Canon Johnson CofE Primary School

Canon Johnson CE Primary School Elgin Street, Ashton-Under-Lyne, Lancashire, OL7 9DD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The majority of pupils make good progress and learn well in reading, writing and mathematics.  Since the last inspection attainment in English and mathematics has improved significantly and is now in line with the national average.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy their reading and their skills in this are particularly strong. Those who have fallen behind are given effective help to catch up.  Teaching and learning are good across the school and some teaching is outstanding. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and deliver lessons that capture pupils’ interest and help them to learn well.  Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good; children make particularly good progress in communication, reading and personal and social development.  Pupils enjoy being in school. They are safe, well looked after and have good relationships with each other and with adults in the school. They behave well and are keen to learn.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Attendance has improved significantly since the last inspection and is now above average.  The headteacher, strongly supported by the senior leadership team and the governing body, provides very clear direction, focused on improving teaching and learning and based upon a rigorous and accurate analysis of the school’s work.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some lessons do not ensure that the needs of the more-able pupils are fully met.  The proportion of the more-able pupils making more than expected progress is not yet high enough.  Opportunities are missed for pupils to work independently of the teacher and to practise their basic skills in subjects other than English and mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 17 lessons, of which 14 were joint observations with senior leaders. In addition, the inspection team made a number of short visits to lessons conducted by teachers and trained assistants.  Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body, a representative of the local authority and school staff, including middle and senior managers.  No responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) were available prior to the inspection but inspectors took account of responses to a parental questionnaire recently carried out by the school.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Judith Tolley, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Peter McKay Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Canon Johnson CE Primary is smaller than average.  Pupils are predominantly of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is lower than average as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above average and the proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average but varies from year to year.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is above average.  The school has a number of awards including Healthy Schools Award and Activemark.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment and accelerate progress further by: - using assessment information more effectively to better meet the needs of all pupils, particularly to challenge the more able - ensuring that marking and lesson planning are linked more closely to pupils’ individual targets - providing more opportunities for pupils to work independently of the teacher to solve problems - enabling pupils to practise their basic skills in reading, writing and numeracy in lessons other than English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards in English and mathematics are in line with the national average. Since the last inspection standards have risen year on year and continue to rise. The majority of pupils make more than expected progress from their starting points and this compares favourably with national figures.  Although the more-able pupils make satisfactory progress from their starting points, they do not always meet their full potential because the tasks they are set are sometimes too easy and do not challenge them as much as they might.  Many pupils join the school with attainment that is well below that expected for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, particularly in developing their communication, reading and personal and social skills. They enter Year 1 confident and enthusiastic learners, ready to access the Key Stage 1 curriculum.  Pupils continue to make good progress as they move through the school. By the end of Year 6

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The achievement of pupils is good

their attainment is in line with the national average in writing and mathematics and above average in reading. They read a variety of texts fluently and write accurately for a variety of purposes and audiences.  The school’s actions to raise standards and accelerate progress in reading and writing have proved successful. Pupils who have fallen behind or who have special educational needs or behavioural difficulties are helped through a variety of well tailored intervention strategies and mentoring. As a result these pupils participate successfully in whole-class activities and also make good progress from their starting points.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The overall quality of teaching over time is good and leads to good progress.  Teachers present new ideas clearly and activities engage pupils’ interest from the outset. For instance, Year 2 pupils were excited about the idea of a penguin on the loose in the area around school and were keen to write a description of what they had seen and clues as to its whereabouts.  The teaching of reading is systematic and consistent across the school. Pupils are excited about reading and say how much they enjoy it. In a Year 6 lesson pupils conducted lively discussions deciding which genre short stories belonged to, finding evidence from the texts to support their views.  Pupils make the best progress when they are given the opportunity to work collaboratively with a partner to explore ideas and solve problems.  Teachers check understanding regularly and adapt their lessons effectively to correct misapprehensions.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Display is used effectively to celebrate achievement and to support learning.  Teachers and teaching assistants work very effectively as teams to plan and deliver lessons. They use questioning very effectively to support and extend pupils’ thinking.  On the whole, assessment information is used to good effect to match work and resources to pupils’ needs, although in some lessons the more-able pupils are not challenged sufficiently, find work too easy and the pace of their learning slows.  Marking is thorough and usually gives pupils good guidance about how to improve their work in English and mathematics but is not always directly linked to individual targets. Marking in subjects other than English rarely focuses on improving pupils’ writing skills.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well. They are kind and considerate to each other and play well together, organising playground games. They take responsibility seriously and are proud of their contribution to the school through, for example, the school council and ECO committee.  They have good relationships with adults, feel safe and are confident that any poor behaviour is dealt with promptly and effectively. They are aware of the different forms of bullying that can take place and know how to deal with it. They know how to stay safe and have a good understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Take-up of extracurricular activities, including sport, is good.  Children with behavioural difficulties benefit from programmes tailored to their needs and this has had a positive impact upon their learning and their personal development.  The school has worked well with outside agencies and with parents to improve punctuality and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

attendance. Attendance rates have risen significantly to above average and persistent absence has decreased.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher’s vision for the school and her relentless drive for improvement are shared by all staff.  The senior leadership team monitor the work of the school rigorously. They have an accurate view of the school’s performance and how to improve further through the monitoring of teaching and learning. This, and the robust analysis of pupils’ progress, trigger appropriate interventions for pupils and training for staff.  As a result of the actions taken by senior leaders to improve the quality of teaching and learning, standards have risen year on year and progress has accelerated. Teachers work well as a team and regularly share good practice. This is evident in the consistency of approach across the school.  Self-evaluation is accurate and priorities identified form the basis for improvement planning, which is focused on improving teaching and learning, raising attainment and accelerating

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The leadership and management are good

progress.  Safeguarding meets government requirements.  There are good links with the local high school as well as with pre-school settings and the local network of schools. Pupils also benefit from workshops provided by the local college and university.  The curriculum meets the needs and interests of the pupils well. It is effectively adapted for pupils with special educational needs, those with behavioural difficulties and those at the early stages of learning English as an additional language. It is enriched by themed days, a wide range of clubs and sporting activities, visits and visitors. Pupils benefit from specialist teaching in physical education and Spanish, have the opportunity to learn to play an instrument and to work alongside artists and poets.  Pupils have frequent opportunities to reflect and appreciate their own skills and the skills of others. This is very successful in increasing pupils’ confidence and promotes their spiritual,

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The leadership and management are good

moral, social and cultural development effectively.  The local authority has provided effective support for the school for the teaching of English, which has improved the quality of teaching in this subject. It now provides light touch support for this good school.  The governance of the school: - demonstrates a very good understanding of the strengths and areas which need to be improved in the school - is very supportive and well-equipped to hold school leaders to account.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 106243 Local authority Tameside Inspection number 405029

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3-11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 219 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tom Wragg Headteacher Susan Warburton Date of previous school inspection 8 November 2010 Telephone number 0161 3303169 Fax number 0161 3319328 Email address admin@canonjohnson.co.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,

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School details

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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