Sherington Church of England School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Sherington Church of England School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this caring and happy school. Staff ensure that pupils are at the heart of everything they do.

The highly positive and supportive ethos permeates everywhere, underpinning the school's values. Pupils feel safe and well looked after. The relationships between staff and pupils are respectful and kind.

Pupils know that staff will deal with any worries or concerns they may have.

Staff have high expectations for pupils' behaviour and attitudes towards learning. Pupils behave well, are ve...ry polite and well mannered.

They work hard, achieve well and are ready for the next stage of their education. From the early years, pupils are happy and inquisitive learners. They quickly learn to read fluently and are confident in their learning across the curriculum.

The school provides a broad range of wider activities, including theatre visits, learning about nature and wildlife in the outdoor area, visits to local museums and a gymnasium. Pupils meet and learn alongside other pupils from schools across the federation as part of a programme of carefully planned events. Pupils think about others' needs.

For example, pupils support a school in Africa through donating books and clothing. These experiences help pupils to build confidence and increase their understanding of the world around them.

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

The curriculum is broad, rich and carefully crafted.

It is designed to meet pupils' needs and identifies the knowledge they should know and remember. Pupils are keen to learn and eager to take part in lessons to do their best. From Reception, pupils take pride in their work and are curious to learn new things.

The school is highly ambitious for every pupil to be successful and achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school acts quickly to identify pupils with SEND. Staff provide appropriately tailored work and use carefully chosen resources.

This enables pupils with SEND to learn the same curriculum as their peers. Teachers present new information clearly to help pupils learn effectively. They routinely check how well pupils have understood the learning to help them embed and recall knowledge.

This allows adults to adapt learning to make sure that pupils understand. The well-sequenced curriculum supports pupils to learn through a range of carefully chosen activities. However, occasionally some learning tasks are less effective in helping pupils to deepen their knowledge.

This means that, sometimes, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

The school is calm and purposeful. Pupils show strong attitudes to learning and conduct themselves well.

From the moment pupils enter Reception, they learn how to behave. Pupils focus on their learning and do not get distracted. They listen carefully to staff, are keen to answer questions and participate enthusiastically.

At playtimes, pupils collaborate, play together and share resources in a kind and caring manner.

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. It is promoted throughout the school, enabling pupils to read widely and often.

There is a consistent and effective approach to the teaching of phonics. Children read books which match the sounds they are learning. Pupils who need extra help with phonics are identified quickly and receive timely and appropriate support that enables them to keep up.

Pupils enjoy having stories read to them regularly, for example the whole-school story session at the beginning of each day. Staff support pupils well in developing their oracy skills and enhancing their language and communication abilities. This enables pupils to speak confidently and with enthusiasm.

The writing curriculum is carefully sequenced, so pupils build their skills over time. It enables pupils to write independently, including using well-chosen and ambitious words.

Pupils are supported effectively to develop beyond their academic learning.

The carefully considered programme develops pupils' wider learning, through visits to places of historical interest, giving pupils authentic experiences alongside classroom learning. Staff ensure that pupils understand what it is to be a good citizen. Pupils learn about diversity, equality and tolerance.

They gain an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. Pupils enjoy attending various school clubs, including yoga and mindfulness, art and tennis. They learn new skills through developing their interests and talents.

Pupils learn about reducing risk in situations such as those involving water and being online, as well as road safety. The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

The school, including the governing body, is a highly committed and effective team with a relentless drive for continuous improvement.

Staff are proud to be part of the school. They appreciate the professional development opportunities they receive to do their jobs effectively and help pupils learn well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, pupils undertake tasks that do not support them to learn the ambitious curriculum effectively. When this happens, it means that some pupils do not always gain as much depth of knowledge as they could. The school should ensure that the work set consistently enables all pupils to develop detailed knowledge and skills and achieve well over time.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2015.