Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend

Inspection of Christ Church, Church of England Infant School, Downend Christchurch Avenue, Downend, Bristol, BS16 5TG

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Inspection dates: 29 to 30 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 Good 29–30 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values, which include friendship, courage and thankfulness, are at the heart of everything that happens at Christ Church, Church of England Infant School. As a result, pupils are eager to share their learning and understand how to treat one another with respect. Parents are overwhelmingly positive. They feel that the school is a caring community where every pupil is valued as an individual.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know the school rules and routines well. They understand how these rules help them to be ready to learn. Adults reward good behaviour and manners. Pupils enjoy earning ‘paw prints’ when they behave well. In the early years, children take turns and follow instructions well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They enjoy school. Staff take time to form respectful and positive relationships with pupils. As a result, pupils trust adults to listen to them with any worries they have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school plans a variety of trips and opportunities, such as visiting a local farm and theatre, to deepen pupils’ knowledge. Pupils understand how their responsibilities, such as becoming members of the ‘GLOW’ team, eco club or school council, enable them to feel part of a team.

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better?

The school has high expectations for what all pupils can achieve. An ambitious curriculum has been designed well to include all pupils’ needs. For example, in mathematics, the curriculum carefully considers the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. It is sequenced so that pupils build their understanding well from the early years to Year 2. Pupils benefit from this. Children in the early years develop their understanding of number patterns. Older pupils build on this strong start. They confidently use the mathematical knowledge they have learned before to compare 2d shapes. As a result, pupils progress well through the curriculum.

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better?

A love of reading is visible across the school. Pupils enjoy listening to stories in class. They talk about how their books help them to understand the importance of treating people equally. Children learn to read from the start of Reception Year. Staff use the training the receive to teach the school’s phonics programme well. Pupils who fall behind quickly receive the help they need to catch up. As pupils move through the school, they read a range of texts with increasing fluency and accuracy.

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better?

In most subjects, teachers check carefully what pupils know and offer appropriate challenge to deepen their knowledge further. However, in some subjects, the impact of these checks is less clear. In geography for example, while children in the early years confidently create and follow simple maps, some older pupils struggle to use their geographical knowledge to describe the human and physical features of a place. This hampers the progress that some pupils make. 29–30 November 2023

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. There are clear systems in place to identify the needs of these pupils. The school works closely with external agencies to support pupils’ needs. Most learning is adapted effectively. As a result, pupils with SEND enjoy the same opportunities as their peers and play an active role in the life of the school.

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Pupils enjoy their learning. They persevere when they find things difficult. Children in the early years respond well to the clear routines that are in place. They sustain their attention well with the activities they choose. Pupils of all ages play happily during social times. They are keen to enjoy the outdoor space available to them.

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The school has a high focus on attendance. The procedures to manage attendance are consistently applied. The school supports families where attendance is an issue. As a result, pupils arrive to school on time and attend school regularly.

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Pupils’ personal development is exemplary. The school provides pupils with a wide range of opportunities which align closely to the school’s values. Pupils talk confidently about fundamental British values such as democracy. They have a mature understanding of how people are different and why it is important to treat everyone equally. Pupils develop their character by raising money for charities or by creating planters in the local community. Pupils are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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The governing body knows the school well. They provide appropriate challenge and support. Governors carry out their statutory duties effectively, including those that relate to safeguarding. Staff enjoy working at the school and work well together. They appreciate the way in which the school prioritises their workload and well- being. Staff benefit from an ongoing cycle of high-quality training. They develop their subject knowledge and expertise well because of this.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The checks on pupils’ knowledge and understanding across the curriculum are not yet fully effective. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and do not build their knowledge well enough. The school need to ensure that teachers check what pupils know and remember across all subjects and use this to inform or adapt future learning. 29–30 November 2023

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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). 29–30 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.christchurchinfants.co.uk

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 14 to 15 September 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Bristol. The last section 48 inspection took place in March 2017, where the school was judged to be good.  There have been some changes to the structure of the governing body since the last inspection.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) 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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, staff, pupils, and representatives from the governing body. The 29–30 November 2023

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lead inspector also held telephone discussions with representatives from the local authority, Diocese as well the school’s external improvement partner.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, looked at samples of pupils’ work and spoke to pupils about their learning.  Inspector spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1 and 2 read to an adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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 observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.

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Additionally, the inspector spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Ben Jordan, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Richard Vaughan Ofsted Inspector 29–30 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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