Shellingford Church of England (Voluntary Aided) School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Shellingford Church of England (Voluntary Aided) School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy attending. Pupils say that they feel safe and know that the adults will look after them.

Staff and pupils get on extremely well together and treat each other with courtesy and respect.

Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils and want pupils to be ambitious for themselves. Leaders have thought carefully about the curriculum in most subjects.

This allows children in early years and pupils throughout the school to do well.

Leaders ensure that pupils' behaviour is managed consistently and... fairly across the school. In lessons and around the school site, pupils behave well.

Pupils work hard and concentrate on their learning. Pupils work and play well together. School leaders take bullying very seriously.

If it happens, it is dealt with effectively.

A range of enrichment activities, such as after-school clubs, allow pupils to develop their talents and wider interests. Pupils have many opportunities to learn about the world beyond the school.

They learn about a range of different faiths and cultures. Pupils hold many positions of responsibility. These include being a reading ambassador, or helping the staff to promote a love of, and interest in reading.

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

The school's curriculum is broad and ambitious. It introduces pupils to new learning in a logical order. Teachers plan lessons that help pupils to build their knowledge systematically over time.

Leaders have set out clearly the knowledge that pupils will gain in most subjects, at each stage of their education. The early years curriculum is sequenced well. It outlines what children should know and be able to do at different points of Reception Year.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the help they need to learn across subjects.Pupils revisit and practise what they have been taught, which helps them remember more of their learning. Pupils achieve well across a range of subjects.

For example, pupils in Year 6 had an impressive vocabulary when discussing the different techniques that they used when creating clay objects. However, in some subjects, such as design and technology, leaders have not yet identified precisely enough the essential knowledge that pupils need to know.

Leaders ensure that children make an early start in learning to read in the Reception class.

Children enjoy sharing books and actively seek out adults to tell them the sounds that letters represent. The teaching of phonics is effective. Reading books are accurately matched to pupils' reading ability and the sounds that they are learning.

Pupils are given frequent opportunities to practise reading skills and listen to stories read by staff throughout the school day. This helps pupils to become fluent readers. If pupils fall behind, staff provide them with extra phonics sessions and times to read aloud to an adult.

Teachers use assessment well to check what pupils understand. This enables staff to know what pupils need to learn next. Staff across the school take prompt action to address any misunderstandings pupils have.

This helps pupils to keep up with the expectations that leaders have set for them. In the Reception class, the staff have an acute awareness of what children can do right from the time they start school. Pupils across the school with SEND are quickly and accurately identified.

Staff make thoughtful adaptations to the tasks that pupils with SEND tackle.

Leaders and staff have very high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Learning flows uninterrupted.

Staff have exceptionally positive and warm relationships with pupils. This means that pupils respond very well to what staff ask of them when working in lessons and at other times during the school day.

Leaders have developed a wide range of opportunities to broaden pupils' experiences beyond the academic curriculum.

Leaders promote pupils' personal development well, including through the school's Christian values that are central to the school's work. The school provides many opportunities that develop pupils' character and sense of responsibility. For example, pupils are members of the school council.

In this role, they make important decisions about how the school's resources are used and organised. Pupils relish challenge. They understand the importance of persevering with their learning.

Pupils want and expect learning to make them think hard.

Staff feel supported by leaders. They say that their workload is thought about carefully.

Leaders are aware of, and proactive in supporting staff, particularly at busy times of the school year.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding.

Staff are vigilant. Leaders train staff regularly so that they know how to keep pupils safe. They understand how to report and record any concerns that they may have about a pupil's welfare.

Leaders follow up quickly on all concerns raised by staff. When required, leaders work closely with external agencies to ensure that children and their families get the help they need. Leaders challenge other professionals if they feel that additional action is required.

Leaders ensure that the statutory pre-employment checks on staff are carried out. These are recorded methodically.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a very small minority of subjects, the key knowledge that pupils should acquire is not identified in sufficient depth.

This means that pupils do not always achieve as well as they could. Leaders need to make more clear what pupils should know in all subjects.

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

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2012.