Cannington Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 October 2024

Pupils at Cannington Church of England Primary School value being part of and contributing to, their local community and school community. Children in Reception get off to a strong start. Clear routines and high expectations mean that children enjoy their learning and feel safe. The environment in the early years provides many opportunities for learning and purposeful play. However, in contrast, pupils in Years 1 to 6 do not learn the curriculum as well. The school's expectations about what these pupils can achieve has not been high enough. Pupils generally behave well and are keen to learn. However, occasionally they feel frustrated when a small number of pupils do not behave as well as they should. Pupils have many opportunities to develop their leadership, talents and interests. They enjoy taking part in sports competitions and trips. Older pupils value the responsibility of being buddies for children in Reception class, serving on the school council and being head pupils.

What the school should improve

• The implementation of the school's curriculum is variable in quality, including in early reading. The work given does not always enable pupils to know and remember more. This means that, while the school now has a well-planned curriculum in place, the impact of this is not apparent in all subjects. The school must ensure that pedagogical choices enable pupils to build knowledge over time and deepen their understanding of individual subjects.
• Historic weaknesses in the writing curriculum mean that too many pupils do not write well enough for their age. These pupils have gaps in their learning. The school should address these gaps in writing knowledge, so that pupils write well in all subjects and are well prepared for their next steps.
• Sometimes a small number of pupils do not meet the school's expectations of behaviour. The behaviour of a few affects the way others feel towards their peers and towards school. The school should ensure all pupils are supported to understand what is expected from them.
• Some of the school's record keeping is not robust. Most significantly, the actions, decisions and outcomes of safeguarding referrals are not always recorded. Governors do not currently have an accurate oversight of this. In addition, this information is not stored in an accessible and logical way. The school must urgently work with the local authority to ensure that systems and processes, including for safeguarding, are improved and in line with statutory guidance.

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