Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School Main Road, Sheepy Magna, Atherstone, Warwickshire CV9 3QR

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

The previous ‘outstanding’ judgement reflected the school’s overall effectiveness in September 2011 under the relevant inspection framework at that time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

The new judgement of ‘good’ reflects the current inspection framework as well as any changes at the school since the last inspection.

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Overall effectiveness Good

The school has not been inspected for eight years, which is longer than the five-year maximum interval between inspections. Changes in school effectiveness may have happened at any point in that period. The long time between inspections is because the law changed in 2011; it made outstanding schools exempt from routine inspection. 25–26 February 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told us that this school is ‘a friendly environment’ where everyone can join in. This is exactly what we saw, in lessons and around school. Pupils were keen to tell us about the committees that meet every Friday. They proudly described how pupils serve as sports leaders, chicken crew, eco committee members, playground pals and members of the school council. These activities help pupils to develop as confident, caring individuals.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well behaved. They understand and respect the school rules. Pupils told us that they feel safe in school. They know that bullying is wrong. They said, ‘It’s not a problem here.’ Leaders’ records confirm that instances of bullying are rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. For example, they told us that ‘Mathematics is not just about getting the answer right, it’s the journey of understanding.’ Pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. They are well prepared for secondary education. Staff encourage pupils to apply the school’s values of respect and resilience to their studies. We saw pupils cooperating well in subjects such as science and design and technology.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that the teaching of English and mathematics is strong. Staff follow well-structured plans. They plan interesting activities that help pupils remember, and build on, what they have previously learned. The work in pupils’ books is of a good standard. Pupils behave well in lessons. They successfully apply their writing skills across a wide range of subjects. They enjoy being challenged in mathematics. They cooperate well to discuss and solve mathematical problems.

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better?

Leaders and staff understand the importance of reading. They make sure that children begin learning to read as soon as they join the Reception class. By the end of Year 2, most pupils are fluent readers. Staff foster a love of books in all year groups. Older pupils told us that they enjoy having so many choices of reading materials. They praised the Year 6 reading box, the ‘Sheepy Chatterbooks’ and monthly visits from the mobile library.

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better?

Leaders’ actions to improve the curriculum are partially complete. Subjects such as science, religious education (RE), music and personal, social and health education (PSHE) are well planned and taught. Pupils produce good work in these subjects. They remember what they have learned. Other subjects are less well developed. However, leaders are working through a structured plan to review and revise the curriculum in all subjects.

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better?

Leaders recognise that spelling is an issue across the school. They are tackling this through the introduction of a new approach to teaching spelling. We found that some pupils struggle to use phonics skills to read unfamiliar words. This contributes to the issues with spelling in Year 2 and beyond. 25–26 February 2020

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well. They thrive because they receive good care and support. Staff involve pupils, parents and external agencies to help them to match teaching to pupils’ needs. Leaders and staff are equally ambitious for all groups of pupils.

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Leaders and staff promote pupils’ personal development well. Pupils benefit from a range of experiences such as ‘enrichment days’. These have included themes linked to languages, art, drama and sports. Staff and pupils model the school’s Christian values of kindness and respect. Leaders have devised a teaching programme called ‘Windows to the World’. Through this scheme, pupils learn about differences, communities, cultures, religions and disabilities. This prepares them well for life in modern Britain.

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Children in the early years flourish because staff understand their needs. There is a calm, happy atmosphere in the Reception class. Warm relationships ensure that children make the most of the activities provided. Reading and mathematics are a priority. Staff promote children’s development well across all areas of learning. For example, children had helped to plan and set up a ‘pottery shop’ in the role play area. During our visit, they were busily serving ‘customers’ and making signs for the shop. These activities promoted their speaking, writing and social skills. Children in the early years behave well. They respond readily to routines and expectations.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a positive culture of safeguarding. They encourage staff to note any concerns, however small. Staff training is thorough and up to date. They know the signs to look for that may indicate a concern about pupils’ welfare. Staff know to pass on any concern to leaders. Records show that leaders take prompt action to keep pupils safe when the need arises. Employment checks comply with statutory requirements.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently coherently planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken that they are in the process of bringing this about. For this reason, the transition arrangement has been applied in this case. Leaders should ensure that it is clear what pupils should learn and when in all subjects.  Leaders have not made sure that all pupils use their knowledge of phonics well enough to spell words correctly. This limits these pupils’ ability to communicate accurately when writing. Leaders should ensure that pupils fully understand the strategies that help them to read and spell unfamiliar words. 25–26 February 2020

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 25–26 February 2020

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13–14 September 2011

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Information about this school

 An inspection of denominational education and collective worship was carried out under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in November 2016.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

The previous ‘outstanding’ judgement reflected the school’s overall effectiveness in September 2011 under the relevant inspection framework at that time.

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Information about this inspection

The new judgement of ‘good’ reflects the current inspection framework as well as any changes at the school since the last inspection.

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Information about this inspection

The school has not been inspected for eight years, which is longer than the five-year maximum interval between inspections under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Changes in school effectiveness may have happened at any point in that period. The long time between inspections is because the law changed in 2011; it made most outstanding schools exempt from routine inspection. 25–26 February 2020

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 We met with the headteacher, the senior teacher, the special educational needs coordinator and other curriculum leaders.  I held a meeting with a group of governors, including the chair.  I held a telephone interview with a representative from the local authority.  We did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, and design and technology. This involved speaking with leaders, pupils and staff, visiting lessons, hearing pupils read and examining pupils’ work in books.  We examined curriculum plans, visited lessons and examined pupils’ work across a range of other subjects.  We observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school.  We evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding by speaking with pupils, staff and governors. We reviewed policies, systems for recording concerns, training records and procedures for checking staff suitability to work with children.

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Inspection team

Christine Watkins, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rob Gooding Ofsted Inspector 25–26 February 2020

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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