Canon Johnson CofE Primary School

Inspection of Canon Johnson CofE Primary School Elgin Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire OL7 9DD

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 24 and 25 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils comment that they are happy to come to school because of the warm welcome they receive from their teachers every morning. They say that all staff are friendly. Pupils who join the school at different times of the year are quickly made to feel at home. Pupils comment that they feel safe because leaders and staff listen to them if they have a problem. Bullying is rare. Should it happen, leaders resolve it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils behave well. They are polite to adults and to each other. In lessons, they are keen to learn. They follow teachers’ ‘silent signals’ without hesitation. In the playground, they enjoy using the wide range of newly installed play equipment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff want all pupils to succeed, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils try hard to live up to these high expectations. They enjoy their lessons and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from many opportunities to enrich their learning. All year groups, including children in Nursery and Reception, visit places in the locality to broaden their learning. For Year 6 pupils, the highlight of the spring term was a residential visit to an activity centre in Yorkshire.

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better?

Over recent years, with the support of the trust, leaders have developed a curriculum that is broad and ambitious. The curriculum provides pupils with strong foundations in mathematics, reading and writing. Leaders have thought carefully about the wider curriculum so that it meets the needs of their pupils and is relevant to their diverse backgrounds. They have a secure understanding of what children in the early years need to know so that they are prepared for the key stage 1 curriculum.

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better?

Leaders have designed most subject curriculums well so that pupils build logically on what they have learned before. However, in a few subjects, they have not defined in sufficient detail the content they want pupils to learn. As a result, in these subjects, pupils do not acquire in depth some of the essential knowledge and skills they need for their future learning.

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better?

In most lessons, teachers implement the curriculum well. Children in the Nursery and Reception years benefit from well-thought-through approaches to developing their speech, vocabulary and understanding of numbers. Across the school, teachers have strong subject knowledge. However, in a few subjects, they have not thought carefully enough about the best way to teach important ideas or knowledge. This 24 and 25 May 2023

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means that, sometimes, pupils leave these lessons with only a partial understanding of what the teacher wants them to know and remember.

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Teachers know their pupils well. They circulate around their classrooms to check regularly that each pupil understands what they have taught. Pupils listen carefully to the advice that staff give them and, in most cases, respond by improving their work. Staff provide effective support for any pupils who find learning difficult.

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Reading is a priority across the school. Leaders comment that their aim is to teach pupils to read and then to keep them reading regularly and often. They have ensured that there is a wide range of enjoyable, high-quality fiction and non-fiction books for pupils to read. Pupils comment that they enjoy reading and read frequently. Leaders, with the support of the trust, have developed an effective phonics curriculum so that pupils, including those with SEND, learn to read with fluency and accuracy. Staff are quick to spot those pupils who struggle to read. Well- trained staff provide support to help them keep up with their peers.

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Leaders and governors have high aspirations for pupils with SEND. Leaders identify the needs of these pupils accurately. Staff are confident in using the information that they provide to help pupils with SEND to learn well. These pupils follow all aspects of the curriculum, including the activities, visits and residential trips that the school has to offer.

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Across the school, pupils behave well. They listen carefully and follow the instructions of their teachers. They know the rewards and sanctions systems well. They say they enjoy winning rewards, which are then recognised in celebration assemblies every Friday. In the early years, children participate enthusiastically in the well-designed activities prepared by their teachers. They make good use of the indoor and outdoor learning areas.

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Leaders take every opportunity to enable pupils to develop as responsible citizens. They do this through a well-designed personal development programme. For example, pupils learn how to keep healthy. They learn about different faiths. There are plenty of enrichment opportunities and after-school clubs, such as sports clubs. Pupils learn about democracy through participation in the student council.

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Trustees and governors have a strong understanding of the strengths and areas for development of the school. They do not hesitate to act decisively if they believe such action is in the best interest of the school. They use their different areas of expertise to support and challenge leaders.

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Leaders take staff’s workload and well-being into account when making decisions. Staff appreciate the professional development opportunities offered by the trust. They like the way that leaders listen to them and find solutions to problems they may face.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 24 and 25 May 2023

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Leaders ensure that staff undertake regular training so that they remain alert to signs that might indicate that a pupil is at risk of harm. Staff follow clear procedures to report any concerns. Leaders follow these up promptly. The safeguarding team works well with outside agencies to obtain support for vulnerable pupils and their families.

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Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe when online and in the community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders have not defined carefully enough the content that they want pupils to learn. As a result, in these subjects, pupils do not learn in sufficient depth some of the essential knowledge and skills they need for their future learning. In these subjects, leaders should ensure that they set out in greater detail the content they want pupils to learn to ensure that pupils know and remember the most important aspects of the curriculum.  In a few subjects, teachers have not thought carefully enough about the most appropriate ways in which to teach the subject content. As a result, pupils do not develop a full understanding of some of the most important knowledge they need for their future learning. Leaders should ensure that they support teachers in identifying the most appropriate ways to teach subject content so that pupils understand fully the knowledge crucial to their future learning.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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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. 24 and 25 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268180 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The Board of Trustees

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Forward as One multi-academy trust. It joined this trust in January 2019.  Leaders do not use any alternative provision.  The school’s last section 48 inspection of its religious character was in May 2016.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, middle leaders and a range of teaching and support staff. The lead inspector spoke with two members of the local governing board, including the chair of governors and three trustees. 24 and 25 May 2023

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 The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer of the trust and spoke with a representative of the diocese and a representative of the local education authority.  As part of this inspection, inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. They met with subject leaders, visited some lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke with pupils and teachers. The lead inspector observed individual pupils reading to their teachers.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils from Years 2 to 6. They also observed breaktime and lunchtime.  Inspectors checked the school’s safeguarding procedures and the checks made on staff. They met with leaders, staff and pupils to evaluate the culture of safeguarding.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including that relating to the school development plans, self-evaluation documents, curriculum information and behaviour records.

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 The lead inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.  The lead inspector also considered the views of the parents who responded to Ofsted Parent View. This included the comments received via the free-text facility.

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Inspection team

Timothy Gartside, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Alyson Middlemass Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 May 2023

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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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