Christ Church CofE Primary School

Inspection Report Christ Church CofE Primary School

p.1

103838 Unique Reference Number Dudley LEA 277008 Inspection number 1 February 2006 to 2 February 2006 Inspection dates Mary Hamby HMI Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Church Road School address Primary Type of school Bilston Voluntary controlled School category West Midlands WV14 8YD 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01384 818375 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01384 818376 Fax number 444 Number on roll Mrs Susan Ridney Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Pat Hazlehurst Headteacher 14 February 2000 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277008 1 February 2006 - 3 to 11 2 February 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

p.2

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and two Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

This is a larger than average school. The proportion of children who are entitled to receive free school meals is higher than average as is the proportion of children with learning difficulties or disabilities. Although most of the pupils are from White British backgrounds, there is a small proportion of children from other ethnic heritages, the most significant of this group being from the Caribbean.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Christ Church CofE Primary School, 1 February 2006 to 2 February 2006

p.3

Grade: 2

This is a good school that gives good value for money. The pupils achieve well in most respects, but progress in writing is slower than other subjects. Children in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception) make good progress but still do not reach average standards by the end of the Reception Year. Parents are pleased with what the school provides, one of them writing that she was ‘over the moon’ with her son’s progress. The ‘we can do it’ motto is borne out in the everyday experiences of the pupils, who try hard with their work. The pupils are well behaved, feel secure and happy at school and trust their teachers. The school is a harmonious community that respects the contributions of all its members. Many of the procedures to care for the pupils are effective, but fire practices are not recorded properly. The curriculum and teaching are good but do not include sufficient opportunities for the pupils to develop their speaking skills in a range of

p.4

Grade: 2

different ways. Leadership and management are good. There are some good procedures for self-evaluation, including regular quality checks of teaching, and consultation with pupils and parents. The school have rightly identified priorities to improve writing and to develop speaking skills. Although whole school self-evaluation is diligently carried out, some of the school judgements about its provision are more positive than is supported by inspection evidence. All in all, the school is well placed to continue to improve because the leaders know what needs to be done and have shown that they can tackle and resolve issues in the past.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

•Develop the pupils’ speaking skills in all subjects, particularly by providing opportunities for them to widen their vocabulary and become more confident speakers and for the older pupils to give talks to the whole class •Improve pupils’ progress in writing and further develop opportunities for them to write in a range of contexts, particularly those which demand the use of a widening vocabulary •Ensure that fire practices are recorded properly.

p.4

Grade: 2

Inspection evidence supports the school’s view that achievement is good. When the children start the school their standards are well below average. In the Foundation Stage, the children make particularly good progress with their personal development; they settle quickly into school routines and become much more confident and independent as time goes by. However, despite this good start, many of the children begin Year 1 with limited literacy and communication skills. 2 Inspection Report: Christ Church CofE Primary School, 1 February 2006 to 2 February 2006 In Year 1 and Year 2, the pupils make good progress with reading and writing even though a third of them do not reach the average benchmark for seven-year-olds. The pupils’ progress in mathematics is very good, particularly for those with learning difficulties who grow in confidence and learn well. However, progress with speaking and listening is not as rapid and standards are below the expected level.

p.4

Grade: 2

From Year 3 to Year 6, the pupils achieve consistently well in most aspects of their education. Achievement in science is exceptional; the school’s test results have been very impressive over the last few years. Achievement in mathematics is good, but progress in writing is too slow. The pupils’ work shows that they do not have a wide enough vocabulary and this affects the quality of their writing as well as their speaking skills. Although the children are keen to talk and they enjoy discussion times, they lack the skills and confidence to talk in more formal situations. The school has high aspirations for its pupils and sets itself challenging targets. Last year, it met most of these, but fell short of its targets for the higher-attaining pupils, particularly in writing.

p.5

Grade: 2

The personal development of pupils is good. They like coming to school, achieve well, and have good attendance. Their behaviour is good and the pupils know what is expected of them. They are well aware of what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and really enjoy numerous opportunities to keep fit. They choose healthy options at lunchtime and know the value of a good diet. They know how to keep themselves safe in school and whom they can turn to if they need help. They make a good contribution to their community and initiate charitable collections for a number of good causes. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They are resilient individuals who are developing respect for each other and are very proud of their school. They are prepared to take a stand on certain issues through the School Council, for example, by asking the headteacher to reconsider a ban on the wearing of charity bands. This

p.5

Grade: 2

was successful and helped them gain an understanding of give and take. They are acquiring some of the skills which will help them to become citizens of the future and help them to get a job, for example their skills in mathematics. However, writing is a weaker area, information and communication technology skills are not as strong as mathematics, and the pupils’ potential to manage little projects and work effectively in groups are insufficiently developed. Consequently, the pupils’ personal development, though good, is not as good as it might be, and this is the reason why inspectors did not concur with the school’s view that it is outstanding.

p.5

Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good and so the pupils make good progress. The classrooms are stimulating learning environments where strong emphasis is placed on celebrating 3 Inspection Report: Christ Church CofE Primary School, 1 February 2006 to 2 February 2006 pupils’ achievements. The pupils are enthusiastic about their teachers and there is a strong sense of mutual respect. Most lessons are taught in a lively way and at a brisk pace. The teachers work hard to plan a variety of tasks and activities that engage pupils of all abilities and help them to progress. However, they do not plan to develop speaking skills well enough and so some opportunities in lessons are lost. Consequently the pupils do not learn skills, such as talking in front of others, debating, presenting an argument, and giving full answers to questions. The teachers review pupils’ progress regularly and evaluate the effectiveness of their

p.5

Grade: 2

lessons well. The pupils are regularly encouraged to take responsibility for their learning and are aware of their learning targets. However, the teachers do not make enough reference to targets in their marking, particularly about writing. Consequently, the pupils are not as clear as they might be about how well they are doing or what they need to learn next. The recently adopted methods to teach the pupils to recognise sounds are good but have yet to show impact on raising standards.

p.6

Grade: 2

The school curriculum is good. Provision is seen as a ‘learning journey’ and themes that help pupils make connections with previous experiences are explored well. However, links across the curriculum to develop speaking and writing skills in a range of different contexts, such as giving instructions or recalling an event in the past, are not sufficiently explicit. The many and varied school clubs effectively contribute to the pupils’ enjoyment of the curriculum and are well attended. Many visits and a variety of visitors enhance pupils’ awareness of the wider world and their cultural understanding, particularly in the arts. These really help the pupils to appreciate the richness of the world around them. However, opportunities for them to learn about the multicultural nature of British society are less evident in the curriculum and through displays around the school.

p.6

Grade: 2

The school guides and supports the pupils well. The arrangements for induction into school and transfer to secondary school are effective. Pupils feel safe at school, and trust the adults who work with them. Procedures for child protection are well established, and are fully understood by staff. The school works well with a range of other professionals to ensure pupils have access to suitable support. Parents appreciate this and think that their children are well cared for. The caring and supportive environment nurtures a climate of openness where pupils have complete trust in the staff and have opportunities to share their concerns, however minor. They receive good guidance to promote their own safety outside school. Although the school carries out fire drills, there is no written evidence to show when these took place or how effective they were; there is also no log of bell tests. 4 Inspection Report: Christ Church CofE Primary School, 1 February 2006 to 2 February 2006

p.6

Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher shows great commitment to her school and is assisted by a well-motivated senior team. They pull together well, value the contributions of all in the school community, and promote a caring atmosphere. There is a strong focus on achievement, with high aspirations for the success of all the pupils. This has had a positive impact on raising standards in mathematics and science but has yet to have a discernible impact on writing, which was an area needing improvement at the last inspection. Other issues from the last inspection have been largely resolved. The school is keen to improve even further and has the capacity to do so. The teaching is regularly and accurately reviewed and evaluations point out its strengths how it can be improved. The leadership team have a thoughtful approach to self-evaluation and have identified a number of areas for future improvement, including speaking, listening

p.7

Grade: 2

and writing. However, their plans do not contain enough information to guide the initiatives, particularly with regard to how their progress will be checked or their impact evaluated. In this regard, inspection evidence does not support the school’s view in that leadership and management are outstanding. Parents and the pupils themselves are consulted and their views taken seriously. Regular questionnaires capture their views, and there are also other effective avenues of communication which help to shape the way that the school develops. Governors are keenly supportive of the school and have a businesslike approach to their meetings. They are frequent visitors to the school and offer the senior team a good level of critical challenge. However, they are not doing enough to ensure that they monitor procedures for fire practices. 5 Inspection Report: Christ Church CofE Primary School, 1 February 2006 to 2 February 2006

p.7

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Christ Church CofE Primary School, 1 February 2006 to 2 February 2006

p.8

Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.9

learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 3 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

p.9

and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

p.10

The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

p.10

The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

p.10

The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

p.10

The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I am writing to you all about the visit that I made to your school with my colleagues. We really enjoyed talking to you, thought you were very friendly and appreciated the time that you gave up to talk to us. There were lots of good things that we will remember about your school •Mrs Hazlehurst and all the staff want you to get on well and succeed. •Your teachers work hard and they teach you well. •You all make good progress with most of your work. •You are kind to each other and you behave well. •You enjoy school and your attendance is better than in lots of other schools. •You are learning to become healthy and active young people. •The school provides you with interesting things to learn about in school and on takes you on exciting visits. We are suggesting three things for the school to do to make itself even better •Someone in the school should write down when fire practices take place and whether they need to do things

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

differently next time. •You need to improve your writing, especially by using exciting and unusual words and making sure that it is as good as it can be. •You need more opportunities to talk at class times so that you feel confident about speaking to an audience and you can develop what you want to say more easily. Try to use complete sentences when you answer in class. •Please remember to try your hardest all the time and continue to enjoy your school days.

p.11