Christ Church CE Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Raise the attainment of all pupils by the end of Year 6, by:
  • making sure that teachers set work that is appropriately matched to the needs and abilities of pupils to enable them to reach their full potential in all lessons
  • ensuring that the systems for phonics teaching in Reception and Year 1 dovetail
  • together systematically to support the early reading skills of younger pupils improving the quality of resources in the Reception class to extend opportunities for children to further develop their imagination and curiosity
  • enabling more parents to provide greater support for their children’s learning and homework in key stages 1 and 2.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Senior leaders, the academy trust and governors have high aspirations for pupils’ academic and personal development based on Christian values. The headteacher has been uncompromising in her drive to improve the school since the last inspection. She has gained the confidence of staff, parents and pupils, who fully support her relentless drive for excellence. As a result, all areas of the school’s work have improved since the last inspection.
• The two assistant headteachers are adding their expertise and constant enthusiasm to a committed and experienced leadership team. Together with the academy trust, senior leaders and governors have created a fully inclusive school where all pupils are made to feel secure, valued and supported to achieve their best.
• Leaders track the progress of individual pupils regularly, particularly those who join the school during the academic year. Pupil progress meetings are used effectively to identify any gaps in an individual’s learning so that pupils falling behind can be given personalised support. This could be small-group work, individual support or in-class help. Pupils who speak English as an additional language receive excellent support to enable them to make rapid progress when they join the school.
• Pupils make good progress and thrive, whatever their ability or circumstances. This includes those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged. By the end of Year 6, pupils are confident and articulate and are well prepared for the next stage in their education.
• Teaching has improved since the last inspection due to more effective monitoring by subject leaders and stability in staffing. All staff are challenged positively and constructively through performance management, particularly in relation to teaching and assessment. This is linked to effective personalised training and support for teaching and non-teaching staff.
• Teachers and their assistants are appreciative of the efforts the headteacher has put into helping them improve their teaching through coaching, training and support from schools within the North Huddersfield Learning Community partnership. Teachers who are new to the profession are particularly well supported by the school and are about to present an account of their positive experience to a group of other newly qualified teachers within the local authority.
• The curriculum is effective in meeting pupils’ needs and rapidly improving their basic skills. It is enriched by opportunities for pupils to participate in exciting and memorable creative, musical, sporting and spiritual activities which promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well. Pupils benefit greatly from the forest school which is extremely effective in widening their experience of and care for the environment.
• There is no discrimination in this school. Consequently, pupils have a profound understanding of the multicultural nature of their school and the community within which they live. The development of pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values is at the very heart of the school’s work, evidenced clearly by the values of the school, which many pupils are proud to recite.
• Pupils demonstrate pride about and sensitivity towards each other’s differences which they study within their lessons, assemblies and through their collective worship. They also take part in visits and enrichment activities to secure their understanding of these values.
• The school uses additional government funding effectively to support disadvantaged pupils. Senior leaders closely review this support and adapt it where it may not be having the required impact on the progress of this group of pupils. As a result, these pupils make progress, from different starting points, in reading, writing and mathematics at a similar rate to all pupils nationally.
• The school uses the primary school sports funding well to increase the number of sports taught, and to improve the teaching of physical education. This contributes successfully to increasing pupils’ enjoyment of school and developing their understanding about how to be fit and lead healthy lives. The school recently became the first school in Kirklees to achieve the Sainsbury’s School Games gold award.
• Leadership of the early years is good and has improved since the time of the last inspection. Leaders have a precise understanding of the quality of provision in the early years and ensure that it is adapted in accordance with the diverse needs of children. Consequently, children’s outcomes in the early years have improved and are now in line with national levels for 2015.
• Leaders work closely with the academy trust, partner schools and the local authority to both receive and to provide valuable specialist expertise and support. This has helped to secure much improvement since the last inspection.

Governance of the school

• The governing body is well informed, evaluative and critical of its own work, as well of that of the school. It bases its actions on an accurate understanding of the school’s performance and is challenging leaders effectively. This is clearly evidenced by the collaboration between the academy trust and the local authority who work closely to extensively evaluate the work of the school. Together they provide an accurate assessment of the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ learning. The school uses this analysis well to target specific actions and plan for further improvement in teaching to improve the attainment of all pupils.
• Governors closely monitor and challenge leaders to demonstrate that the pupil premium and sports funding have a positive impact on pupils’ achievement.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders ensure that the school is a safe place for pupils and staff. Staff are well trained and they know how to raise concerns according to the latest guidelines. Governors undertake regular health and safety audits. Leaders are aware of the potential risks caused by sexual exploitation, radicalisation and extremism.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers and their assistants are dedicated, enthusiastic and hardworking. They have high expectations of their pupils which promote their good attitudes to learning from the moment they join the school. The attractive and well-presented classrooms demonstrate that staff lead by example to promote high standards in presentation, and positive learning behaviour for pupils.
• A new strategy for improving pupils’ writing is effective and is used consistently throughout the school. This is having a positive impact on pupils’ self-confidence and is enabling them to rapidly improve their understanding and use of higher level vocabulary. For example, all pupils in Year 3 thoroughly enjoyed using actions and expressions while reciting an extract from ‘Beowulf’. They used their understanding of anger and terror to write imaginatively and to use inverted commas accurately, when constructing a conversation between Beowulf and Grendel.
• Teachers and leaders combine their extensive subject knowledge and expertise well to create interesting plans for lessons. These are adapted flexibly to meet the wide ranging needs of pupils within each class. Reluctant writers, in particular boys, are inspired to write because themes are relevant and interesting. Year 6 pupils of all abilities debate passionately whether Disney princesses should be banned because they are poor role models. This promotes their understanding of democracy and enables pupils to improve their critical thinking skills. Pupils achieve high standards in discursive writing.
• Teachers adhere closely to the school’s marking policy which is well designed. The verbal and written discussion between teachers, their assistants and pupils is overwhelmingly positive. Pupils, particularly in key stage 2, clearly understand what they need to do to improve to successfully reach their challenging targets.
• There is clear evidence to demonstrate the positive impact of the revised intervention programme across all classes. Pupils with specific barriers to learning and complex needs are ably supported by caring and highly competent staff. Where pupils struggle with their learning, this is quickly identified and an effective range of personalised support helps them to catch up.
• The teaching of phonics is improving; however there are inconsistencies in the effectiveness of this between the early years and key stage 1. Pupils are gaining in confidence in their use and application of their phonics knowledge but not all use this well to tackle unfamiliar words in their reading.
• The school places great emphasis on promoting pupils’ love of reading. The school library is enticing and encourages pupils to use daily reading sessions to explore a wide range of books in almost every genre. Pupils respond well to the positive comments from adults in their reading records and their reading skills are improving rapidly.
• Mathematics is taught very effectively. Tasks are demanding and enable pupils to deepen their understanding, as well as apply their mathematical skills to solve real-life problems in a range of subjects – not only mathematics.
• The homework set by teachers is not yet used well to consolidate the learning that takes place at school. The school has worked hard to encourage greater participation of parents but further opportunities are needed to enable parents to contribute more to their children’s learning.
• Pupils’ work in their books is generally well presented, showing a good level of care and pride in their achievements. Their art work is of a particularly high standard and they enjoy using the wide range of materials and sensory resources available to them. Pupils participate enthusiastically during lessons, they respond maturely when working together and they enjoy problem-solving activities, particularly in science lessons. Pupils of all ages listen carefully and show resilience when tasks are difficult.
• Teachers use accurate information about what individual pupils know and can do very effectively to plan work that closely meets pupils’ needs and inspires them to learn. As a result, pupils, including the most able, make at least good progress over time.
• Teachers and teaching assistants use questions expertly to challenge and deepen pupils’ thinking and learning. They use pupils’ responses to address misconceptions and to provide prompt support when pupils need it.
• There are a few occasions when pupils lose concentration and become distracted in lessons as a result of work not being at the most appropriate level for them. This does slow their learning and on occasion, results in their producing little or untidy work.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• The school provides a positive environment with a purposeful atmosphere for learning. Praise and rewards are given frequently by all staff. Consequently, pupils are happy, polite and very caring. The mutual respect between pupils and adults ensures that the skills of individual pupils are valued, their talents nurtured and their self-confidence is improved.
• Pupils are proud of their achievements and they aspire to join the increasing number of ‘proud pupils’, who are rewarded for being pro-active, responsible and respectful, outstanding, unique and dedicated. They talk enthusiastically about their ‘proud pupil passport’ and are keen to acquire their coloured badges in recognition of their status in school. Proud pupils are keen to take on extra responsibilities such as celebration assembly coordinators and early years helpers. Pupils elected to the school council take this role very seriously, making sure that they represent the views of their classmates responsibly.
• Pupils feel safe and secure in the school and they are content here. Pupils report feeling very safe at school. They know how to keep themselves safe in and around the school, as well as online. The school’s work with outside agencies is very effective and there are well-established systems in place to offer help and support to pupils and their families. This ensures that the school’s work to support the learning and welfare needs of pupils whose circumstances may make them feel vulnerable is excellent.
• Parents and pupils value highly the nurturing support provided by all staff, and the opportunity to ‘meet and greet’ the headteacher who is at the school gate every morning. As one parent explained, ‘all staff are friendly and approachable and work really hard to do the best for the children… staff encourage children to succeed and try as hard as they can’.
• Pupils can explain accurately and confidently how to keep themselves healthy and they enjoy the opportunity to grow their own vegetables. More pupils are taking part in a wider range of physical activities such as dance and gym. A number of pupils are proud members of a majorette troupe.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Staff set high standards for behaviour to which pupils respond very well. Pupils are polite, respectful and kind towards each other and adults. The school is a happy, welcoming and harmonious place, which can only be described as ‘an oasis of calm’. From an early age, children are taught well how to consider the feelings of others and that their actions have consequences.
• Pupils, in all year groups, are keen to learn. They speak with confidence about what they are learning and display consistently strong attitudes to their work. One pupil told the inspector, ‘It’s cool to learn.’
• Attendance has improved significantly from the time of the last inspection and is consistently above average. Effective strategies are in place to tackle absences, and staff work hard to involve other professionals where necessary. Actions taken are having a positive impact on the attendance and punctuality of individual pupils and families.
• The introduction of the ‘nurture’ and ‘thrive’ groups, and opportunities for pupils to spend time in the ‘Walden Suite’ and the reflection area, are having a marked impact on improving the behaviour of pupils, some of whom find it difficult to always concentrate in lessons.
• Pupils respond well to the vibrant and interesting displays in corridors, showing the wide range of opportunities they have to enhance their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• Pupils conduct themselves very well around the school. Any incidents of poor behaviour are dealt with in a timely and effective way.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Leaders’ tracking of pupils’ outcomes is robust, rigorous and accurate. Increasingly, this information is used well by teachers to plan learning according to the individual needs of pupils, particularly in early years, key stage 2, and for those pupils who join the school at different times of the school year.
• Children join the early years with skills that are well below those typical for their age. By the end of the Reception Year, many children make rapid progress in their learning. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development continues to improve. Outcomes in 2016 were above the national average reported for 2015.
• The attainment of pupils at the end of key stage 1 remains low and, despite improvements, pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is below that seen nationally at the end of year 6.
• The large number of pupils who join or leave the school during a key stage, and the high proportion of pupils with multiple needs, have a marked impact on the profile of the attainment of pupils when compared to national benchmarks.
• From their starting points, a higher than average proportion of pupils make or exceed the progress expected of them by the end of key stage 2. Disadvantaged pupils also make similar, and sometimes better, progress from their starting points than similar pupils nationally. The progress made by all pupils is good and there is evidence that it is also rapid for pupils for whom English is an additional language.
• In 2016, all of the most able pupils made the progress expected of them in reading, writing and mathematics and the majority achieved the highest scores. Lower and middle attaining pupils made better progress in writing than in reading or mathematics. Currently, the most able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are making at least good progress.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive carefully tailored support from highly skilled staff. In 2016, the majority of this group of pupils made more than expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils of all abilities achieve high standards in art and science. They thoroughly enjoy the opportunities they have to learn to bake and how to write computer programs. Pupils in Year 3 are trying hard to extend their ability to play the violin.
• Work in pupils’ books in all classes demonstrates that, as a result of better teaching and effective individual support, a higher proportion of pupils are working at least at the standard expected of them.

Early years provision Good

• Children make at least good progress in the early years from very low starting points. An increasing number of children begin with weak communication and language skills and they make rapid progress which ensures that they are very well prepared for Year 1. Over the last three years, the proportion of pupils achieving a good level of development has continued to improve across almost all strands of learning.
• The leadership and management of the early years is highly effective. The leaders constantly review and refine practice to secure high standards of provision for the differing needs of children from year to year.
• Leaders ensure that all adults have high expectations for children’s development. Routines to develop children’s social and emotional skills are established quickly and effectively. Children are taught to listen, share and take turns. Adults model positive and supportive behaviour, which children follow.
• Teaching in the early years is very strong. Adults tailor the curriculum to meet the needs of individual children successfully, thus motivating and challenging them extremely well. The ‘sunshine room’ support is highly effective to ensure that children receive highly specialised support to rapidly improve their attainment and/or behaviour in specific areas.
• Adults plan and teach stimulating activities that motivate children to learn and rapidly develop their skills and knowledge. The outdoor resources, and particularly the forest school, support this process very effectively. As leaders acknowledge, the indoor resources in Reception are not as well designed to enable children to develop their imagination and curiosity without adult intervention.
• Adults complete frequent and detailed assessments of children’s progress. Crucially, adults use these assessments skilfully to ensure that future activities provide the next steps in learning.
• Leaders are fostering strong relationships with parents and carers. A high proportion of parents benefit from the specialist workshops which improve their understanding about how to contribute to the children’s learning and assessment.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 138584 Kirklees 10012076 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 Academy 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 217 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Kevin Jones Lisa Walton-Thorpe Telephone number 01484 226595 Website Email address www.christchurchcofeacademy.co.uk office@christchurchcofeacademy.co.uk Date of previous inspection 7–8 May 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its

website.

• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• The school is part of the Enhance Academy Trust of six primary schools. It is also a member of The North Huddersfield Learning Community.
• The school is an average-sized primary school.
• The early years provision is provided on a part-time basis in the Nursery and full-time in the Reception class.
• An above-average proportion of pupils enter or leave the school at different times during the academic year.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those pupils with an education, health and care plan is above average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, that is those pupils who receive support through the pupil premium funding, is above the national average.
• A higher than average number of pupils belong to minority ethnic groups.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than average.
• The school provides a breakfast club in partnership with Huddersfield Town Football Club.
• The school became a ‘Forest School’ in January 2015 and a ‘Thrive School’ in September 2015.
• The school met the government’s current floor standards in 2015.
• The school employs three school improvement partners via the Enhance Academy Trust.
• The school has received support in the form of external monitoring, moderation and evaluation from a local national leader of education.
• The school’s literacy specialist leader of education and SENCo provide support to other schools within the academy trust and Kirklees Local Authority.
• Work to replace the roof of the school building is currently in progress.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited all classes to observe lessons. Four observations were conducted jointly, involving the headteacher and two assistant headteachers of the school.
• The behaviour of pupils in classrooms, in the playground, in the dining hall and around the school was observed by inspectors.
• A range of information and documentation for the multi-academy trust and the school was examined, including pupils’ progress and attainment information.
• Inspectors visited the school’s breakfast club and the school assembly celebrating Black History Month.
• Inspectors met with representatives from the multi-academy trust as well as governors, including the former and new chairs of the governing body. Meetings were also held with several other leaders in the school, the local authority and two independent school advisers.
• Pupils’ work was sampled informally in lessons and children’s work in books and on display was scrutinised. Inspectors also spoke with pupils about their work informally during lessons, listened to pupils reading and met with groups of pupils, including the ‘proud pupils’ group, to discuss their learning and listen to their views about their school.
• Inspectors took account of all 22 staff questionnaires returned and the 14 responses from parents following the recent survey of parents’ views conducted by the school.
• Inspectors also considered the views of those parents spoken with informally at the school gates.

Inspection team

Cathy Morgan, lead inspector Ella Besharati

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector