Shipham Church of England First School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this welcoming and inclusive school and attend regularly. Pupils feel safe. They are confident they can share any worries or concerns and trust that the school will listen and act promptly.

Many parents and carers praise the school and what it achieves for their children.

The school creates a calm and purposeful environment for pupils to learn. Staff work as a team to ensure they meet the needs of individuals.

They respond calmly and sensitively when pupils struggle with their emotions. The school has high expectations for how pupils should behave. These expectations start in Nursery where staff teach children to be kind and respectful,... two of the school's values.

The school has high expectations for all its pupils. Pupils show positive attitudes to their learning, work hard and achieve well. In some subjects, the school checks to find out the knowledge pupils remember.

This supports pupils to build on previous learning. However, in a few subjects this is not the case.

The school provides high-quality pastoral support to pupils and their families.

They teach pupils how to stay safe, healthy and keep active. Pupils talk openly about differences and how it is important to celebrate diversity.

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

The school's work to resolve previous weaknesses in pupils' learning behaviours and the curriculum has been quick, thorough and successful.

Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. The school has strengthened phonics teaching and identified the key knowledge and vocabulary pupils need to know and remember across wider subjects. For example, pupils in history confidently explain monarchy and the impact of monarchs in Britain.

In early reading, staff quickly spot any pupil who is falling behind and help them catch up. Pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. However, the school recognise that checks on what pupils know and remember are not fully in place across all subjects.

This means that in some subjects, gaps remain in pupils' knowledge, including for children in the early years in areas beyond early reading and mathematics.

From the moment children start in the Nursery, they learn how to socialise, work together and become independent, as well as build their early reading, writing and mathematical knowledge. Behaviour and personal development in the early years are impressive.

This is because staff form positive relationships with children. Children rapidly learn the behaviours expected of them. This means that they are prepared for the demands of Year 1.

The school demonstrates a determination that pupils will develop a love of books and become fluent readers. Children begin their reading journey from the moment they start in the early years. In the Nursery, children experience a wide range of stories which they listen to carefully and enjoy.

They select books carefully to ensure they match pupils' phonic knowledge precisely. As a result, pupils develop into confident readers. Story time is a firm favourite.

Children and pupils enjoy these times and are eager to participate.

Systems are in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly. The school work closely with other agencies, such as educational psychologists and speech and language therapists, to ensure pupils with SEND receive the right support.

This enables pupils to develop a broad body of knowledge. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

The school's work to develop pupils' personal development is good.

It provides pupils with rich developmental experiences, such as the residential trip to Morfa Bay. These opportunities develop pupils' resilience and team skills. Trips are carefully considered to enhance pupils' learning experiences, including Glastonbury Abbey and Somerset Earth Science Centre.

The school encourages pupils to develop their interests and talents. There is a wide range of clubs on offer which include music, sports and chess. Beekeeping workshops, archery and yoga are also favourite activities.

Pupils relish the roles and responsibilities on offer. These include being British values ambassadors and members of the worship council. A school council elects children from Reception to Year 4.

This allows pupils to have a say about their school.

Pupils learn how to become thoughtful and caring. They respect and appreciate the diversity of the world in which they live.

They enjoy their involvement in and support of charities such as those looking after animals, following the discovery of a hedgehog in school.

The trust offers strong support, guidance and challenge which the school welcome and embraces.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In the foundation subjects, the school has not fully established effective systems of assessment to check pupils' learning. Therefore, pupils do not remember some of the most important knowledge they need for their subsequent learning. The trust should take action to ensure that assessment is effective and supports pupils to know more and remember more of the wider curriculum in all subjects.