Canon Popham CofE Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 October 2022

At Canon Popham, pupils enjoy coming to school. Their teachers make learning fun. Pupils are well behaved, polite and eager to talk about what they like about their school. They are engaged in their lessons. At social times, they play actively and benefit from the facilities that are provided for them. Pupils are kind to each other. Bullying is a rare event. Pupils say that the 'understanding grown-ups' make them feel safe at school. They know adults will support them and intervene if they need them. The school has recently introduced 'time to talk' sessions. During the inspection, older pupils spoke with maturity about their discussions in these sessions. They were able to make links about Christianity and other faiths, for example when talking about the concept of generosity in Christianity and Islam. Pupils enjoy a wide-ranging programme of extra-curricular sport and also have the opportunity to sing in a choir. Parents are positive about the school. The overwhelming majority, who responded to Ofsted's Parent View survey, would recommend the school. The parents who spoke to the inspector were just as positive. One parent summed up the views of many when they wrote, 'The school is excellent with caring, professional staff.'

What the school should improve

• In some foundation subjects, the curriculum is not supporting pupils to remember important knowledge. As a result, pupils can struggle to apply previous knowledge as they move through the school. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is always well sequenced and that teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to review and recall key knowledge. This will enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of important subject concepts and be able to build on this knowledge.

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