Christ Church CofE Primary School

Christ Church CofE Primary School Inspection report

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100489 Unique Reference Number Kensington and Chelsea Local Authority 323289 Inspection number 20 January 2009 Inspection date Lorna Brackstone HMI Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 210 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Helen Morgan Edwards Chair Ms Anna Kendall Headteacher 6 February 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection 1 Robinson Street School address London SW3 4AA 020 7352 5708 Telephone number 020 7823 3004 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 20 January 2009 Inspection date 323289 Inspection number .

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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.

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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. 2 of 9 Inspection Report: Christ Church CofE Primary School, 20 January 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and an Additional Inspector. They evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues.

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Introduction

■ How does the school ensure that all groups of pupils progress as well as they can?

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Introduction

■ Is the personal development and well-being of the pupils an exceptional feature of the school? ■ How effective is the leadership and management of the school, especially in ensuring continuity given the imminent retirement of the headteacher? Evidence was gained from visiting classrooms, looking at pupils' work and scrutinising documentation and information on pupils' progress. The inspectors also analysed the parent questionnaires and met with senior leaders, pupils, staff and governors. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation form, were not justified and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

This average-sized school serves pupils from a wide range of backgrounds. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those who use English as an additional language is well above average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including those with statements of special educational needs, is well above average. These include pupils who have specific learning and physical difficulties, and behavioural and emotional problems. The school has received numerous national and local awards including Healthy School and Activemark. Children receive their Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) education in a Reception class. Many of them have already spent part of their Foundation Stage in a range of local nursery settings. Depending on their date of birth, children start school in the EYFS in either September or January.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Christ Church CofE Primary School, 20 January 2009

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Grade: 1

Christ Church provides an outstanding quality of education. This enables all of its pupils to attain extremely high academic standards and develop into young people who are exceptionally mature and sensible. One parent described the school as 'exceptional in every way', and this sums up the views of the vast majority of the parents who feel 'very lucky and privileged to have children who attend Christ Church'. The overriding feeling is that it provides 'a perfect combination' of learning within a happy, secure and stimulating environment. As one parent pointed out, 'it is inspiring, it does not get any better than this.' The key to the success of the school lays in the first-class leadership and management of the headteacher. Her vision and direction for the school are legendary within the local community with whom she has established exceptional links. Parents describe her as a 'naturally driven leader', 'superb' and they congratulate her on the 'tight ship' that she runs. She has been

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Grade: 1

instrumental in ensuring that the inspirational rebuild of the school accommodation matches the excellence of the staff. In preparation for her imminent retirement, the headteacher, in conjunction with the extremely effective governing body, has expertly developed the role of the senior leadership team to ensure that there is continuity for the school. The school takes great pride in training new teachers and uses this opportunity as a way to recruit high-quality staff. It has a proven record for successfully developing the management of senior staff. This ensures a careful balance between staff stability within Christ Church and opportunities for staff to gain promotion to other schools. This results in a continuing improvement. When children start school they have the skills and knowledge that are usually expected for their age. From this starting point, pupils make consistently impressive progress through the

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Grade: 1

school and achieve exceptionally well, whatever their background or ability. This is a result of the outstanding quality of teaching and learning. Teachers have extremely high expectations of pupils' work and behaviour. As one parent pointed out, 'teachers and staff go the extra mile.' Lessons are very well organised and excellent use is made of high-quality resources to make learning interesting. Teachers mark and assess their pupils' work very regularly and in a consistent manner. This means that the pupils know precisely what level they are working at and how they might move forward in their learning. Teaching assistants provide exceptional support to those pupils who have statements of special educational needs. Pupils who find learning difficult and those for whom English is an additional language understand their lessons because they receive excellent help both in groups and on an individual basis.

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Grade: 1

Staff provide excellent pastoral care, guidance and support to the pupils. The school has very secure and up-to-date procedures to safeguard pupils' welfare. Staff implement these diligently and very effectively to sustain the pupils' well-being. The school develops outstanding links with parents and outside agencies to ensure that all pupils, particularly those who find learning difficult, are well supported. Pupils with very complex needs receive exemplary support and staff work very closely with their parents. Pupils love coming to school and are very appreciative of the way in which the meaningful links created between subjects make the curriculum very stimulating. For example, Year 6 pupils described how their work on the Second World War came to life when they read a novel set during that time. Year 5 pupils explained how they understood so much more about geographical features after a visit to the Dorset coast. The outstanding range of extra-curricular activities

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Grade: 1

enable pupils to access sporting, musical and creative opportunities and this extends their 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Christ Church CofE Primary School, 20 January 2009 experiences exceptionally well. Despite the very rigorous procedures the school has in place to monitor absenteeism, too many parents take their children out of school during term time and this results in broadly average attendance figures. Pupils' behaviour is outstanding. They have a secure understanding of the difference between right and wrong and are proud to follow the example of the headteacher, who encourages them to be, as they explained, 'stylish and dignified'. The pupils' strong awareness of 'stranger danger' and road safety are examples of the way in which they adopt safe practices at all times. Parents accurately identify that the school has a very strong inclusive ethos. The close links with the church, the celebration of good work in assembly, the school council and the pupils' attitudes

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Grade: 1

towards each other all reflect this. As one parent explained, 'children are made to feel special and part of something bigger.' Pupils are proud to belong to the Christ Church School community, and as one pupil pointed out, 'we learn to be respectful of other peoples' religions and cultures.' They are enthusiastic fund-raisers and enjoy participating in competitions organised by local businesses. The annual 'money week' enables them to understand the importance of personal finances and business needs. Coupled with their excellent understanding of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through exercising regularly and eating sensibly, and their exceptionally high academic standards, they leave school extremely well prepared for their future lives.

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Grade: 1

The EYFS provides children with an outstanding start to their school life in happy and caring surroundings. As the parent of a new Reception child explained, 'my daughter was nervous about the changes ahead. The school could not have been more caring towards my daughter and within a week had instilled a confidence and love of school.' Children's skills on entry to the school vary from year to year, but broadly match those usually found for the age group. However, personal, social and emotional skills are slightly lower than expected. By the time children enter Year 1, standards are well above average in all areas of learning, except for children's attitudes and work habits, which are average. Nevertheless, children make very good progress. All the leaders and managers of the school understand the importance of the EYFS and provision is exceptionally well led and managed. The adults know the pupils really well and

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Grade: 1

use assessment accurately to monitor the children's progress. As a result, children of all abilities and backgrounds progress equally well. Teachers receive good support from other staff and together they safeguard the children's welfare exceptionally securely. Staff, children and the parents enjoy excellent relationships with each other and these are particularly effective in encouraging the children's confidence. Teaching and learning are outstanding. The extremely well-planned lessons ensure that the needs of both intakes of children are fully met. Very effective use is made of the spacious and varied facilities and resources available. Generally, there is a suitable balance of adult-led activity and those chosen by the children themselves. Occasionally opportunities are missed for adults to work alongside the children to help them to explore their ideas and help them to learn through play. This is most evident when children

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Grade: 1

work outside in the exciting outdoor area.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase the opportunities for the children in the EYFS to learn through play and take a greater lead in their own learning. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Christ Church CofE Primary School, 20 January 2009 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Christ Church CofE Primary School, 20 January 2009

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Inspection judgements

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

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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

1 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 1 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 1 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: Christ Church CofE Primary School, 20 January 2009

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learners?

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

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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 1 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Christ Church CofE Primary School, 20 January 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

30 January 2009 Dear Children Inspection of Christ Church CofE Primary School,London,SW3 4AA You may remember that two inspectors came to visit your school. Thank you for making us so welcome. We enjoyed spending time with you and finding out about Christ Church. We would like to say a particular thank you to those pupils who talked to us about life at your school. We agree with your parents that Christ Church provides you with an excellent education. You do fantastically well because you do much better at Christ Church than pupils do in most other schools. We were very impressed with the way you present your work and that you all know your targets for improvement. Your teachers are excellent and make sure that you always try your best in your learning. They plan extremely interesting activities and this encourages you to learn, because the topics they choose are meaningful to you. The way that you organise

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

your own charity events and participate in competitions helps you to acquire excellent key skills for the future. You really enjoy coming to school and it is very clear that you take a full part in its life. We enjoyed hearing about the trips you go on and were very interested to hear about your residential trips to Dorset. You feel safe because the school looks after you very well and you told us there is always someone you can talk to about a problem. You are rightly proud of the way in which you help each other and we were most impressed with the way that you make sure everyone, regardless of the language spoken at home, or their religious beliefs, are fully valued and included in the life of the school. You are very knowledgeable about how to keep your body fit and you know what foods are good for you to eat. Your headteacher and the other adults do an excellent job and make sure that you receive a

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

superb education. We have asked the adults to do the following things to make the school even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Help the children in the Reception class to have more time to learn new things while they are playing. Also, encourage them to choose more activities for themselves. Once again, thank you for your help. Keep doing your best. Yours faithfully Lorna Brackstone Her Majesty's Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Christ Church CofE Primary School, 20 January 2009

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