Campton Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils' safety and well-being comes first at Campton Academy.

It shows in pupils happily coming into school. Those who arrive before school starts, enjoy attending the friendship club. On the rare occasion a pupil has a concern, they know adults in school will listen and help them.

Typically, pupils achieve well. They list school subjects, particularly computing and religious education, as their favourite part of Campton Academy. Pupils also enjoy reading.

Collecting ticks or stickers to achieve a reading certificate encourages them to read often.

By and large, pupils abide by the behaviour expectations set out in the Campton Code. Doing so results i...n them earning values badges and the opportunity of becoming a coveted Campton Ambassador.

Also, pupils work hard to earn a spot at the golden table at lunchtime. Here they dine with the principal, cheerfully chatting about the goings-on in their life.

There are many service children in the school.

The school caters for them well. For example, the welcome and goodbye assemblies serve to bring pupils into the fold or ready pupils for a change respectively. Though change can be hard, the friendships pupils build and the care they receive from staff shows in them being confident and resilient.

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

With support from the trust, the school worked carefully to compile their curriculum. For some subjects, this involved adopting high-quality schemes of work. For others, leaders consulted with experts to determine what knowledge and skills would best prepare pupils for their middle school education.

For example, children in the Reception class use basic directional language to program a robot. This prepares them well for debugging more complicated code as they grow older.

Many pupils achieve well in reading.

The careful use of on-entry checks identifies those pupils who are behind the pace of learning. These pupils then receive effective, extra tuition, along with a carefully selected book containing sounds they know. Having books pupils can read instils a sense of confidence.

How the school engages with parents, be it through the reading cafes or pink books, means parents are well placed to support their child with reading at home.

Though staff watch pupils while they teach, they are not always quick to use their checks on pupils' learning to inform their teaching. So, they may continue with an activity that is not working well for everyone or skim over the mistakes a few pupils make.

Partly, this issue persists because leaders' monitoring focuses too little on everyday teaching. So, there are fewer opportunities for leaders to use the insights gained to inform teachers' training and support.

The school's aim is to provide pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) with the care and support they need.

To do this, there is careful liaison with external experts. Staff take on board the advice, working hard to script their language and arrange appropriate resources. Consequently, pupils' behavioural and learning needs are well met.

Above all else, staff are kind and patient, making school a welcoming place for pupils with SEND and their families.

There is a sufficient personal development programme on offer to pupils. It includes extra-curricular clubs, including lunchtime computing, gymnastics and yoga.

The trust also arranges cross-school competitions and events, such as a science fair. These allow pupils to mingle with those from the middle and secondary schools. It instils a sense of excitement about the next stage in education.

The strong pastoral support offer ensures there is 'a listening ear' for pupils whenever needed. It includes well-considered contact with military charities to provide tailored support for service children.

Pupils' attendance is high.

Many receive certificates to celebrate maintaining 100% attendance. Like the school's systems for safeguarding, there is very little opportunity for any pupil to slip through the net. This is because leaders review their procedures carefully and regularly.

They make simple changes, such as to when they send letters or hold meetings with parents, which promptly resolve the issues.

Generally, pupils are kind and focus on their learning. Those pupils who take on roles, such as the sports ambassadors and hall monitors, like to lend a helping hand to pupils and staff.

On the odd occasion behaviour does dip, it is in response to how staff use their checks on pupils' learning.

Trustees, trust leaders and local governors have a strong, working knowledge of the school. They care deeply about the well-being of leaders and staff, being supportive in how they check and challenge.

This filters down to how school leaders behave. It shows in staff feeling valued and parents overwhelmingly recommending the school to others.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, staff do not use their checks on pupils' learning as well as they should. When this happens, pupils make mistakes or the mistakes they make are not addressed quickly enough. Leaders should provide the training and guidance that helps staff to efficiently use their checks on pupils to inform their teaching.

• How leaders monitor is not efficiently ironing out some inconsistencies in staff's pedagogy. As a result, there are fewer opportunities to identify and share out the best practice that exists within the school. The trust and school should facilitate the training and arrangements that upskill and allow these leaders to monitor the provision they oversee more effectively.

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