Cogenhoe Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Cogenhoe Primary School York Avenue, Cogenhoe, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN7 1NB

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Outcome

Cogenhoe Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The co-headteachers of this school are Sian Blackwell and Charley Oldham. This school is part of The Nene Valley Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), James Birkett, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Margaret Clements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

‘Everyone matters here,’ pupils are proud to say. They feel that their opinion matters. Respectful relationships are the norm around the school. Older pupils look out for the younger children. Pupils feel safe and they trust the caring staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The values of ‘inspire, aspire, achieve’ are central and lived. Disadvantaged pupils have the same opportunities as their peers and are supported well to be successful. Pupils try hard and tend to achieve highly in many aspects of their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish the enriching experiences that the school provides, for instance learning in the school’s forest area, watching caterpillars spin their cocoons and running community events. They benefit from inspiring visits and visitors, and residentials are a particular favourite. Pupils enjoy a wide range of activities, including sports and music, which nurture their talents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to make a real contribution to school life, for instance as ‘well-being buddies’, and prefects. They strive to follow the ‘golden 4’ rules and live up to the school’s high expectations. Pupils show deep respect for the world around them. All this prepares pupils very well for their next steps. 10 and 11 June 2025

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious and engaging. It is well structured right from the start in the early years. Across the school, staff have identified what pupils will learn and when they will learn it. There are many opportunities to revisit important concepts. This helps pupils to gain and retain knowledge over time.

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

Teachers have secure subject knowledge and explain new content clearly. They check pupils’ understanding through questioning and regular assessment. In most subjects, teachers choose activities that support learning well. This is particularly the case in English and mathematics. In a few subjects, teaching does not consistently emphasise the important learning and deepen pupils’ understanding. This means, in some aspects, pupils do not get the depth of knowledge they are capable of.

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

Reading is a continual priority. Teachers are early reading experts. Phonics is taught well from the start. Any pupils who need extra support quickly receive it. Pupils read often from books that are well matched to the sounds they know. Staff promote a love of reading across the school. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the stories they read. Older pupils are responsible reading ambassadors and help younger children to practise their reading. This helps pupils across the school to become confident and fluent readers.

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

Subject-specific vocabulary is prioritised through interesting topics. In pre-school and Reception Year, communication and language are carefully threaded through all learning activities. As pupils move through the school, staff support them to structure their written and oral responses with increasing sophistication. Pupils become confident communicators.

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

This is an inclusive school. Staff support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well so they can access the full curriculum. The school identifies pupils’ additional needs early and puts appropriate support in place. Staff adapt teaching carefully so that pupils with SEND achieve well.

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

Pupils benefit from a rich personal development offer. The school promotes pupils’ well-being and character development through all that it does. Pupils learn to value themselves, each other, their school and their community. They learn about and respect different cultures, beliefs and family structures. Older pupils discuss their views with maturity and consideration of others’ contributions. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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

The school promotes positive behaviour through a clear and consistent approach that pupils understand. Children in the early years make a strong start. They set habits that help them to thrive as they progress through the school. Pupils are calm and orderly as they move around the school. They follow routines and instructions without fuss. The school monitors attendance closely and works with families to remove any barriers to attendance. Consequently, attendance is high. 10 and 11 June 2025

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Staff feel proud to work at the school. They value leaders’ actions to consider workload and to respect their health and well-being. There is a strong team ethos, including as part of the trust team. They relish the effective training and wider develop opportunities that they receive.

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The trust and local governing body know the school well. They work closely with school leaders. The challenge and support that they provide ensure that the school’s development of its work focuses on providing the very best for every pupil.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, learning activities in a small number of foundation subjects are not designed effectively enough. As a result, some pupils do not consistently develop the depth of knowledge that they could. The school needs to ensure that learning activities enable pupils to deepen their knowledge, skills and understanding consistently well.

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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 third ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Cogenhoe Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in July 2011. 10 and 11 June 2025

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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.

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Further information

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 June 2025

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School details

Headteacher Sian Blackwell (co-headteacher) Charley Oldham (co-headteacher) Website www.cogenhoe.northants.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school has been part of The Nene Valley Partnership since September 2022.  Cogenhoe Primary School converted to become an academy school in September 2022. When its predecessor school, Cogenhoe Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  Two co-headteachers took up post in May 2023.  The school runs before- and after-school clubs on the school site.  The school does not use any 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. 10 and 11 June 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the co-headteachers and other school leaders. She also met with the CEO, the trust’s director of education, the chair of trustees, and chair of the local governing body, as well as other trustees and representatives of the local governing body.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. She also heard some pupils read with a familiar adult.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at other times of the school day.  The inspector looked at a range of documents, including leaders’ priorities for improvement.  The inspector met formally and informally with groups of pupils.

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 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 views of parents and staff were gathered through discussions, and responses to Ofsted’s surveys were considered.

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Inspection team

Mandy Wilding, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 June 2025

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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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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