Sharrow Nursery, Infant and Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Sharrow Nursery, Infant and Junior School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Sharrow Nursery, Infant and Junior School is a place where difference is valued and celebrated.

There is a deeply embedded culture of inclusivity and equality. This is demonstrated by adults and pupils alike. Strong, positive relationships underpin all the school's work.

Because of this, pupils feel happy and safe at school. The school works closely with parents and carers, particularly in support of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Parents, who shared their views during the inspection, were full of praise for the school.

...>Throughout the school there is an atmosphere of calm, cheerful purposefulness. Instances of poor behaviour are rare. Pupils insist that there is no bullying.

They know that adults would help them if there were any problems with bullying. Adults apply the school's behaviour policy consistently. Pupils feel that everyone is treated fairly.

Pupils attend a range of enrichment activities including after school sports clubs. These opportunities help them to develop their talents and interests. Elected representatives of the school council are proud to fulfil leadership roles in school.

They value the opportunity to contribute to school improvement initiatives.

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

The school's ambitious curriculum follows a clear sequence of learning. The school continues to review and refine the curriculum.

For example, in history, disciplinary knowledge has become a recent focus for further refinement. As a result, pupils better understand what historians do. For example, they know that historians study sources and ask, 'What does this mean and what does it tell us about the past?' The school has developed its own curriculum for mathematics.

Mathematical knowledge and concepts are carefully sequenced to build pupils' learning over time. In the early years children have many opportunities to develop their early mathematical knowledge. For instance, children practise counting and number recognition by matching spots on ladybirds to the correct numerals.

In mathematics and in reading teachers make regular, accurate checks on pupils' learning. This helps them to identify and address any gaps in pupils' knowledge. Assessment strategies for teachers to check on learning in the wider curriculum is not as well developed.

Gaps in pupils knowledge across all foundation curriculum subjects is not as secure as it is in mathematics and English.

There is a strong collaborative approach to teaching and learning. Staff work closely in teams to plan and teach.

Pupils are encouraged and supported to work together in small groups when learning. Lessons are interesting and engaging with learning that is designed to be relevant to pupils' lives. For example, in mathematics, problems will often include pupils' names or contexts that will be familiar to the pupils.

Pupils with SEND have their needs identified quickly and expertly. They access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. The support for pupils with SEND is of a high quality.

Pupils with SEND achieve well from a range of starting points.

The school has prioritised reading across the school. Pupils discuss their favourite books and authors with enthusiasm.

Pupils at the early stages of learning to read have books that are closely matched to the sounds that they know. This ensures they develop confidence and greater fluency. When pupils read aloud to adults, any mistakes they make are quickly rectified.

The school has introduced a programme for the teaching of phonics. Staff have been trained to teach phonics. However, there is some inconsistency in phonics lessons.

Not all staff consistently apply their training. Because of this, some pupils progress more slowly with reading. Nonetheless, when pupils fall behind, they are supported well to catch up.

Children in the early years get off to a flying start to their education. They achieve well in relation to their starting points. Knowledgeable and well-trained staff expertly develop children's language and communication.

Familiar songs and rhymes are used in support of learning. The environment is carefully designed to meet the needs of all children and in all areas of learning.

There is a strong curriculum for pupils' personal development.

This curriculum is boosted by opportunities for philosophical enquiry, for example pupils often debate and discuss 'big questions'. When discussing whether people with disabilities should be treated differently, pupils said, 'Yes, but in a good way'. They also gave examples of less visible disabilities such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or autistic spectrum disorder.

Leaders and governors have a compelling vision for the school as an inclusive hub at the centre of a diverse community. Governors understand their important role well. They share the high ambitions for every pupil to achieve their best.

There is an unswerving commitment to serving the pupils, their families and the community well. Staff speak positively of their experience of working at the school. They know that leaders are conscious of their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not ensured that all staff implement the phonics programme according to agreed methods. At times, this impedes some pupils' progress in becoming fluent and accurate readers.

The school should support staff in teaching phonics consistently and effectively. ? In some subjects, assessment processes are still under development. As a result, the school is not using assessment information as effectively as it could to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge.

This hinders pupils from building their knowledge well over time. The school must ensure that teachers use assessment effectively in all subjects to inform future learning.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2019.

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