Alderman Cogan’s Church of England Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

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 nex...t 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 does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has experienced significant and recent changes to leadership roles. New leaders have sought to bring about improvements in the experiences of pupils.

This has accelerated since the beginning of the academic year. Some of these improvements have occurred too recently to be evident in the school's most recent published outcomes, which fall below leaders' expectations.

Subject leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders have an increasingly secure understanding of how the roots of their subject begin in the early years. In lessons, teachers present information clearly and in a logical sequence, building on what pupils have learned previously. The needs of pupils with SEND are well understood by teachers, who provide pupils with effective support in lessons.

Leaders have made recent improvements to the curriculum for some subjects, including mathematics. In a small number of subjects, as these curriculums become established, there is some variation in how well they are taught. Leaders are providing teachers with training to enable them to teach lessons that meet the aims of the new curriculums.

As a result, the improved curriculums are increasingly well implemented.

In some subjects, some older pupils have gaps in their knowledge from previous years. These gaps slow pupils' progress when they encounter new learning that relies on insecure prior knowledge.

Teachers adapt the curriculum to address pupils' gaps in knowledge. Leaders have introduced effective systems to check that pupils can remember what they have been taught. For example, teachers use 'feed forward' journals effectively to inform how they address pupils' misconceptions during future lessons.

These strategies are helping pupils to cover gaps in their knowledge.

Staff place importance on pupils' ability to read accurately. Recent initiatives, such as 'reading picnics', have helped to further raise the profile of reading in the school.

Using class stories, rhymes and songs, teachers develop pupils' vocabulary and spoken language. Leaders have secured a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics in Reception and key stage 1. Leaders accurately identify pupils who are reading below the standard expected for their age.

These pupils receive additional help which is enabling them to catch up.

In the early years, most children enjoy their learning and interact positively with adults and with their peers. Adults support children to begin learning to read as soon as they join the school.

New leaders in the early years have strengthened the design of the curriculum. Leaders provide training for staff to develop the aspects that need improvement. However, some changes are very recent.

Children's current experiences in the early years do not match leaders' ambitions. Adults do not consistently use opportunities during free-play sessions to enhance children's learning. Some of the activities that teachers choose do not help pupils to learn the intended knowledge.

This is particularly true in the outdoor environment. Some adults do not routinely model accurate letter formation; as a result, children's handwriting is not well developed.

Leaders' expectations and the routines for positive behaviour are well understood by pupils and staff.

Pupils' relationships with their peers and with adults are respectful. This reflects the school's inclusive culture and Christian values. Leaders provide effective support to help individual pupils improve their attendance.

As a result, the number of pupil absences is decreasing.

Leaders, including those from the trust, and trustees provide effective support to staff and pupils. Leaders work with external partners, for example the English Hub, to enhance their knowledge of the school.

This support is aiding new leaders to improve the school. Leaders' measured approach contributes towards the positive morale among staff and the experiences of most children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff know how to report concerns that they have about a pupil's welfare. When needed, leaders make appropriate referrals to external agencies. Leaders challenge decisions where they believe the response of these agencies is not in the best interests of pupils.

Leaders regularly analyse safeguarding records to look for patterns and trends. They use these to inform the school's personal, social and health education curriculum. Pupils' knowledge of how to keep themselves safe online is impressive.

Pupils also learn how to keep physically and mentally healthy. They have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships and consent. This knowledge helps pupils to keep safe outside of school.

Leaders make appropriate pre-employment checks on adults.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• 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.