Canon Pyon CofE Academy

Inspection of an outstanding school: Canon Pyon Church of England Academy Canon Pyon, Hereford, Herefordshire HR4 8PF

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s judgement of outstanding as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Canon Pyon Church of England Academy is a small village school where pupils thrive. The school has strong links with the local community and staff work closely with families. As one pupil said, ‘Everyone knows each other very well.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s Christian ethos is promoted through its values – referred to as TREES: ‘Together, Respect, Encourage, Endeavour and Self-belief’. Pupils understand these values and reflect them in how they treat each other. They care about others and look after one another. Many visit the playground ‘buddy stop’, where they invite other children into their games and conversations. Relationships are positive. Bullying is extremely rare. Pupils trust adults to sort problems out. This helps all pupils to feel happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders place great emphasis on promoting pupils’ self-belief and confidence. Some pupils have leadership responsibilities. For example, head pupils and house captains contribute to making decisions about the school. Many pupils have had the opportunity to represent their school in sports competitions. This has instilled their sense of pride in the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations for pupils. Pupils enjoy studying a broad range of subjects. However, the curriculum could be improved even further to ensure that pupils reach their full potential.

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

There have been recent changes in the leadership of the school. Leaders, including those responsible for governance, have a clear vision. They aim to provide pupils with an exceptional education. Leaders know the school well. They have identified areas they intend to refine to improve the school further. They are especially focused on developing the quality of the curriculum. 1 March 2022

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Curriculum leaders have set out the important information they expect pupils to know and remember in each subject. Teachers present this subject matter clearly. They provide useful explanations to help all pupils understand new concepts and strategies. Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities well. This helps these pupils to access a broad range of subjects.

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Staff ask questions and make checks on pupils’ understanding during lessons. This helps them identify pupils who need extra support. Curriculum leaders know how much of the curriculum pupils know and remember in subjects such as mathematics and English. However, in some subjects, the approach to assessment is not yet fully developed. This makes it hard for leaders to know the progress that pupils make over time.

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Staff are experienced and understand the aims of the school’s curriculum. They plan lessons that stimulate pupils’ thinking and promote a love of learning. Leaders advance teachers’ development through professional networking. This includes opportunities to work with staff from other local schools. However, there is some variation in adults’ subject knowledge. Sometimes, the tasks that teachers set are not well matched to pupils’ abilities. This limits pupils’ learning.

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Children start learning to read as soon as they join the school in Reception Year. They have daily phonics lessons where they learn in small groups. Leaders have ensured that the books pupils read are well matched to their ability. Staff work well with parents and carers to ensure that pupils read these books regularly. This helps pupils to become fluent readers quickly. In addition, teachers work hard to promote a love of reading in the school. For example, they have arranged for pupils to work with those from other year groups as reading buddies. Pupils are enthusiastic about this work. They enjoy the opportunity to read out loud with others.

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Pupils behave well. They listen carefully in lessons and are keen to learn. They treat others with courtesy and give visitors a friendly welcome to the school. School routines are well established. For example, pupils swiftly and sensibly return to class at the end of lunchtime ready for afternoon lessons. Incidents of poor behaviour are extremely rare. Nevertheless, leaders have systems to record such incidents when they happen.

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Leaders promote pupils’ personal development well. This helps to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. For example, pupils learn about healthy relationships in personal, social, health and economic education. In addition, they learn about democracy and the rule of law. Pupils see democracy in action when voting for house captains. Some of the extra- curricular activities that the school typically offers have been disrupted by the pandemic. Leaders have already reintroduced a range of after-school sports clubs, and now intend to arrange a broader range of activities.

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The members of the small staff team work well together. Leaders have made the school a happy place for adults to work in. Staff’s high morale impacts positively on pupils’ experiences. 1 March 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are diligent in fulfilling their statutory safeguarding duties. They make the necessary checks about the suitability of adults who work at and visit the school. They maintain accurate records of these checks.

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Safeguarding

Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. They know what to do if they have any concerns about a child. Leaders work well with external agencies and put timely support in place when needed.

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Safeguarding

The school’s curriculum raises pupils’ awareness of how to protect themselves from potential harm. For example, pupils learn about potential risks when using the internet and actions they can take to protect themselves.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders’ approach to assessing what pupils know and remember is not fully developed. This makes it difficult for teachers to know the progress that pupils are making. Leaders should ensure that teachers know how well pupils are doing in all subjects.  There is some variation in staff expertise. Staff do not always choose learning activities that help pupils learn as well as they might. Leaders should continue to develop staff subject knowledge so that they become more expert in all the subjects that they teach.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in March 2016. 1 March 2022

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 1 March 2022

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Date of previous inspection

10 and 11 March 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is within the Diocese of Hereford. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place on 8 June 2015. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next inspection will be within eight years of the previous section 48 inspection.  A new executive headteacher started at the school in September 2021.  The head of school was employed from within the school. She started as head of school in September 2019.  The school has four mixed-year group classes.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 1 March 2022

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 Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, the head of school and teachers.  The lead inspector met with trustees and a representative of the diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to pupils read.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, around the school and at lunchtime. They spoke to pupils about their opinions of behaviour at the school.  Inspectors reviewed records relating to the school’s safeguarding procedures. This included checking the school’s single central record. The lead inspector also held a

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meeting with the leader responsible for safeguarding.  An inspector considered responses on Ofsted’s Parent View. The inspector also took account of responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Leonard, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Matt Meckin Ofsted Inspector 1 March 2022

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regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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