Christ Church CofE Primary School, Pennington

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Christ Church CofE Primary School, Pennington West Bridgewater Street, Pennington, Leigh, Lancashire WN7 4HB

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 January 2025

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Outcome

Christ Church CofE Primary School, Pennington has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school, particularly the inclusive environment which is welcoming to all and nurtures pupils’ individuality. The school’s values of forgiveness, love, hope and trust are at the heart of everything it does. There are strong relationships between pupils, families and staff. Pupils are polite and well mannered. They speak confidently and articulately with visitors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for the achievement of pupils. Pupils benefit from effective personal, social and emotional support. This contributes to how well they achieve. The majority of pupils display positive attitudes towards their learning. They enjoy coming to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Classrooms are settled and calm. This allows pupils to do their best in lessons. Lunchtimes can sometimes be a little less settled, but the school is working to address this. The school provides effective support to the few pupils who struggle to manage their behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand equality and diversity. They revel in their many responsibilities, including as members of the school or sports councils. Through these roles, pupils help to shape the school’s work in the community. For example, they select the school’s nominated charities and raise funds through a range of activities and events. A wide variety of visits and extra-curricular activities enhance pupils’ learning across the curriculum. 28 and 29 January 2025

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has reviewed some curriculum subjects. This has provided greater clarity for staff about the content of the curriculum and how best to deliver it. There is now a consistent approach to the design of the curriculum from the early years to Year 6. These decisions have been effective. Standards are improving. Most pupils achieve well. However, in some subjects and some year groups across the school, the implementation of the curriculum is inconsistent. In these year groups and subjects, teaching approaches do not enable pupils to build and deepen their knowledge consistently well. As a result, pupils cannot always recall key information. In contrast, where curriculum implementation is more effective, staff follow the intended sequence of learning well. In these subjects, staff check pupils’ learning effectively. This helps them to identify and address any gaps or misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge. This ensures that

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

pupils are ready to move on to new learning.

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

The school prioritises reading. In the early years, children have opportunities to listen to stories and rhymes that develop their vocabulary. Staff deliver the well-ordered phonics programme effectively. They make sure that children in the early years, and pupils in key stage 1, read books that include the sounds that they have already learned. Staff are swift to spot any pupils who are not keeping up with the programme and help them to catch up quickly. Older pupils develop effective reading habits. They read confidently with both fluency and expression.

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

The school has effective systems in place to identify the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school works closely with parents, carers and external organisations to implement appropriate support for these pupils. Staff are skilled at making adaptations to their delivery of the curriculum to enable these pupils to access the same aspirational curriculum as their peers. This enables pupils with SEND to learn well.

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

Pupils’ well-being is a high priority. Staff give considerable time to identify and address any concerns or worries that pupils may have. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. They also develop a strong understanding of the importance of being tolerant and respectful to others. The school has thought carefully about the qualities and values that it wants to instil int pupils. It ensures that pupils develop into respectful, caring and considerate individuals, ready for life beyond school and as global citizens of the future. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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

Pupils generally behave well and learning is rarely disrupted. Most pupils attend well. The school carefully monitors the attendance of a small number of pupils where attendance is a concern. It works closely with the local authority when families need more support to help their children to attend well.

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

The governing body supports and challenges the school in equal measure. It keeps a close eye on pupils’ achievement throughout the curriculum. The school supports staff workload. It engages well with staff when it considers any changes or improvements. Staff are proud to work at the school. 28 and 29 January 2025

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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, there is variability in how well the planned curriculum is taught and learned. This affects how well some pupils learn and remember the intended curriculum content. The school should ensure that, where this is the case, the curriculum is implemented consistently well so that pupils’ knowledge builds securely over time.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 good for overall effectiveness in February 2020.

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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. 28 and 29 January 2025

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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). 28 and 29 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Judith Pitt and Gareth Jenkins (co-chairs)

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School details

Website www.christchurchprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses one registered alternative provision for pupils.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school club for pupils.  This school is a Church of England primary school in the Diocese of Manchester. The last section 48 inspection of schools with a religious character took place in November 2019. The next section 48 inspection is expected during the 2025/26 academic year.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher and other senior leaders. He spoke with leaders for some curriculum subjects, behaviour, personal development, attendance and special educational needs. 28 and 29 January 2025

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 The inspector spoke with members of the governing body.  The inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  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.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and spoke with pupils about their learning. The inspector also observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  The inspector spoke with a group of pupils about their views of the school.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school. He also observed pupils while they played outside at lunchtime.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text

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comments. He also met with parents before school.  The inspector also considered the responses to the staff online survey. There were no responses to the pupil online survey.

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Inspection team

Ian Shackleton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 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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