Christ The King Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Christ The King Catholic Primary is a school where everyone is welcome. The school's distinctive ethos is at the centre of learning. It is characterised by inclusive relationships based on nurture and respect.

Pupils behave well. They are happy and safe. Pupils trust staff to support and guide them.

Leaders have an accurate view of the school. They correctly identified that pupils were underachieving. Therefore, the school has overhauled its curriculum in many areas.

It is now ambitious, with sharply focused plans to develop the quality of education. The curriculum is now broad and well organised. Expectations for all pupils' achievement have risen.

...However, this work is still in the early stages. As a result, the quality of education that pupils receive is not good.

Pupils develop their talents and interests through clubs such as choir and football.

They benefit from visits to places of interest and enrichment experiences. These help to bring the curriculum to life. For example, pupils further their knowledge of geography and science through visits from a mobile planetarium.

Pupils build a sense of citizenship through their involvement in civic events. For example, older pupils host Christmas dinner for members of the local community.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Since the last inspection, the school, with the support of the trust, has considerably strengthened the curriculum.

It sets out the important knowledge and skills pupils need to learn. However, the curriculum is not routinely implemented well. The school does not have sufficient oversight of some areas of curriculum responsibility.

As a result, the curriculum is not always taught well. Where this is the case, pupils do not build their knowledge and skills as they should. In addition, checks made on pupils' learning do not identify the extent of pupils' knowledge.

Therefore, teachers move pupils through some curriculum subjects without addressing ongoing gaps in their knowledge, and other pupils do not move on to deepening or extending their learning.

Staff get to know children quickly in the early years. Children begin to develop their understanding in all areas of learning.

Nonetheless, there are not sufficient deliberately planned opportunities for children to build their knowledge and skills effectively.

There is a renewed focus around reading. Pupils learn about the range of human experience through books and stories.

This helps them to understand and relate to the diversity of modern Britain. Pupils speak positively about the books they have read and their favourite authors. Bedtime story initiatives have raised the profile of reading.

Pupils appreciate opportunities to read for pleasure.

Children begin to learn to read as soon as they start school. Books used to practise reading match the phonics sounds they know.

Those who fall behind receive precise support to help them catch up. As a result, pupils quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers. However, as pupils progress up the school, the way that reading is taught does not help them to develop their wider reading knowledge and skills.

This is reflected in disappointing published outcomes at the end of key stage 2.

The school accurately identifies and meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff have a secure understanding of how to support pupils.

They make suitable adaptions, which help pupils in their learning. However, pupils with SEND are subject to the same curriculum deficiencies as their peers.

The personal development programme for pupils is a strength of the school.

Pupils know their moral responsibility to respect and embrace people's differences. The school is rightly proud of the pastoral support it provides for pupils and their families. Pupils appreciate the 'Rainbow room' and 'Nurture nest' as places for calm and reflection.

Pupils play an active part in their school. For example, school councillors organise fundraising events to purchase additional playtime equipment. Through opportunities like these, pupils develop a sense of responsibility.

The school's determination and work to improve behaviour have been successful. Pupils behave well. They value the rewards they receive for making positive choices about their learning and behaviour.

Beyond the classroom, pupils socialise happily. The school works relentlessly to improve pupils' rates of attendance. Analysis is used to gain an understanding of any causes of absence.

Staff use innovative strategies to reduce absence. While attendance is still below national averages, it has notably improved.

The school has undergone a period of turbulence in staffing, which has begun to stabilise.

The trust and local CAST governors have provided support and challenge to the school. Along with leaders, they have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and areas to develop. They are not complacent and continue to drive well-judged improvements forward at pace.

Staff appreciate the support they receive from leaders for their well-being and workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The use of assessment does not identify whether pupils have learned the curriculum as intended.

Therefore, gaps in pupils' understanding are not identified and rectified. The trust and the school need to ensure that teachers' use of assessment informs subsequent curriculum planning and teaching, so that all pupils learn successfully. ? The school has not ensured that staff have the knowledge required to deliver the curriculum as intended.

This means pupils do not reach the focused curriculum goals.The trust and the school should ensure that teachers have the subject and pedagogical knowledge they need to deliver the curriculum securely. ? The school does not have sufficient oversight of some areas of curriculum responsibility.

As a result, the curriculum is not always implemented consistently well. Where this is the case, pupils do not build their knowledge and skills as they should. The trust and the school should ensure that all school leaders have the knowledge they need to assure themselves that the curriculum is implemented effectively.

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