Christ Church CofE Primary School

Christ Church CofE Primary School is a warm, inclusive school where pupils feel safe and valued, and where safeguarding is effective. Inclusion and personal development are strengths: pupils' needs are identified early, support from staff and external professionals is generally well coordinated, disadvantaged pupils access wider opportunities, and the personal development programme, pastoral care, music provision and pupil leadership roles are notable. Pupils behave well overall, relationships are respectful and bullying is rare. The school is part of the Elements Diocesan Learning Trust and runs nursery provision; this was a full section 5 inspection. However, several important areas need attention. Some pupils leave key stage 2 without reaching expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics, especially disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, and too many pupils do not pass the phonics screening check at the end of year 1. Persistent absence remains high, and leaders do not yet monitor absence across different pupil groups rigorously enough. The curriculum and teaching are inconsistent across subjects, with weak sequencing and checks on learning, and some adaptations for SEND and disadvantaged pupils are not well matched to need. Early years provision is not consistently preparing children for key stage 1. Leaders have correctly identified priorities and are beginning to act, but change has not been timely enough to improve pupils' daily experience, and professional learning is not yet embedded. Governors and trustees are supportive and meet statutory duties, but their understanding of pupils' learning and leaders' impact is not sharp enough to provide strong challenge. The next steps focus on consistent curriculum implementation and sequencing, improving attendance, and embedding priority actions so impact is demonstrated over time.

Strengths

• Safeguarding standards are met, with an open culture and pupils who feel safe.
• Inclusion is a relative strength: pupils' needs are identified quickly and accurately.
• Leaders use pupil premium funding effectively to widen access to clubs, visits, music and residentials.
• Staff work closely with parents and external professionals to provide timely support.
• Pupils with SEND are generally well supported, and leaders monitor the impact of staff training.
• The personal development programme is well designed and age-appropriate.
• Pastoral support is effective, and pupils trust staff and know how to seek help.
• Pupils take on leadership roles such as anti-bullying ambassadors and digital leaders.
• Music is a strength, with a wide range of tuition and musical activities building confidence.
• Pupils are generally calm, well behaved and engaged, and bullying is rare.
• Relationships between pupils and staff are warm and respectful.
• Early years routines are clear and calm, helping children settle and feel safe.
• Leaders know the community and have identified appropriate priorities for improvement.
• Governors and trustees are supportive, visible and meet statutory duties.
• Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Published outcomes at the end of year 6 improved and were closer to national average last year.

Areas for Improvement

• Some pupils at the end of key stage 2 do not achieve well enough in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND are particularly affected by weaker outcomes.
• Too many pupils do not pass the phonics screening check at the end of year 1.
• Persistent absence remains high, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.
• Leaders do not monitor the absence of different pupil groups rigorously enough.
• Low-level behaviour in lessons is not always addressed by staff.
• Teaching is inconsistent across some subjects.
• Curriculum sequencing is not well planned, so knowledge does not build progressively.
• Teachers do not always check learning precisely or address gaps and misconceptions routinely.
• Adaptations for SEND, disadvantaged pupils and pupils known to social care are not always well matched to individual needs.
• Early years activities do not consistently align with intended learning.
• Staff interactions in early years are inconsistent in modelling language and extending thinking.
• Children do not always have enough time to practise and refine early reading and writing.
• Reception phonics teaching is not consistent enough.
• Leaders have not taken timely action to secure change and improve pupils' daily experience.
• Monitoring and impact of professional learning are in their infancy.
• Governors and trustees do not have a clear enough understanding of how well pupils are learning or the effectiveness of leaders' actions.
• Some pupils are not well prepared for their next stage of education.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Christ Church CofE Primary School attended 94.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.4% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.2% of pupils at Christ Church CofE Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). 2 pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Christ Church CofE Primary School had 19.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 11.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 14.2% of pupils at Christ Church CofE Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.3% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Christ Church CofE Primary School received £7,419 and spent £7,218 for each of its 543 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £197,000 (£363 per pupil).

Across all 20 schools of Elements Diocesan Learning Trust, income was £7,945 and spending £8,026 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bilston · Dudley local authority: places and applications

Christ Church CofE Primary School is part of Elements Diocesan Learning Trust, which runs 20 schools. The nearest others:

• Jesson's Church of England Primary School Dudley
• Netherton CofE Primary School Dudley
• St Mary's CofE Primary School Kingswinford
• Church of the Ascension CofE Primary School Kingswinford
• Pedmore CE Primary School Stourbridge
• St Oswald's CofE Primary School Kidderminster
• Crowle CofE Primary School Worcester
• Martley CofE Primary School Worcester
• Broadheath CofE Primary School Worcester
• Rushwick CofE Primary School Worcester

What is Christ Church CofE Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Christ Church CofE Primary School is Needs attention, from an inspection in June 2026.

When was Christ Church CofE Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Christ Church CofE Primary School was last inspected in June 2026.

How many pupils does Christ Church CofE Primary School have?

Christ Church CofE Primary School has 557 pupils on roll.

What age range does Christ Church CofE Primary School cover?

Christ Church CofE Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Christ Church CofE Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 62% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Christ Church CofE Primary School?

Christ Church CofE Primary School is at Church Road, Coseley, Bilston, West Midlands, WV14 8YB.