Sherburn Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders have successfully tackled the issues highlighted in the previous inspections. The quality of teaching is much improved. Leaders' evaluation of the school's effectiveness is extremely accurate.

The governing body checks the school's performance effectively and rigorously. Governors have high expectations of all the children in the school. Leaders and governors are keen to ensure that pupils achieve well academically and also develop as well-rounded individuals.

Teaching is good because staff take account of what pupils already know and can do when they are planning activities. Teaching support staff are equally effective. Pupils ma...ke good progress and attain good standards from their individual starting points.

As a result they are very well prepared for the next stage of their education. The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) is extremely effective and the proportion of pupils achieving the phonics standard in Year 1 is high. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.

Pupils show a thirst for learning. They are polite and courteous, behave well around school and show respect to adults. The school's work to keep pupils safe is effective.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Some middle leaders have not yet developed the skills needed to identify how teaching and learning can be improved in the areas for which they are responsible. Despite their progress being good, attainment gaps between boys and girls and between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils in some year groups are still too wide. Pupils do not always study subjects such as history, art, music and modern foreign languages to sufficient depth, and teachers do not make rigorous checks on their learning.

Despite efforts to improve attendance, the rate of persistent absence is too high.

Information about this school

Sherburn Primary School was formed from a merger of Sherburn Village Primary School and Sherburn Hill Primary School in September 2015. It is situated on two sites, around a mile apart.

The former Sherburn Village Primary School site provides for 131 pupils and the former Sherburn Hill Primary site provides for 53 pupils. Both of the former schools were inspected on the same dates in May 2014 and both schools were judged to require improvement. The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding to support the learning of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or children looked after) is broadly in line with the national average.

The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below the national average, and the vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is also well below the national average. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disabilities is well above the national average.

The proportion identified for additional support with an education, health and care plan is also above average. Children in the early years are taught with pupils from Year 1 on both sites. At the Sherburn Hill site, pupils in Years 2 and 3 are taught in one class and pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 are also taught in one class.

At the Sherburn Village site, all year groups from Year 2 to Year 6 are taught in single year group classes. There have been a number of staffing changes and changes in leadership roles since the amalgamation. In 2015 Sherburn Village School met the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Sherburn Hill had too few pupils to fulfil the criteria for calculating the floor target standards. A breakfast club is provided on both sites. The school website meets requirements.