Christ The King Catholic Primary School

Christ The King Catholic Primary School

Address: Meadway, L15 7LZ Unique reference number (URN): 104629

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

Leaders and staff place pupils’ personal development and well-being at the heart of their work. They take pride in the school’s wide-ranging offer. Leaders have designed a personal development programme that is broad, age appropriate and carefully structured. They review this programme often to ensure that it reflects pupils’ views, such as in the variety of clubs available.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

Pupils’ spiritual growth is strong. They learn to reflect on their own beliefs and experiences and to respect others’ values. Pupils also develop a clear moral compass. They understand right and wrong. Older pupils discuss issues like consent and discrimination thoughtfully. Pupils know that fundamental British values aim to create a fair and just society. Pupils learn what these values look like in their day-to-day lives, such as practising democracy through school council roles and discussions.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

Pupils’ social skills grow through a range of leadership roles. For example, older pupils enjoy the responsibility of acting as buddies to Reception-age children. They forge positive relationships with their buddies to help them quickly find their feet in school. Pupils act as responsible citizens. They take part in projects like eco initiatives that promote sustainability. This builds a deep sense of social responsibility.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

Pupils enjoy drama, choir and creative clubs. The school was full of joyful singing during the inspection. Pupils also take part in enrichment weeks and careers education that broaden their horizons and challenge stereotypes. Leaders ensure that all pupils can access clubs, trips and activities. As a result, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged engage in these opportunities well.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

Pupils are well prepared for adult life. They learn correct terms for body parts and what to expect as they grow and develop. They understand how to manage risks online and offline. Leaders focus on pupils’ positive mental health. Initiatives including pastoral support for morning routines and outdoor learning help to build resilience and, when needed, improve attendance.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders give high priority to pupils’ attendance and punctuality. Leaders check attendance each day and follow up any concerns. They identify pupils who miss school too often and learn the reasons for this. Staff give practical support to remove barriers and help families to build effective daily routines. This encourages pupils to come to school more often and to arrive on time. Most pupils attend school regularly. Leaders’ work to support those disadvantaged pupils who have large gaps in their attendance has been effective. Leaders continue to review their actions to keep this progress on track. Leaders have created a calm environment where incidents of bullying are infrequent and dealt with decisively. Staff greet pupils warmly each morning, ensuring that there is a positive start to learning. Pupils know that they are expected to be safe, responsible and respectful. Those pupils who find it more challenging to manage their own behaviour are

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

supported gently and sensitively. Lessons run smoothly because staff use clear and consistent routines that help pupils to focus and feel secure. Pupils are eager to learn, take pride in their work and work well with others. Pupils trust adults to care for them. This helps them feel safe and supported throughout the day.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have put in place a rich and relevant curriculum that captures pupils’ interest. Leaders use research and advice from experts, such as the mathematics hub, to make sure that teachers have the knowledge that they need to deliver the curriculum effectively. Overall, teachers ensure that pupils have the background knowledge that they need to learn new information readily.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders use a range of activities to check what is working well and what improvements are needed. In the main, leaders are swift to address any weaker areas, such as improving speaking skills in science.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders focus on building strong basics. From early years, the curriculum helps children to develop language and vocabulary. Reading and mathematics are taught well. On occasion, some staff do not check what pupils already know before they introduce new learning. This means that some disadvantaged pupils have gaps in their knowledge, particularly in writing where some pupils struggle to write fluently and legibly. Leaders are working to fix this. However, it is too early to see how successful leaders’ recent actions to address this issue have been.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers understand pupils’ needs and adjust lessons when needed, including for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Where needed, extra support helps pupils to catch up quickly. However, at times, pupils who find learning harder, including some pupils with SEND, spend too much time on simple tasks and miss out on important learning.

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Early years Expected standard

Children get off to a positive start to their early education. Staff focus on building secure relationships with children and their parents and carers. As soon as children join the school, they settle quickly into well-established routines. For example, children arrive with smiles on their faces and put their belongings away happily, before joining in with a range of exciting morning activities.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have designed a well-thought-out curriculum. Children develop their knowledge and skills across all areas of learning well. Staff have high expectations for what children can achieve. They inspire children through rich experiences, such as seeing a ‘dinosaur egg’ hatch. Staff foster children’s independence and self-care skills effectively. Children enjoy learning with their classmates. They are set up well for the move into Year 1. Communication, language and reading have a high priority. Children listen and join in with plentiful stories and songs. Staff choose books to reflect the diversity of modern Britain. They focus successfully on providing a language-rich environment. Children relish learning and using new words, such as ‘palaeontologist’. A well-ordered phonics programme helps children to develop into fluent readers. Children practise their reading with books that include the sounds that they already know.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders show an unwavering determination to ensure that pupils belong at this school. Leaders’ work to identify and overcome obstacles to learning is often highly successful. For example, pupils benefit from a range of effective provision that promotes their emotional well-being so that they are ready to learn.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders are attuned to pupils' individual needs, including their special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They work closely with families and outside professionals to make sure that pupils with SEND get the right support. For example, parents make meaningful contributions that help shape their children’s individual education plans.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff are well trained and know how to make helpful adaptations to the way that they deliver the curriculum. This helps pupils with SEND to access the curriculum with increasing independence.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Some funding for disadvantaged pupils is used to ensure that these pupils can take part in all that the school has to offer. Governors are less clear about how school leaders check the impact of pupil premium spending on the academic achievement of eligible pupils. Leaders continue to refine how they measure the impact of this support.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders know the school’s strengths. They are right to acknowledge the school’s effective culture of safeguarding and to celebrate their success in fostering pupils’ personal development and well-being. Leaders ensure that, alongside pupils, staff also thrive. Staff have the time and resources to succeed. They appreciate leaders’ care for their well-being.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders provide staff with high-quality professional development that is underpinned by clear thinking. Leaders act on advice from external professionals. This includes support from the mathematics hub that has led to sustained improvement in pupils’ reasoning skills.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders remain focused on improving provision. For example, since the school was last inspected, leaders have strengthened staff’s expertise in supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders also recognise the need for renewed effort to close gaps in pupils’ basic writing skills.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors are invested in the school’s success. They take pride in their roles and fulfil their statutory duties effectively, including in relation to safeguarding and financial accountability. Governors monitor whole-school curriculum priorities intently, such as improving pupils’

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Needs attention

knowledge of times tables. Governors also check closely on how well disadvantaged pupils participate in school life and how regularly they attend school.

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Needs attention

Leaders build positive working relationships with parents and carers. Staff hold events like early years workshops and ‘we love learning’ sessions that help families to support their children’s learning at home. Ofsted Parent View survey responses are overwhelmingly positive.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils produce interesting writing for different purposes and for a variety of audiences. However, pupils’ work is often let down by weaknesses in their knowledge of grammar and, at times, spelling. Some pupils do not develop legible handwriting styles. This is because these fundamental skills are not developed fully by the end of key stage 1.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils read well. They attain well in the phonics screening check and can use their phonics knowledge to read new words. The proportion of pupils who meet the standard in this check is broadly in line with the national average. Most pupils are confident readers by the time that they reach key stage 2. By the end of Year 6, most pupils attain very well in national tests and assessments. Disadvantaged pupils generally achieve better in this school compared to disadvantaged pupils nationally. Pupils also build their knowledge securely in other subjects. For example, pupils understand and use advanced vocabulary in subjects such as history and geography.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are proud ambassadors of their school. Children in early years make an assured and happy start to school. They blossom in terms of their social and emotional development. Pupils of all ages display a maturity that belies their years. They gain a keen understanding of the world around them, including the differences that exist between themselves and others in society. By the time that they leave this school at the end of Year 6, pupils are confident and well-rounded individuals. They are well prepared for the next steps in their lives.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Leaders are adept at identifying barriers to learning that pupils may face. Staff identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities quickly. The school supports them well to learn alongside their classmates.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from a broad, ambitious and well-ordered curriculum. Most pupils build knowledge securely and achieve well. Pupils demonstrate fluency in reading and apply their phonics knowledge effectively to decode unfamiliar words. Some pupils experience less success in developing aspects of their written work. As a result, these pupils lack fluency and precision when writing.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils attend school regularly. They enjoy learning and spending time with each other. Pupils treat each other and staff with kindness and respect. Pupils know that staff deal with incidents of unkind behaviour, including bullying, quickly and well. Pupils are invested in the school rules because they know that they keep everyone safe and secure.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils give their time eagerly to support their school, for example by acting as buddies or members of the eco council. In doing so, pupils gain confidence in their own abilities and they develop a keen sense of responsibility. Pupils relish taking part in a wide range of clubs and educational visits. These help to broaden their experiences and harness their interests and talents.

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Next steps

• Leaders should ensure that teachers fully support pupils at the early stages of learning to write to secure their foundational knowledge and that high standards of written work are sustained across the school.

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Lead inspector:

Jackie Stillings, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Sue Dymond, His Majesty's Inspector Frith Murphy, His Majesty's Inspector David Lobodzinski, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Robert Howell.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the acting headteacher, assistant headteachers and school business manager during the inspection. The lead inspector met with representatives of the board of governors, including the chair of governors. Meetings also took place with representatives of the local authority and of the archdiocese.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

This school is registered as having a Roman Catholic religious character and is part of the Archdiocese of Liverpool. Its last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in November 2023.

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About this inspection

The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and maths measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in maths

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in maths.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in maths

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in maths.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in maths

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in maths and the disadvantaged gap.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standards expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standards set out in statutory and non-statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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