Cam Hopton Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Cam Hopton Church of England Primary School Hopton Road, Upper Cam, Dursley, Gloucestershire GL11 5PA

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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Outcome

Cam Hopton Church of England Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thoroughly enjoy their learning. They relish coming to school and attend regularly. The school’s values underpin everyday life. Pupils are motivated by the reward system. For example, pupils explain how they show trust and generosity to one another. Pupils understand why these values are important in society and use them regularly in their learning and play.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a friendly community. Pupils of all ages get along well and consistently meet adults’ high expectations of them. Pupils show self-discipline and are motivated to learn because the curriculum is interesting. They work hard and have a good knowledge of what they study. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school makes sure that learning is brought to life by carefully designed enrichment experiences. These are woven seamlessly into the school year. For example, the curriculum provides pupils with rich opportunities to learn about music, art and beliefs from around the world. As a result, pupils respect each other’s differences. They understand equality and why people might experience discrimination. Pupils know that people have differences of opinion and belief, and this is to be respected. This knowledge and understanding prepares them well for life in modern Britain.

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

The curriculum is effective. Knowledge is well sequenced, which helps pupils to build on what they have learned previously. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn well. Where appropriate, learning is adapted for them. This helps 10 and 11 December 2024

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remove barriers that some pupils with SEND may have and enables them to learn alongside their peers. The school provides effective support for any pupil who struggles with their self-esteem or social interaction. This has a profound impact on these pupils’ attendance and learning. However, sometimes pupils do not apply what they have learned across the curriculum well enough. This is because staff do not provide them with sufficient opportunities to use and apply their knowledge across the curriculum. Where this happens, pupils do not find learning challenging.

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The school knows its pupils well. It takes strategic decisions made in the best interests of pupils. For example, it adapted the curriculum for the Reception cohort when it identified the need to prioritise children’s listening and attention as well as their ability to share and turn take. The decision has paid off because children in Reception listen well to adults. They use the environment independently and interact with one another well. Children have the focus and skills to be able to learn phonics successfully, reading well-matched books with words.

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Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. The new library is enticing, and pupils enjoy the range of books they can choose from. Learning is often linked to a book that is rich in vocabulary, structure or content. As a result, pupils gain important skills by unpicking and exploring the text. They then use these well in their own writing. This focus on important vocabulary is also a feature of the wider curriculum subjects. The school has identified key vocabulary for pupils to know and understand. Pupils are skilled at using technical vocabulary. For example, they use scientific and musical terms accurately when talking about their learning.

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Staff have strong subject knowledge. The school focuses on resources and training to provide staff with the skills and knowledge that are required for the subjects they teach. Staff collaborate well with external networks of support, which they find helpful. This contributes to their positive views on workload.

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The school has developed a bespoke approach to how staff design lessons. It enables pupils to recall what they already know and apply it to new knowledge. Pupils are successful in tasks because they understand how lessons build over time. They feel supported because teachers check on their learning during lessons. This approach ensures that misconceptions are addressed quickly and effectively.

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Governors fulfil their statutory responsibilities well. They keep a clear oversight of the school’s strategic direction. They take decisions that are rooted in the school’s values. Relationships between staff and governors are productive. Governors receive valuable information from the school. They carry out a range of well-chosen activities to check the accuracy of this information.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 10 and 11 December 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes staff do not make sure that the work they design is challenging enough. This means that some pupils find their work too easy and do not achieve as well as they could. The school should develop a consistent pedagogy, which ensures that the work that is provided helps pupils learn to think deeply and apply their knowledge across the curriculum.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 school to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2019.

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 10 and 11 December 2024

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 March 2019

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Information about this school

 The school is a voluntary aided Church of England primary school in the Diocese of Gloucester. Its most recent section 48 inspection was in May 2019 when the school was judged to be good.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the curriculum leaders, the teaching and support staff, the members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors, and held 10 and 11 December 2024

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telephone conversations with the local authority and the school’s challenge and support partner.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. She also listened to pupils read to an adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. In addition, she met with pupils informally and formally to hear their views.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including free-text responses. She also took into consideration responses to the staff and pupil surveys.  The inspector examined a range of documentation that was provided by the school.

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Inspection team

Angela Folland, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 December 2024

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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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