Shipley CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Following a period of turbulence, leaders and governors have successfully improved the school.

Leaders and governors also have high expectations of how well pupils learn and behave. The headteacher has developed the staff team. She enjoys high approval ratings from staff, parents and pupils.

The headteacher ensures leaders and governors have an accurate view of the school's strengths and weaknesses. The curriculum is effective. Pupils gain expertise in a broad range of subjects.

No opportunity is missed to make connections between subjects and topics so as to deepen pupils' understanding. Teaching has improved and is now more con...sistently effective. Pupils are excited by their learning and want to do well.

Teachers set pupils challenging tasks. Sometimes they do not check thoroughly enough to establish whether pupils have embedded the knowledge and skills required to complete the tasks well. Better teaching has led to improved progress in reading, writing and mathematics in key stage 1.

Following recent new approaches to teaching mathematics, current pupils in key stage 2 are effectively developing their mathematical reasoning. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the phonics screening check has improved. However, practice in teaching phonics across the school does not consistently adhere to the chosen phonics scheme.

Published performance data shows that pupils' outcomes improved in 2018. Most current pupils make strong progress. However, some do not make the very strong progress they need to catch up.

Governance has improved. Governors know the school well and have a clear vison for how the school can sustain improvements and develop further. Children learn well in Reception.

They develop strong language skills and are able to articulate their new knowledge. They play productively and have good social skills. Pupils are safe and say they feel well looked after.

They work hard, play harmoniously and most respond very well to the high expectations teachers have of them. Attendance last year fell, and persistent absence increased because of the individual circumstances of a small number of pupils. Due to effective monitoring, attendance is improving this academic year.

Information about this school

The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. It has four classes: a Reception class, a mixed class of Years 1 and 2, a mixed class of Years 3 and 4 and a mixed class of Years 5 and 6. Year group numbers in key stage 2 are smaller than in key stage 1.

In the current Year 6 there are three pupils. The school is a designated Church of England School and had its last section 48 inspection in February 2017. The majority of pupils are White British, the second largest ethnic group are Gypsy, Roma, Traveller.

They make up approximately 10% of the school's population. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium is less than half the national average. The proportion of pupils with SEND supported by the school is broadly average.

The proportion with education, health and care plans is currently below average. Last academic year it was in line with national averages. Since the previous inspection there have been four interim headteachers.

The current substantive headteacher joined the school in 2016. A new chair of the governing body was appointed in September 2017. The school works closely with the local informal collaboration of schools known as The Weald Locality.