Canon Popham CofE Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Canon Popham C of E Primary Academy Church Balk, Edenthorpe, Doncaster, South Yorkshire DN3 2PP

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 October 2022

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Outcome

Canon Popham C of E Primary Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

At Canon Popham, pupils enjoy coming to school. Their teachers make learning fun. Pupils are well behaved, polite and eager to talk about what they like about their school. They are engaged in their lessons. At social times, they play actively and benefit from the facilities that are provided for them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kind to each other. Bullying is a rare event. Pupils say that the ‘understanding grown-ups’ make them feel safe at school. They know adults will support them and intervene if they need them. The school has recently introduced ‘time to talk’ sessions. During the inspection, older pupils spoke with maturity about their discussions in these sessions. They were able to make links about Christianity and other faiths, for example when talking about the concept of generosity in Christianity and Islam. Pupils enjoy a wide-ranging programme of extra-curricular sport and also have the opportunity to sing in a choir.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are positive about the school. The overwhelming majority, who responded to Ofsted’s Parent View survey, would recommend the school. The parents who spoke to the inspector were just as positive. One parent summed up the views of many when they wrote, ‘The school is excellent with caring, professional staff.’

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

Leaders have created a broad and rich curriculum, which they keep under constant review. They are reflective, always striving to make things even better. Leaders have identified areas of the curriculum that they want to improve further. This is to ensure that pupils can build on existing knowledge and apply this confidently across the curriculum.

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

Reading is a priority. The trust has provided the resources so that early readers are able to practise their reading with books that precisely match their knowledge. Staff are confident that they have the expertise to teach reading well. They have benefited from high-quality training and support. Pupils enjoy listening to stories every day. Leaders think 11 to 12 October 2022

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carefully about the stories and poetry that pupils will enjoy. At key stage 1, there is an emphasis on a range of stories that the pupils will get to know very well. Teachers read these with real gusto and children join in. The programme of teaching phonics is well sequenced. There is effective support for those who fall behind and for those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The reading curriculum at key stage 2 is well planned, including careful teaching of vocabulary and grammar. However, there is sometimes an overemphasis on certain strategies such as inference and prediction. As a result, some pupils are not positive about reading for pleasure.

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Pupils delight in mathematics, often citing it as one of their favourite subjects. Pupils enjoy the mathematical problems they are given. They relish their in-depth challenges and are encouraged to learn from their mistakes. The teaching of mathematics is well planned in early years. During the inspection, the nursery class children were learning to draw circles, while in the Reception class children were involved in a range of activities through which they applied their knowledge of numbers one to ten. Children were seen to be gaining new knowledge rapidly. Older pupils were confident in their knowledge of times tables. Pupils with SEND are supported well. They access the full curriculum or, where appropriate, follow a bespoke offer. Teachers are confident in the teaching of mathematics. They are positive about the support and training they have received to help them to deliver the curriculum.

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There is a new curriculum in art and design. This has been planned collaboratively across several trust schools. Pupils in the nursery class have drawn self-portraits with their fingers, while in reception they are developing their use of brushes and pencils well. Drawing is being carefully taught throughout school. Staff are clear on the how the important knowledge that pupils need is being broken down into small steps. Year 5 talk confidently about perspective and surrealism.

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In some foundation subjects, the curriculum does not help pupils to remember important knowledge consistently well. Some pupils struggle to apply previous knowledge as they move through the school. For example, in art when asked what they had studied previously, pupils were less confident in their answers and struggled to remember important concepts.

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The personal development of pupils is a priority for leaders. There is an ambitious personal, heath, social and economic education programme. The emphasis on pupils’ personal development also supports the positive behaviour of pupils. Reception Year children were already learning the routines and expectations that make Canon Popham such a positive place to learn as they sat patiently waiting for the other classes to assemble for worship.

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Staff are proud to work at the school, which they say is well led by the new executive headteacher and head of school. They describe themselves as a ‘happy, supportive team’. The school is well supported by the multi-academy trust.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 11 to 12 October 2022

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The well-being of pupils is at the heart of all leaders do. This work is underpinned by the Christian ethos of the school. As a result, there is a strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders ensure that the correct procedures are followed when appointing staff. Prompt referrals are made if they are required. Careful records are kept, and leaders take timely actions if needed. Staff receive regular training and understand their responsibilities in keeping pupils safe. Staff ensure that pupils know how to keep themselves safe both off and online. Governors and the trust ensure that this work is carried out to the highest standard.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the curriculum is not supporting pupils to remember important knowledge. As a result, pupils can struggle to apply previous knowledge as they move through the school. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is always well sequenced and that teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to review and recall key knowledge. This will enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of important subject concepts and be able to build on this knowledge.

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Background

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

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Canon Popham Church of England (VA) Primary and Nursery School, to be good in April 2016.

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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. 11 to 12 October 2022

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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. 11 to 12 October 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241366 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school opened as an academy in July 2018.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2022.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school was judged to be good at its most recent inspection of denominational education and the content of the school’s collective worship under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place on 15 February 2017. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next section 48 inspection will be within eight years of the previous section 48 inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 11 to 12 October 2022

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 The inspector met with the executive headteacher, head of school, subject leaders and other members of staff. The inspector met with those responsible for governance, including the chair of the governing body, the chair of the trust and a trustee, the chief executive of the trust and the deputy chief executive of the trust.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour both in lessons, at breaktimes and at lunchtimes. The inspector gathered pupils’ views from both formal and informal discussions.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation and improvement plan.  The inspector checked the school’s single central record, met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead, and reviewed safeguarding information.  The inspector met with parents and carers. They took account of the responses to Ofsted’s parent survey, Ofsted Parent View. The inspectors also took account of the

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responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Andrew Cummings, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 to 12 October 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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