Alderman Cogan's Church of England Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 May 2023

Most pupils enjoy their time at school. Pupils are well supported and cared for by adults. Pupils work towards the 'Cogan learning goal'. This maps the milestones and behaviours that leaders want pupils to secure to help them become well-rounded individuals. It also allows leaders to recognise pupils' successes, such as when they undertake mentor roles or represent the school. Bullying is rare. When it does happen, adults' actions prevent it from continuing. In lessons, pupils focus on their learning and are free from disruptions. Pupils benefit from an ambitious, well-structured curriculum. Historically, some pupils have not been as well prepared for the next steps in their education as they might have been. Pupils currently attending the school receive a better quality of education. Despite this, some older pupils still have gaps in their knowledge which impact on their current learning. Leaders consider pupils' readiness for their next steps in education and their wider lives. For example, pupils learn how to use public transport safely. This supports pupils to develop their independence. Residential visits foster pupils' wider skills, including teamwork. Pupils in Year 6 learn about careers through experiences such as the careers fair and mock interviews. These opportunities help to prepare pupils well for their transition to secondary school.

What the school should improve

• Some subject curriculums have been recently reviewed. In a small number of subjects, such as in mathematics, teachers are refining their pedagogical approaches in line with these new curriculums to ensure that pupils learn the intended knowledge. Leaders should ensure that these curriculums are well understood and consistently implemented by staff.
• The early years curriculum is not consistently understood or effectively implemented by the adults working with children. Teachers do not maximise opportunities to help pupils learn and remember the intended curriculum, especially in the outdoor provision. As a result, children in the early years develop gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should ensure that staff design activities that help children to learn and remember the intended curriculum.
• The school has experienced significant changes in leadership. Many senior and middle leaders, such as the headteacher and reading leader, are new to post. Some initiatives are very new in their implementation and are not well established. Senior leaders, including those from the trust, and trustees should ensure that effective support and training enables new leaders to be highly effective in their role and to successfully embed their recent initiatives.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)