Christ Church CofE (C) Primary School

Inspection of Christ Church CofE (C) Primary School Christ Church Lane, Lichfield, Staffordshire WS13 8AY

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Inspection dates: 17 and 18 October 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 17 and 18 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend this warm and welcoming school eagerly because they know staff care deeply for them and put their needs and interests first. Pupils say: ‘It feels like a second home. Teachers and children are really kind and caring.’ Pupils feel safe and happy in school because of this deeply nurturing environment. It is impressive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary at all points of the school day. They understand the school’s Christian values of care, respect, responsibility, risk taking, resilience, relationships, resourceful and being reflective. Pupils evidence these values in all they do. They understand that they are not just values for school but are values for life. Local shops reward pupils with ‘value tokens’ when they see them demonstrating these in the local community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high ambitions for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In most subjects, particularly the core subjects, this ambition is realised very well. The school provides lots of activities for pupils to enjoy, such as table football, trim trails, an all-weather court to play games on and table tennis. The reading bus is a quiet place for pupils who prefer a calmer breaktime and like to sit and read.

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better?

Pupils get off to a good start with reading and achieve very well. The vast majority keep up well with the school’s phonics programme. Books are carefully matched to the sounds pupils learn and help pupils to gain confidence and to read with fluency. A small number of pupils need extra support. Skilful identification of gaps in learning, followed by intensive, targeted support, helps them to catch up quickly. Language and communication are a high priority in Reception. The school’s actions to promote a love of reading are wide and varied. The school is flooded with high- quality texts that pupils can access with ease. Pupils benefit from a variety of different author visits. Authors from different backgrounds and from different times in history are celebrated in school. Pupils relish the opportunity to choose a book from the vending machine. They earn this privilege for demonstrating the love of reading that the school promotes so well. These all inspire pupils to read widely and

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better?

regularly. This also supports them to write well.

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better?

Pupils also achieve particularly well in writing and mathematics. Pupils remember number facts securely to help them solve more complex problems in mathematics. This starts in the early years. There are many opportunities for children to investigate numbers and number patterns through carefully chosen resources. Pupils’ impressive skills in reading, writing and mathematics ensure they are ready for their next stage of education. However, in some subjects, the school has not identified precisely enough how the knowledge pupils learn builds progressively over time. Clear links between learning are not precise enough to enable pupils to achieve the same high standard as they do in reading, writing and mathematics. 17 and 18 October 2023

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Pupils with SEND are identified quickly. The school supports these pupils in a variety of ways to ensure their needs are met effectively. This enables them to access the same curriculum as their peers. They achieve well because of this.

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Leaders provide an exceptional personal development offer for all pupils. They learn not to discriminate against others, such as by race, religion or gender. They have a very deep understanding of tolerance and respect. Pupils have many opportunities to speak to a variety of audiences. This includes giving presentations to the governing body and leading worship assemblies. These experiences help them develop into confident and articulate speakers. Pupils have a secure understanding of how to keep safe. This includes when online or when in the real world. The school encourages pupils to think about others who are not as fortunate as themselves. For example, pupils collect food donations for the local food bank. The wide variety of clubs, trips and residential stays enhance pupils’ enjoyment outside of the classroom.

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The school is held in high regard by parents. They recognise and value the high- quality education, care, support and guidance the pupils receive. Staff feel supported by the school and value the efforts to support their workload and well- being. Governors have a secure understanding of what the school does well. All work well together in the best interest of the pupils. It is a harmonious place to be.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects, the school has not identified precisely enough how knowledge builds over time. This means that, in these subjects, pupils do not build up their knowledge as well as they might. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is coherently planned and sequenced in all subjects so that pupils successfully build their knowledge cumulatively over time.

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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. 17 and 18 October 2023

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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). 17 and 18 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website https://www.christchurch- lichfield.staffs.sch.uk/ Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 June 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average primary school.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast club and after-school wraparound care.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, assistant headteachers and subject leaders.  The lead inspector spoke on the telephone with the school improvement partner. 17 and 18 October 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, English, geography and history. For each deep dive, inspectors 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 inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work in a range of subjects including science, religious education, art and design, modern foreign languages, design and technology, and personal, social, health and economic education.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body (including the chair) and pupils and staff.  Inspectors spoke to parents on the school playground.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons at different times of the day and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They spoke formally with groups of pupils, as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around school.

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 The lead inspector met with leaders regarding the school’s safeguarding procedures. Inspectors reviewed policies and records relating to safeguarding and attendance. Inspectors spoke to pupils and staff about pupils’ safety.  The inspectors reviewed a wide range of documents, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plans and information on the school’s website.  The inspectors talked informally with pupils and staff to gather general information about school life. In addition, they took account of the responses to Ofsted’s surveys of staff’s, pupils’ and parents’ views.

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Inspection team

Keri Baylis, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Vanessa Payne Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 October 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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