Christ Church (Church of England) Junior School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching and the progress that pupils make by:
  • ensuring that tasks deepen understanding and provide more challenge for the most able pupils
  • ensuring that the quality of handwriting and presentation are of a high standard across the curriculum
  • developing pupils’ attitudes to reading by providing more varied and interesting books to read.
• Improve leadership and management by:
  • strengthening the impact of subject leaders in improving the quality of teaching in the science and the foundation subjects
  • sharpening school improvement planning to take account of measurable success criteria and milestones and identify key personnel to monitor and evaluate the impact of actions taken
  • ensuring that the school complies with government guidance on what maintained schools must publish about the proposed spend for the physical education and sport funding and the pupil premium grant.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher, senior leaders and governors provide clear vision and direction to ensure a high standard of education. They are committed to pupils achieving well academically, while developing the skills and attitudes that equip them to be successful learners. Staff are fully committed to the school’s aims. All staff who completed their inspection questionnaire said that they are proud to work in the school, which they believe is well led and managed.
• The headteacher has been well supported by the governors and the local authority. She has taken decisive action and worked successfully to address weaknesses in teaching and learning by taking well-considered and effective actions. She has managed staff changes well. Consequently, the quality of education remains good and high aspirations are set for pupils and staff.
• Teachers assess pupils’ attainment each half term. Leaders use this information effectively to identify pupils, or groups of pupils, who are doing less well than they should. They then provide extra support to help these pupils to catch up.
• Leaders take appropriate steps to make sure that all groups of pupils have an equal chance to succeed. Strong provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities ensures that funding is used effectively to meet a wide range of needs.
• Additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is carefully targeted to support their needs and catch up in the way they should. For example, the funding has been used on additional teacher assistants to carry out intervention programmes, further resources and pastoral support.
• The curriculum is broad, and pupils enjoy a wide range of experiences. It is designed to ensure good coverage of the national curriculum and to promote positive key values. Fundamental British values are taught through the school’s six key values: honesty, responsibility, caring, respect, trust, love of learning and one another. Pupils are motivated to learn because they enjoy events and trips, such as visits to the church, Wolverhampton Art Gallery, a local gurdwara and the National Space Centre. Pupils enjoy a range of extra-curricular activities, which include netball, football and a singing club. Pupils have an opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument, for example cello, violin, viola, double bass, recorder and guitar.
• Spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is developed well. The school engages with professionals such as the local clergy, police and fire service to enhance these aspects of the curriculum. The school has developed connections with a school in Kenya. The link between the two schools has allowed Christ Church to welcome staff members from Kenya for week-long visits. This provided pupils with an insight into the lives of others and has given their education a global dimension.

• Parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, said that the school is well led and managed, that their child is well looked after and that they would recommend the school to another parent. One parent expressed the views of many when they wrote, ‘The ethos of the school makes it an excellent place for children to learn in a safe and caring environment!’
• Leaders have an accurate view of the teaching because they check on it regularly. As a result, they focus on the right areas for improvement. Professional development and effective management of staff performance have had a positive impact on securing improvements, particularly in mathematics and pupils’ writing recently. However, leaders do not make enough use of measurable success criteria, milestones and key personnel to monitor and evaluate actions in school improvement planning.
• English and mathematics are led well. However, leaders of other subjects have not yet had the opportunity to make an impact on improving teaching in their subject.

Governance of the school

• Governors know the school well. They are clear about strengths in the school’s work and about the priorities for future development. They share leaders’ high aspirations for pupils and are committed to securing further improvements.
• Governors hold school leaders to robust account for pupils’ learning and well-being. They make good use of a wide range of activities, such as discussions with leaders, visits to the school and policy reviews, to gauge the quality and effectiveness of the school’s work. As a result, they speak knowledgeably about the school’s performance.
• Governors carry out most of their statutory duties diligently. They check that additional funding, such as the pupil premium, is being spent effectively and is having sufficient impact. They ensure that leaders and teachers are set targets that are focused well on improving teaching and raising standards. Together with school leaders, governors have not ensured that the school complies with the government guidance about what schools must publish on their website.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Senior leaders and governors have ensured that there is an ethos of keeping children safe in school. Staff are well trained and are aware of any dangers posed to pupils.

• Procedures are updated regularly. There are robust systems within the school to keep pupils safe. Processes for reporting concerns are clear and known by all staff. Referrals are timely and outside agencies are used appropriately. Procedures to recruit, select and check staff are robust, and the school’s single central record is compliant.
• Pupils feel safe, and parents agree that their children are safe. The school gives good attention to a range of risk assessments to keep both pupils and staff safe.

• Pupils are taught to stay safe in an age-appropriate way. They learn about online safety and they are taught about the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. Pupils who spoke with inspectors had a clear understanding of how to keep themselves safe from potential risks.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Leaders give teachers accurate feedback to improve their teaching. As a result, teaching is now consistently good. The impact of teaching on learning is reflected in the strong progress that pupils now make in reading, writing and mathematics in each year group.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge. They use this well when planning lessons as they take account of pupils’ abilities and needs. Consequently, lower-attaining pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are well supported and succeed. Teaching assistants provide good support in class for these pupils. However, teachers do not do enough to ensure that tasks deepen understanding and provide challenge for the most able pupils.
• Teaching is characterised by strong, respectful relationships. Teachers know their pupils very well. Pupils told inspectors that ‘The teachers are the best thing about the school.’ Well-established routines in classrooms mean that little time is wasted as pupils move seamlessly from discussing in groups to listening to their teacher’s explanation. Pupils are attentive, hard-working and eager to learn.
• Teachers intervene at timely intervals to check on pupils’ learning. They address any misconceptions that individuals might have and give the necessary guidance about what must be improved, thereby enabling pupils to make faster progress. The work in the pupils’ books shows that they learn from their mistakes.
• A clear focus on improving pupils’ writing skills over recent years has proved successful. The work in pupils’ books and in displays around school reflects the strong progress that all groups of pupils make in writing. Pupils are confident in editing and redrafting their work. They apply their knowledge of grammar, spelling and punctuation well. However, handwriting and presentation are not consistently of a high standard.
• The teaching of mathematics is good. Teachers ensure that pupils are fluent in their mathematical skills and have regular opportunities to develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills. Support is provided for any pupils who have not shown an understanding.
• Teachers develop pupils’ reading skills well. An informed knowledge of pupils’ reading ability ensures that all pupils make good progress. Pupils who need extra support in phonics are taught well to enable them to decode unknown words. Pupils who read to inspectors did so with fluency and accuracy. However, the school does not provide enough varied and interesting books for the pupils to read. Consequently, their knowledge of authors and books is weak.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are confident and have positive self-esteem because of supportive relationships among staff and pupils. Pupils know how to be a successful learner and have positive attitudes to learning.
• Pupils are polite, courteous and have good manners. They are respectful to each other and adults. They make visitors feel welcome.
• The care, guidance and physical and emotional well-being of all pupils is clearly a high priority at this school. Parents commented positively about the help and support their child receives and the good progress that they make. Pupils who are trained as playground buddies support others well in developing friendships.
• Pupils say that they feel safe around school and that they are confident that any incidents of bullying or the use of racist or homophobic language are rare. If they do occur, staff deal with them swiftly.
• The curriculum provides lots of opportunities for pupils to learn about being safe. The school organises special weeks with visiting speakers where the pupils learn about topics such as personal safety, online safety, health and safety, and anti-bullying.
• All parents who spoke to inspectors and responded to Parent View were very positive about the support their children receive. They are rightly confident that their children are happy and safe.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• There is a calm atmosphere in school and pupils conduct themselves well around the building and in class. Staff, parents and pupils all agree that behaviour is good in school. Pupils know the school’s behaviour system well and have a strong sense of self-discipline. Pupils’ respect for others enables lessons to progress without hindrance or interruption. There are very few incidents of poor behaviour.
• School records show that incidents of poor behaviour in the classrooms are extremely rare. When they do occur, effective strategies are put in place to support pupils with challenging behaviour, so learning is not disrupted.
• Pupils’ attendance is above the national average. Leaders have a coherent and successful strategy to address non-attendance issues. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils and of those who have SEN and/or disabilities is showing marked improvements. Good attendance is recognised and suitably rewarded. Pupils are punctual and are well prepared for lessons.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Over the past few years at the end of Year 6, pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics has been below average. This was especially the case for writing in 2016 and for boys, disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• The school has rigorously addressed these issues, and evidence from unvalidated 2017 statutory assessment data, work in pupils’ books and the school’s own tracking data show clearly that current pupils are now making consistently good progress in English and mathematics, as well as in other subjects across the curriculum.
• Pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the expected level was above national figures in the unvalidated 2017 data. By the end of Year 6, pupils have the necessary skills, knowledge and attitudes they need for secondary school. Just about all parents who responded to the recent questionnaire carried out by the school feel that their children are making good progress.
• The school, supported by the local authority, conducts extensive and rigorously moderated assessments of pupils’ attainment in all years. English and mathematics assessments are moderated throughout the year internally and with other schools and a local adviser.
• A few pupils are identified with weaknesses in phonics. As a result of extra help and support, these pupils make good progress to catch up with their peers.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because leaders carefully identify these pupils’ needs and put in place appropriate and effective support.
• The school is quick to identify any pupils who are at risk of falling behind. Staff make effective provision for these pupils through activities which are well matched to their individual needs and abilities. This includes pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. Where needed, detailed individual support plans are in place, with challenging targets. Consequently, the progress made by these pupils is largely good from their individual starting points.
• There are several pupils who speak English as an additional language and a few who are in the early stages of learning English. These pupils are taught well. They are given extra support to develop English vocabulary and language structures.
• Most-able pupils are not consistently challenged to make accelerated progress. Tasks are not always designed to deepen their understanding.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 104366 Wolverhampton 10037894 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Junior School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary controlled 7 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 241 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Clive Vickers Sarah Blower 01902558700 www.christchurchjuniorschool.org.uk christchurchjuniorschool@wolverhampton.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 16–17 July 2013

Information about this school

• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the proposed spend for the primary physical education and sport funding and the pupil premium grant.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards. These set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2.
• The school is an average-sized junior school.
• The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and who receive support from the pupil premium is well above average.

• The percentage of disabled pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities is just above that of most schools.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is above average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is in line with the national average.
• The school receives support from the local authority, which has brokered the services of a teaching school.
• There has been a large turnover of staff since the previous inspection.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in lessons, and some of these observations were conducted jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors paid attention to the work in pupils’ books to make judgements about pupils’ progress. They carried out a detailed scrutiny of books belonging to pupils in all year groups.
• Inspectors talked with many pupils about their learning and their attitudes to, and opinions about, school. They observed pupils at breaktime and lunchtime and as they moved around the school.
• Inspectors visited an assembly.
• A wide range of documents were scrutinised, including information relating to school improvement, governance, attendance, behaviour, safeguarding, pupils’ progress and the checks made on the quality of teaching.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, middle leaders, teachers and eight governors, including the chair of the governing body.
• The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors took account of parents’ views by considering 41 responses to Parent View, including 14 ‘free-text’ comments. They also spoke with several parents at the start of the school day.
• Inspectors took account of 14 responses received on Ofsted’s staff inspection questionnaire. They also took account of 59 responses on Ofsted’s pupil inspection questionnaire.

Inspection team

Lynda Townsend, lead inspector Ian Beardmore

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector