Christ Church CofE Controlled Primary School and Nursery

Inspection of an outstanding school: Christ Church CofE Controlled Primary School and Nursery Claremont Road, Sparkbrook, Birmingham, West Midlands B11 1LF

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of outstanding as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Christ Church is a welcoming school serving a diverse community. Pupils typically state that ‘everyone is treated equally here’. Pupils, staff and governors have recently worked together to create a new vision for the school. This vision is becoming realised. Pupils understand and are beginning to embody the shared vision 'we love learning, we act responsibly, and we walk with pride and in excellence'.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has set high expectations for how pupils should behave. Pupils follow the school’s ‘diamond rules’. Earning positive rewards helps motivate pupils. They like earning points for good behaviour and receiving awards from staff. Pupils say they are happy and feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend a range of extra-curricular clubs, including cookery, knitting, netball and ballet lessons. They take part in a range of educational visits, including trips to a farm and the opera. Pupils particularly enjoy participating in outdoor education residential visits.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ achievements in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 are too low. New leaders show determination to improve standards across the whole curriculum. The school is taking swift and effective action to improve pupils’ achievement.

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

New leaders have swiftly identified the school's strengths and areas for improvement. They have begun by improving pupil's behaviour, devising a new curriculum and staff subject knowledge. The school has also started working in close partnership with a local 19 and 20 March 2024

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research school. Research-led projects include, for example, the teaching of spelling. This work is beginning to impact positively on the quality of the curriculum and pupils’ learning. Governors are knowledgeable about the school and the journey of improvement they are on. However, governors rely too much on senior leaders to provide information about the school’s strengths and weaknesses and do not consistently challenge the information they are given.

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The school has made sure that raising standards across the whole curriculum is a priority. Recently appointed subject leaders are being developed in their roles to take full responsibility for subject improvements. Staff are being equipped with the expertise to teach the curriculum well. This is beginning to have a positive impact on teaching and learning. However, the curriculum is in an early stage of implementation and improvements are not fully in place in all subject areas.

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Reading has recently become a top priority for the school. Effective plans are in place to improve the reading curriculum and teaching and learning of phonics. However, some staff teach the phonics programme inconsistently. The pace at which some staff deliver the phonics curriculum is slow and this means that the phonics programme is not delivered as the school intends. This affects pupil’s learning. Staff carry out regular phonics assessments. However effective catch-up programmes are not in place to support all pupils. This affects the progress that these pupils make. Leaders are aware and have started to address this.

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Children in the early years are well cared for. Relationships are nurturing. Leaders place a strong emphasis on early language development. Children enjoy listening to stories. They learn to take turns with others and play co-operatively in the outdoor area. This is supporting their social and emotional development well.

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The school works with a range of agencies to accurately identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff ensure that pupils receive the support they need.

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The school has a range of effective strategies for improving attendance. As result, pupils’ attendance is steadily improving.

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The school prioritises pupils’ wider development well. There is a clear vision for ensuring that pupils have wide experiences which become a reality. For example, pupils visited a local book shop to purchase books with World Book Day tokens. Pupils have opportunities to take part in competitive sports such as a gymnastics competition. Pupils value opportunities to take part in performing arts lessons.

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Pupils relish the leadership roles such as School Council. School Councillors have successfully worked with local town councillors to improve the local environment. This is a part of school life where pupils learn about being active citizens, making a positive difference to the world around them.

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The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school's curriculum is in an early stage of implementation. This means that there are some parts of the curriculum pupils know and remember in more depth than other parts. The school, including governors, should support and challenge leaders to ensure that curriculum improvements are secured, and that pupils' achievements improve.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 outstanding in November 2017.

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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.

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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 19 and 20 March 2024

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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). 19 and 20 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 November 2017

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Information about this school

 The school operates a breakfast club.  The school’s last section 48 inspection was in November 2023.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The lead inspector carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgment about the quality of a school’s education provision .  This was the first routine inspection the school has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The lead inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken this into account in her evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of school documents. These included information about pupils’ behaviour, attendance, the school’s curriculum and improvement planning. 19 and 20 March 2024

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 The lead inspector held meetings with the headteacher, subject leaders, governors, including the chair of the governing body, a representative from Birmingham Diocese and a representative from Birmingham Education Partnership.  The lead inspector focused on the following deep dives: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the lead inspector met with subject leaders, spoke to teachers, visited lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the lead 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 pupls’ interests first. The lead inspector met with the designated

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safeguarding leader. Pupils’ case files were reviewed. Records of checks on staff’s suitability to work with children were scrutinised.  The lead inspector met with staff to discuss their work and the support they receive to carry out their roles.  The lead inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text comments. The lead inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and pupil questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Emma Titchener, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 March 2024

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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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