Christ Church Church of England Primary School, Shooters Hill

Inspection of Christ Church Church of England Primary School, Shooters Hill Shooters Hill, London SE18 3RS

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 14 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 14 and 15 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong and supportive community at the heart of this small school. The values of Ubuntu (‘I am because we are’) are lived out by staff and pupils. Pupils are happy and safe here because they know that adults take care of them. Pupils are considerate of each other, and new pupils are made to feel welcome.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils’ learning. There is a strong reading curriculum. Pupils achieve well in most subjects. Leaders and staff are working hard to develop the curriculum in some other subjects so that pupils achieve the same high outcomes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides many opportunities for pupils to develop their learning further. It makes excellent use of the local woods, where younger pupils enjoy regular outdoor learning activities. Pupils of all ages benefit from a wide range of trips and clubs, including the popular chess, cookery and taekwondo clubs. Pupils are encouraged to develop their musical talents, with many learning to play musical instruments.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Older pupils are excellent role models for younger ones. Pupils take pride in their school and show great dedication in their roles of responsibility. Pupils make many positive contributions to their community, including volunteering and raising money for charitable causes.

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better?

The school has a carefully sequenced and ambitious curriculum in place for most subjects. For example, in art, leaders have carefully considered which techniques pupils will learn and which artists pupils will study. The curriculum has been designed to ensure that pupils have the building blocks they need to get better at art, for example in how pupils will develop their skills in painting so they can progress from poster paint to watercolour to mixed-media projects. Leaders have a clear plan in place to continue to develop some subjects further so that all subjects reflect leaders’ high ambitions.

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better?

Pupils are typically engaged in lessons and talk with enthusiasm about their learning. In physical education, pupils work well in small groups and are confident when demonstrating movements to their peers. Pupils learn how to work as a team and know that losing at sport is an opportunity for learning. They are taught the skills of cooperation. This allows younger pupils to help set up the equipment for lessons, and older pupils to encourage and support each other to do their best.

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better?

Staff know their pupils and families well. They are quick to identify pupils who may need additional support. Some staff receive additional training to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well and participate in wider activities along with their peers. 14 and 15 November 2023

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Behaviour in lessons and around the school is calm and orderly. Pupils know the behaviour system well and respond quickly to instructions. On occasion, teachers do not ensure that all pupils are ready for learning. Sometimes, teachers do not systematically check the understanding of a broad range of pupils. This means that some pupils are not as focused on their work as they could be.

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The school has an ambitious reading curriculum, and pupils experience a wide range of texts. Pupils are enthusiastic about reading and enjoy talking about the books they have read. The school has recently introduced a new scheme for teaching phonics. Teachers and staff have been trained to deliver the programme effectively. Teachers skilfully model new sounds for pupils. Regular assessment ensures that pupils who struggle with their reading are identified quickly and provided with the support they need in order to catch up. Pupils with SEND make good progress in learning to read, including those who are learning to read Braille.

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The school is highly ambitious for pupils’ personal development. Leaders have clear aims to develop confident, independent, global citizens. This is supported by a carefully sequenced curriculum for personal, social and health education that builds pupils’ knowledge of their physical and mental health in age-appropriate ways. Pupils have a strong understanding of equality issues and recognise the value of a diverse society. Pupils show empathy and compassion for others and have a mature understanding of the issues facing their community.

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Staff say that they feel part of a family here and that leaders take their well-being into account when planning changes. Staff have developed good channels of communication with parents and carers so that they understand what their child is learning and how they can support them at home. Pupils attend well at this school, and staff are quick to identify any absence. Appropriate support is put in place for families to help improve their child’s attendance at school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, curriculum end-points are not sufficiently clear or well defined. This means that sometimes, teachers are unclear about exactly what the crucial knowledge is that all pupils need to know at each stage in their learning. The school should ensure that all subjects are designed to build pupils’ knowledge sequentially over time towards clear and ambitious end-points.  Sometimes, teachers’ checks on pupils’ understanding are not as precise or targeted as they could be. This means that some pupils lack focus during lessons, and opportunities to identify misconceptions for some pupils are missed. The 14 and 15 November 2023

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school should ensure that teachers are systematically checking pupils’ understanding with precision.

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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.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 14 and 15 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 June 2009, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative providers.  The school is a Church of England primary school in the Diocese of Southwark. It had its most recent section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character in July 2019.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 14 and 15 November 2023

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 Inspectors met with school leaders. They also met with members of the governing body, the education adviser from the diocese and the local authority’s school improvement partner.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, physical education and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and

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Inspection team

Polly Haste, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Aliki Constantopoulou His Majesty’s Inspector 14 and 15 November 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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