Christ The King Catholic Primary School

Inspection of Christ The King Catholic Primary School Warren Farm Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham, West Midlands B44 0QN

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

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since October 2014. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 7 and 8 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud of their caring and nurturing school. Staff, pupils, parents and carers agree that Christ the King is a close-knit family, where everyone is valued and supported. This sense of belonging encourages mutual respect and a strong community spirit, with pupils consistently demonstrating kindness and acceptance towards one another. Pupils behave exceptionally well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have highly positive attitudes to learning and enjoy attending school. Disadvantaged pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are placed at the forefront of the school’s ambition for all pupils to succeed. Staff have the highest expectations of what pupils can achieve. By the end of key stage 2, pupils achieve high standards in English and mathematics. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for their next stages of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has thought very carefully about the visits, visitors and experiences pupils encounter. Every pupil has a rich set of opportunities during their time at the school, including residential trips and days at the seaside and museums. These broaden their experience of the wider world. Pupils benefit from many chances to extend their talents and interests through a wide range of clubs, such as drama, cooking and sports.

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

Highly effective leaders have created a culture of success and high ambition. Staff focus on helping all pupils to reach their potential regardless of capability or background. The school has identified the important information and vocabulary that it wants pupils to learn in each subject. Pupils learn this knowledge in well-ordered steps from the early years to Year 6. Teachers ensure that activities build on previous learning. For example, pupils use skills they learn in yoga sessions to create imaginative dance routines in physical education.

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

Well-trained and enthusiastic teachers present new information clearly. They ask careful questions and use regular review sessions to give pupils the opportunity to practise what they have learned. This helps pupils to know and remember more. Staff check pupils’ learning and resolve misconceptions promptly. Classroom routines for learning are well established. This means that no time is wasted and even the youngest children settle quickly to their work. However, the school does not always identify what it wants children to learn from some independent activities in the early years. This means that some children could miss opportunities to develop important skills.

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

The school quickly identifies pupils with SEND. When necessary, it seeks external resources and advice to ensure appropriate and highly effective support is given. These pupils feel well supported and are proud of the exceptional progress they make.

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

Children get off to a strong start in the lively and happy early years classes. Adults quickly build warm relationships with parents and children. Staff take every opportunity to engage children in meaningful discussion and to introduce carefully chosen new 7 and 8 January 2025

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vocabulary. Children become curious, independent and confident individuals with positive attitudes to learning. From the start of the Reception Year, children learn phonics from expert teachers. The school provides books that help pupils practise the sounds they are learning. Teachers check how well pupils are progressing through the reading programme. Pupils who need help to improve their reading benefit from effective support and catch up quickly.

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There is a well-established culture of high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils consistently meet these expectations. As a result, the school is calm and orderly. Pupils remain engaged throughout lessons and are motivated to do well because they are interested in their learning. Pupils exhibit wonderful manners and are bursting with pride when talking about the school to visitors.

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The school places great importance on pupils’ wider development and the programme for personal development is exceptional. Leaders have crafted a carefully designed programme that not only broadens pupils’ experiences but also promotes confidence and resilience. Pupils understand how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. They can talk about ways of supporting their own mental health and have strategies to calm themselves, persevere and concentrate when needed. Pupils feel safe to make mistakes and learn from them, knowing they have strong support to help them along the way. The school fosters an environment where diversity is celebrated, helping pupils develop empathy and a deeper understanding of the world around them.

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Leaders care about the well-being of staff and are dedicated to supporting them to develop their professional skills. As a result, staff are proud to work here. They appreciate the school’s efforts to manage their workload. These help them to focus on teaching well. Well-informed and ambitious governors have secure oversight of the school’s work. They check this regularly and provide effective challenge and support.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The intended learning outcomes for some activities in continuous provision in early years are not always clear. As a result, children gain little new knowledge from some of these activities. The school should ensure that intended learning for each activity is identified and communicated to all staff so that they can ensure children are engaged in meaningful learning throughout the early years setting. 7 and 8 January 2025

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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 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). 7 and 8 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Clare Gutteridge

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 October 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in June 2019. The school’s next section 48 inspection is due to take place within the prescribed period.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school 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.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 7 and 8 January 2025

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 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.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, assistant headteachers, curriculum leaders and the special educational needs coordinator.  The lead inspector met remotely with governors, including the chair of the governing body. She also spoke with a representative of the archdiocese and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans, records of governance and documentation relating to attendance and pupils’ behaviour.  The inspectors spoke with groups of staff and took account of views shared through

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the staff survey.  During the inspection, inspectors met with groups of pupils both formally and during less structured parts of the day.  The inspectors took account of responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. An inspector spoke informally with parents at the end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Corinne Biddell, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Gilbert Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 January 2025

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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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