Christ Church Pellon CofE VC Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Leaders at all levels must continue to secure further improvements in teaching and, therefore, pupils’ outcomes, by
  • ensuring that the level of challenge for different groups of pupils is consistently strong across the school, including ensuring that less able pupils are always provided with tasks which they can access and succeed in, as well as be challenged by
  • providing regular opportunities to develop writing and mathematics in the broader curriculum
  • ensuring that pupils always take pride in learning across all subjects.
• Make sure all action plans have clear goals and targets, especially in subjects such as science, history and geography, and identify where impact has been secured.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders have worked hard and effectively to support better teaching in the school. Monitoring of teaching is now rigorous and robust, leading to a better understanding of where teaching can improve. This has led to strong, bespoke training for teachers and leaders, and to the improved outcomes for pupils.
• The leadership’s appraisal process has worked to ensure that all teachers and leaders are accountable for the progress pupils make. This has also informed leaders as to the training they need to make available and, as well as supporting better teaching, it has ensured that leaders of English and mathematics have a much better understanding of their roles.
• The pupil premium funding received to support disadvantaged pupils is used well. These pupils make good progress and often make better progress than their peers in school. Leaders have used the funding to provide support when these pupils underachieve and to ensure that they can engage in the varied extra-curricular activities, including trips and after-school clubs.
• The leadership of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is strong. Leaders understand these pupils’ needs well and provide a bespoke plan to support them so that they can make good progress and overcome learning barriers. Leaders also liaise effectively with families, who report that they feel well supported and well informed by teachers and leaders in school. Additional funding for these pupils is used well.
• The physical education (PE) and sport premium funding is used well. Leaders have increased the number of sports pupils can play, as well as the resources pupils have access to during lunchtime. Pupils report that they love doing PE and the many different sports clubs they can attend after school.
• Phonics is well led and managed. Pupils do well in the phonics screening check with a higher-than-average proportion passing the check at the end of Year 1 and in the resit check at the end of Year 2. This means that pupils can read from an early age, which helps them to develop their reading skills quickly and to develop a passion for reading.
• The school engages well with parents and carers. The very large majority of parents who spoke to inspectors and who answered the online survey feel that their children are safe and happy and make good progress. Many parents acknowledge a significant improvement in the school since the last inspection and report that leaders and teachers, as well as other adults, are very approachable and care about their children.
• There are very high levels of mobility in the school with pupils arriving at and leaving the school on a near-weekly basis. Despite this ever-changing dynamic, leaders deal with this very well and are particularly skilled in providing a calm and nurturing environment to new pupils, who have, at times, missed large amounts of their schooling prior to their arrival. Leaders’ excellent work in this area ensures that teachers are given appropriate support and pupils understand the value of offering their new peers a very warm welcome. As such, these pupils settle quickly and do well in the school.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced and pupils engage well in the varied activities available in lessons and through special events. This supports pupils’ development and progress, especially in terms of their oral communication skills which can be underdeveloped when pupils arrive in school. Pupils regularly study a variety of subjects, including history, geography, science and French. Learning in these areas is good and pupils do well. However, the opportunities to develop pupils’ mathematics and writing skills in these subjects are not always developed well in a small number of classes. In addition, middle leaders of some subject areas, such as science, geography and history, do not always identify their aims for learning clearly enough, which inhibits some teachers from making the most of the opportunities to reinforce the key skills across the curriculum.
• The curriculum offers regular opportunities for pupils to learn about different faiths and lifestyles, as well as learn about modern British values. This is seen in the consistently positive relationships in school between all groups of pupils and between adults and pupils.
• The local authority has provided strong support for the school since the last inspection. It has signposted strong practice for the school to access where they have wanted support. The school have, in turn, used this support well and this has contributed to better leadership, teaching and outcomes in the school.

Governance of the school

• Governance is effective and has been instrumental in the necessary improvements made in the school since the last inspection. Governors understand how appraisal works and ensure that this system takes close account of pupils’ progress and how this links to teachers’ pay progression. Governors have also supported leaders in school to ensure that training for teachers is of a high quality and closely supports teachers’ needs well.
• Governors hold leaders to account and know how to do this because they are well informed. They can cite how the school has improved since the last inspection, what the particular successes have been and what the school now needs to do to improve further.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders ensure that policies, protocols and systems are in place, regularly reviewed and well understood by leaders and teachers, as well as governors. Leaders and governors ensure that updates are implemented to policies, as required and in line with statutory requirements. The school has a good working relationship with several external agencies so that pupils’ needs regarding their safety are met properly. Leaders and governors also provide important information to parents and pupils via the school’s website to ensure they understand how to keep pupils safe in school and what to do if they have a concern.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is good. This demonstrates an improvement since the last inspection and means that pupils now make good progress in the key subjects of reading, writing and mathematics. Strong teaching also means the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics is in line with or moving close to the 2016 national averages.
• Assessment of learning is good. The system used in school is regular and accurate, which helps leaders and teachers identify how well different groups of learners are doing. Teachers plan activities which match different groups of pupils’ needs well. This includes the needs of different ability groups and especially disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• However, in the minority of classes, where teaching is not as effective as it could be, the least and most able pupils’ needs are not met as well as their peers. This is because work is not set at the right level for these pupils. However, this is not usually the case and work is normally pitched well across the classes.
• The impact of the use of questioning is strong. Teachers often use this as a way to check pupils’ understanding and give pupils the chance to articulate their learning and answers, which supports their oral communication development. As an area of weakness when pupils arrive in the school, developing oracy is a priority for teachers and this is having a strong impact on pupils’ progress.
• As well as checks made through questioning, teachers also check pupils’ work in books, in accordance with the school’s policy, and these techniques allow teachers to understand pupils’ learning and misconceptions. In turn, teachers use this information well to plan the next steps in learning and to plan activities which engage pupils, as well as support their good progress.
• The teaching of reading is good. Pupils make rapid progress in their phonics learning and in their development of more complex reading skills. This also supports pupils’ positive attitudes to reading. Reading records show pupils are passionate about their reading; they read widely and often and are willing to read new authors and genres, as advised by teachers.
• Mathematics is well taught. Pupils have the chance to reinforce their basic skills to improve their mental arithmetic on a regular basis. They also use and apply their skills in a variety of ways, including problem-solving and word problems. However, in a small number of classes opportunities to reinforce pupils’ mathematics skills in the broader curriculum, for example in science and geography, are missed.
• The teaching of writing is good and pupils write often. Pupils write at length using a variety of techniques and their spelling, punctuation and grammar skills are improving well, supporting their written accuracy and better writing outcomes. There are good examples of teaching in the school that promote writing across different subjects and topics; however, this is not always the case and a small minority of teachers miss these opportunities.
• Teaching assistants are effective. They know the pupils well and work well with teachers to assist pupils if they need extra support.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are safe in school and those pupils spoken to say they feel safe. This is because they understand the rules and because there are always adults around to watch over them. In addition, pupils report that if they have worries adults listen to them and help them.
• The school promotes safety well through a variety of assemblies, special events and visitors to school, as well as in the work they do in lessons. These support pupils’ understanding around issues such as using the internet, keeping themselves safe in their community, road safety and regarding bullying. Pupils know what to do if they are worried about anything, including how to report issues when using the internet or if they are outside of school.
• Bullying is rare, as supported by pupils’ and parents’ views, as well as the school’s own records. Pupils and parents also report that where there are concerns with bullying or behaviour, adults are very approachable and deal quickly and effectively with the concerns. Poor behaviour, including bullying, is rare because of this, as well as the school’s effective promotion of the need to respect each other and demonstrate kindness and consideration.
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive. They are keen to do well, as seen by the way they take teachers’ advice to make improvements to their work, which also supports the strong progress they make. Pupils also present their work well in English and mathematics. This is also usually the case in other subject areas, although there is a small proportion of pupils who do not take enough pride in their learning in the broader curriculum areas.
• Pupils are proud of their school because they feel they are well taught and have lots of exciting opportunities, especially in terms of the trips they can go on. They also enjoy the visitors and special events in school, which are closely linked to learning. For example, pupils have recently had the chance to use new technology to take a virtual tour of London ahead of a focused study of the capital city. Pupils take a pride in their appearance and take care of their learning environment.
• Classrooms are well organised and tidy.
• The pupils know how to keep themselves fit and healthy. Most pupils have a school dinner because, according to them, they are healthy and delicious. They also say that the wide range of sports help them to enjoy and engage with sport and that in PE lessons they learn a lot about the importance of healthy eating and regular exercise.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils’ conduct is good at different times of the day and they need few reminders about how to behave. Pupils move around school calmly and with purpose, eager to get to their next lesson. In the playground, it is common to see older and younger pupils playing and chatting harmoniously. their next lesson. In the playground, it is common to see older and younger pupils playing and chatting harmoniously.
• Pupils value the kindness and consideration shown by other pupils and adults. This means that the school is calm and poor behaviour, including bullying, is rare and decreasing over time.
• There are very few serious incidents and few minor incidents. Where these occur, they are dealt with effectively, meaning pupils do not generally repeatedly misbehave. Some pupils find it difficult to manage their behaviour and the school deals very effectively with these pupils. Pupils also recognise that some pupils find it difficult to behave well. When these pupils improve their behaviour, as they often do, pupils show real pride in their peers and are quick to congratulate them; they appreciate their efforts as it means there are now few interruptions to learning.
• Attendance is now above average. This represents a significant improvement since the last inspection, when attendance was well below average. Since that time, the school has made consistent improvements to all groups of pupils’ attendance so that now there are very small gaps between these groups. In addition, the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent is decreasing.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• From their starting points, pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. They increasingly reach the expected standard in these areas and an increasing proportion are now moving beyond the expected standards. As such, pupils in school are now well prepared for their next stage of learning, which is an improvement since the last inspection.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress and a high proportion are meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics. These pupils often do better than their peers in school. As such, the funding these pupils attract is well used.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. Some of these pupils do not reach the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics. However, from their starting points, they move on rapidly in the key areas, as well as in their ability to engage in the curriculum and work increasingly independently.
• Outcomes in reading are good, with an increasing proportion of pupils reaching and exceeding the expected standard by the time they reach the end of Year 6, meaning they are well prepared for the demands of secondary school.
• Writing outcomes are also good because pupils write regularly and often write in a broad range of subjects. This is not always the case, however, where teaching is less strong. Writing outcomes have also improved because pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar skills have improved to support more accurate and ambitious writing.
• The progress pupils make in mathematics is good. In mathematics lessons, pupils regularly reinforce their basic skills and have the chance to use and apply these skills which secures their learning and helps pupils recall their learning. However, in a small number of classes, there are missed opportunities to reinforce these skills more broadly across the curriculum subjects.
• Progress in the broader curriculum, such as in history, geography, science and French, is generally good because pupils are well engaged and enjoy their learning. However, in a minority of classes, outcomes in these areas are not as strong because the key skills are not well incorporated, and inspectors found evidence in pupils’ work of this slowing pupils’ progress.
• The most able pupils in the school make good progress and are very well prepared for their next stage of learning. This is because teaching meets their needs well, on the whole. In a small minority of classes, this is not the case and these pupils’ needs, alongside the least able pupils’ needs, are not met closely enough.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Teaching in the early years is excellent. Children generally arrive into Reception with levels of development typically below what is expected for their age. From these starting points, thanks to teaching matching their needs very closely, children make exceptional progress, with a high proportion reaching and exceeding a good level of development by the end of Reception, meaning they are very well prepared for Year 1.
• Different groups of children excel in the early years setting. There are high levels of mobility into the provision and, as is seen across the school, children settle quickly and their needs are quickly understood and met very well.
• Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities do very well in the setting. Their needs are very closely considered and all staff are very well trained to cater for them. All staff show excellent care of children with particular medical needs to ensure they are safe and thrive in class.
• Leadership of the early years is exceptional. Leaders have ensured that the indoor and outdoor setting provide exciting and varied opportunities to engage children in reading, writing and number work. The setting also challenges children to develop their fine and gross motor skills as well as their physical development very well. There are lots of opportunities to learn in pairs and in groups, reinforcing children’s personal, social and emotional development very well. As such, children’s conduct is exceptional, as is their willingness to learn.
• Teaching in Reception is outstanding. The teamwork between the lead teacher and other adults is very strong and means that children’s needs are always at the centre of all decisions made. All adults are highly skilled in interacting with children, questioning them and guiding them to make very rapid progress on an increasingly independent basis. In addition, adults’ interactions with children focus primarily on developing children’s communication skills. As a particularly weak area of their development on arrival, children make outstanding progress in this area, which supports them very well in other areas of their development and prepares them very well for Year 1.
• Assessment of children’s abilities is accurate and done regularly. This means the lead teacher can work with all adults to plan activities which fill in gaps in learning, as well as meeting children’s interests. This supports the excellent progress children make.
• Adults in the early years provision engage with parents very well. Parents report that they feel very well supported by adults and are well informed about how well their child is doing. They also receive pertinent advice about how to support their child at home. Furthermore, parents of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are particularly pleased with the support they receive and the provision for their children, who do very well in the setting.
• Safeguarding arrangements in the early years are effective so that children are safe. This is supported by the clear and well established routines in place which children understand well and which serve to keep them safe, helps them to feel safe and to feel settled.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 107535 Calderdale 10031027 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary controlled 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 193 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Michael James Emma Midgley 01422 350792 www.christchurch-pellon.calderdale.sch.uk admin@christchurch-pellon.calderdale.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 22–23 April 2015

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage.
• A much higher than average proportion of pupils is disadvantaged.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.
• Children enter the school in Reception on a full-time basis.
• The school is organised into seven classes.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in a range of lessons and through a scrutiny of work in pupils’ books.
• Inspectors observed and spoke with pupils during lessons and at breaktime. They also met formally with groups of pupils from Year 1 to Year 6. In addition, they spoke with pupils informally during lessons.
• Inspectors listened to some pupils read from Year 2 and Year 6.
• Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders. Meetings also took place with members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at pupils’ work and a range of documents, including the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, performance management procedures and pupils’ attendance data. Information about pupils’ progress and attainment was also examined.
• Inspectors considered 22 parental responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and spoke with parents as they brought their children to school.

Inspection team

Fiona McNally, lead inspector Marianne Young Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector