Canons High School

Overview

Canons High School is rated as ‘Good’ across all inspection categories, marking an improvement from its previous ‘Requires improvement’ judgement. The report describes an inclusive environment where pupils feel valued and enjoy strong relationships with staff who actively support their success. Leaders have established an ambitious curriculum that helps most pupils build secure long-term knowledge, though inconsistencies remain in specific subjects.

Strengths

• Teachers demonstrate subject expertise and use regular recall activities to help pupils “build and remember long-term key knowledge.”
• Pupils benefit from a “comprehensive, impartial careers guidance programme” and opportunities for work experience.
• Staff provide “bespoke support” for pupils behind in reading, which is “beginning to help pupils to get back on track.”
• The school offers a wide range of enrichment activities, including astronomy, chess, and sporting clubs.
• Staff workload is described as “reasonable,” with senior leaders being “approachable” and caring for staff welfare.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must ensure they “identify precisely what key knowledge they want pupils to know and remember” in subjects where curriculum sequencing is currently lacking.
• Staff need to make “suitable enough adaptations to teaching and resources” to fully meet the needs of pupils with SEND or EAL, ensuring they do not disengage.
• Leaders should refine strategies to help a small group of pupils with “extremely challenging behaviours” manage their conduct, particularly during social times.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective,” noting that staff receive regular training, recognise risks, and make timely referrals to external agencies.