeates all aspects of school life. Leaders expect pupils to work hard. They give everyone the help that they need to achieve well, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

The vast majority of pupils benefit from attending several of the many and varied activities which staff provide beyond the classroom, including sport, art and music. Pupils of all ages enjoy taking on leadership roles, such as being the voice of their class on the school council. Those who are well established in the school enthusiastically welcome new pupils joining from other countries. They show a keen interest in learning about people who are different from themselves, including those from other religions, races and cultures.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum, which enables pupils, including those with SEND, to achieve well. They have thought carefully about how learning develops and fits together from the early years to the end of Year 6. As a result, in all subjects, 29 and 30 June 2023

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teachers know in detail what to teach and when to teach it. This means that they successfully build on what pupils already know and remember.

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Teachers have very good knowledge of the subjects that they teach. Effective training enhances their subject-specific teaching skills. Leaders use assessment information well to check if the curriculum is effective. Teachers regularly check what pupils know and remember and usually use this information to adapt future teaching. However, sometimes, teaching moves on too quickly before all pupils have embedded new knowledge. As a result, at times, a number of pupils spend too much time on tasks they cannot complete successfully.

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Teachers and teaching assistants undertake ongoing training in early reading. They teach the reading curriculum very effectively. They make sure that pupils, including children in the early years, read books which match their knowledge of letters and sounds. They choose activities and teaching resources which best meet pupils’ learning needs. Staff ensure that pupils who are not keeping up, including those with speech and language needs, receive targeted help, so that they catch up with their peers. Most pupils learn to read accurately and fluently.

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Staff encourage pupils to read widely and often. Pupils, including two-year-olds in the early years, enjoy listening to staff reading to them. Pupils spoke excitedly to the inspector about the many rewards that they receive for reading at home, including golden coins to buy books from the school’s vending machine.

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Leaders carefully identify the needs of pupils with SEND, using external specialists when needed. They allocate sufficient leadership, teaching time and training to ensure that these pupils have all the help that they need. Teachers expertly adapt the curriculum and resources, so that pupils with SEND successfully follow the same ambitious curriculum as their classmates. Leaders also ensure that there are no barriers to pupils with SEND participating in wider aspects of school life alongside their peers.

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Leaders have created a hub of experienced pastoral, SEND, attendance, safeguarding and welfare staff to form a highly effective ‘team around the child’. This joined-up approach contributes strongly to the safety, care, welfare and inclusion of vulnerable pupils and their families.

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Pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons and at social times. Staff make sure that children in the early years, including two-year-olds, settle in quickly and enjoy well- established routines. Leaders put in place appropriate strategies for pupils who have emotional and behavioural needs, so that lessons are orderly and proceed without interruption.

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Most pupils attend school regularly. However, despite the school’s considerable work with families, a significant minority of pupils are too often absent and so miss important learning and opportunities for wider development.

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Attendance at the exceptional array of free-of-charge activities, which staff provide before school, after school and at lunchtime, including that of pupils with SEND, is very good. 29 and 30 June 2023

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Leaders remove all barriers to attending these activities, including making sure that pupils from families with more than one child at the school can attend their chosen activities at the same time as their siblings. Pupils have many opportunities to undertake responsibilities, such as being eco-councillors and organising events for charity.

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Staff are very proud to work at this school. They know that leaders value their commitment and hard work. Leaders make sure that they take into account staff workload and well-being when making decisions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise all aspects of safeguarding. The allocation of staffing, time, accommodation and resources to this aspect of the school reflects the strong culture of safeguarding. Staff undertake regular training. They know how to spot the signs of neglect and abuse. Staff and pupils know how to report concerns. Leaders quickly respond to incidents and involve external agencies as appropriate. Parents, carers and pupils said that they know that there are always experienced and approachable staff in the hub should they need to talk to someone. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe from harm, including when using the internet. In an age-appropriate way, they learn about issues such as consent and healthy relationships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils are too often absent from school. This means that they do not benefit as much as they should from the good quality of education and wider opportunities for personal development that leaders provide. Leaders should strengthen their work with families to ensure that persistent absentees improve their attendance, so that they can reach their full academic and social potential.  In some subjects, at times teaching moves on too quickly without sufficiently embedding pupils’ knowledge and understanding. As a result, some pupils spend too much time attempting tasks unsuccessfully. Leaders should ensure that teaching consistently takes account of their agreed pedagogy, so that pupils consolidate learning well enough before moving on. 29 and 30 June 2023

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2018.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents 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. 29 and 30 June 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 and 23 May 2018, under Section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since September 2022, the headteacher has been part time, working three days per week. On the other two days, the deputy fulfils the headteacher’s role. When the headteacher retires in July 2023, the deputy will be full-time acting headteacher.  Christ Church Church of England Primary is a voluntary-controlled school within the Diocese of Liverpool.  The most recent section 48 inspection took place in May 2016.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders. She has taken this into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, science and physical education. For each deep dive, she held discussions with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, 29 and 30 June 2023

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spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and reviewed samples of work. She also observed pupils from Year 1 to Year 3 reading to familiar adults.  The inspector held discussions with the headteacher, other leaders and staff.  She had discussions with governors, including the chair of the governing body. She spoke to representatives of the local authority and the Diocese of Liverpool.  She spoke to several groups of pupils to gather their views of the school, including about behaviour and learning. She also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at social times.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. She also considered the responses to the Ofsted online survey for staff. As there were no responses to the Ofsted survey for pupils, she scrutinised the school’s own pupil surveys.  The inspector met with those responsible for safeguarding at the school. She

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scrutinised a range of documentation in relation to safeguarding. She also discussed safeguarding with governors, staff and pupils.  She considered a range of documentation provided by school leaders and staff. This included the school development plan, minutes of governing body meetings, headteacher’s reports and the leaders’ self-evaluation document.

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Inspection team

Liz Kelly, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 June 2023

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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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