Sharnbrook Primary

Inspection of Sharnbrook Primary High Street, Sharnbrook, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK44 1PF

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 March 2022, and 21 April 2022

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Ofsted has not previously inspected Sharnbrook Primary School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Sharnbrook John Gibbard Lower School to be outstanding in 2008, before it converted to academy status and then opened as Sharnbrook Primary School in 2017. 23 March and 24 March 2022, and 21 April 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning. They enjoy the wide range of subjects they study. However, pupils do not experience a coherently planned curriculum in order to ensure they know and remember more. Pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy spending time with each other. Older pupils organise games for younger pupils at playtime. Children in the early years are taught to take turns and share. Relationships between pupils and adults are very positive. Pupils are highly respectful of each other’s differences. They have a secure understanding of their role in becoming responsible citizens. They positively encourage each other to be successful. Pupils demonstrate high levels of maturity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say they feel safe in school. They say that bullying does not happen. Pupils are confident that staff are ‘on top of everything’ if anyone behaves in an unkind way.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Pupils undertake many acts of kindness. They take seriously their responsibilities in roles such as house captains and language ambassadors. They are proud of their achievements. Pupils take action to take care of their environment and their community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are positive about the school. They appreciate the range of opportunities that are available and the school’s caring ethos.

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better?

Leaders are developing the curriculum. While this is the case, leaders’ intended curriculum for pupils has not been fully thought through. Leaders have not clearly identified what it is that pupils need to know at different stages throughout the school. In some subject areas, leaders have adopted schemes and resources that support teachers to plan activities across a range of subjects. However, the curriculum is not sufficiently coherent, to enable pupils to make connections in their learning. Consequently, pupils do not achieve as well as they are able to.

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better?

Leaders have introduced a new programme for teaching phonics. Staff have taken part in relevant training and are delivering this new programme. This is in its early stages of implementation. In early years, children learn to listen carefully and say their sounds clearly. Pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read, read books that are closely matched to the sounds they are learning. This helps them practise their sounds and develop their reading fluency. Pupils who are less confident in their reading are given additional support to help them catch up.

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better?

Pupils are enthusiastic readers. Most pupils practise reading regularly at home and at school. Leaders have recently reviewed the curriculum for English to ensure that 23 March and 24 March 2022, and 21 April 2022

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pupils experience a range of quality texts linked to writing, spelling and grammar skills. However, the school’s curriculum for reading is not fully developed. Leaders have not fully considered how the curriculum supports pupils to develop fluency or depth of understanding as readers as they progress through the school. The curriculum for reading does not clearly set out leaders’ expectations for what pupils should be taught, so that all pupils become better, more confident readers at every stage of their primary education.

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Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access leaders’ intended curriculum alongside their peers. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with staff and parents. Pupils’ needs are identified quickly, and appropriate provision is put in place to support them.

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Children in the early years are happy in school. They are confident in their routines and access activities that support their physical and emotional development. Staff identify themes that will engage children’s interests. The curriculum does not fully reflect the expectations of the new statutory framework for the early years foundation stage (EYFS).

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The provision for pupils’ personal development prepares them well for adulthood. Pupils learn about diversity and respect each other’s differences. Pupils develop their understanding of finance and how to manage economic risks. Older pupils can talk about a wider range of sensitive topics, for example body image, in a mature way. Staff work with members of the wider community to extend pupils’ knowledge and experience of the world. Leaders encourage pupils to be aspirational. Pupils develop an understanding of the world of work and what they need to do to be successful in their future careers. Pupils are inspired by the breadth of wider opportunities and experiences that are integral to the life of the school and the local community.

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Generally, governors hold leaders to account effectively for the way the school is led and managed. While this is the case, governors have not securely assured themselves that the information they are given about the quality of education is followed up. In part, this is due to limitations imposed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Staff understand the risks that children face. Staff receive regular training. The systems for reporting concerns are understood and used appropriately by staff.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work well with outside agencies to ensure that concerns are followed up swiftly and acted on appropriately. Leaders ensure that pupils and families get the help and support they need. 23 March and 24 March 2022, and 21 April 2022

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The curriculum content ensures that pupils learn about how to keep safe, for example when online. Leaders and governors ensure that safeguarding is at the forefront of everybody’s mind.

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What does the school need to do to improve?

 Leaders have not considered how the curriculum for reading supports pupils to become better readers and deepens their understanding of texts as they progress through the school. This means that pupils do not achieve as well as they could in reading. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum for reading clearly identifies the knowledge and understanding pupils need to develop at each stage of their primary education so that all pupils achieve well in reading.  Leaders have not considered carefully enough the intent of the school’s curriculum. This means that pupils from the early years to Year 6 do not experience a coherent curriculum that sequences the knowledge and understanding they should gain as they progress through the school. Leaders should review their intent and implement a coherent, ambitious curriculum that enables pupils to make connections in their learning and achieve well in all the

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What does the school need to do to improve?

subjects they study. This includes ensuring that the curriculum fully reflects the expectations of the new statutory framework for the EYFS.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 23 March and 24 March 2022, and 21 April 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211860 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Elizabeth Carr-Archer

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School details

Website www.sharnbrookprimary.beds.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Sharnbrook John Gibbard Lower School converted to become an academy in April 2013. The school extended its provision to include pupils in Year 5, in September 2017, and pupils in Year 6 the following year, when it became Sharnbrook Primary School.  The school runs a pre-school for children.  There is a breakfast and after-school club, which is run by the school.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Very occasionally, Ofsted’s quality assurance process may suggest gaps in the inspection evidence base, which will cause Ofsted to conclude that the inspection is incomplete. This happened at Sharnbrook Primary School. Two of Her Majesty’s 23 March and 24 March 2022, and 21 April 2022

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Inspectors returned to the school after the school’s Easter break, on 21 April 2022, to gather additional information to secure the evidence base. In such cases, the inspection report is not published until Ofsted is satisfied that the inspection judgement is secure.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at and carried out inspection activities in other curriculum subjects, including personal, social, health and economic education, relationships and sex education, computing, music and science.  Inspectors met with the pre-school and Reception teachers to discuss the

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curriculum and provision for children in the early years.  Inspectors met with the designated leader for safeguarding and reviewed the effectiveness of the school’s arrangements for safeguarding. Inspectors scrutinised records of concerns and how these are followed up. Inspectors discussed safeguarding with pupils, staff and governors.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during the school day. Inspectors reviewed information relating to behaviour, bullying and attendance.  Inspectors spoke with the school improvement adviser and representatives of the local authority on the telephone.  Inspectors met with the SENCo to review documentation and discuss the provision for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors met with the chair of governors and members of the governing body.  Inspectors reviewed the information published on the school website, including information about the curriculum and school policies.

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 Inspectors considered the 40 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 39 free-text comments. There were no responses to the staff or pupil surveys. Inspectors spoke with staff and with pupils to gather their views of the school. Inspectors spoke with parents as they collected their children at the end of the school day.

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Inspection team

Lynne Williams, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Katherine Douglas Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Harrison Ofsted Inspector 23 March and 24 March 2022, and 21 April 2022

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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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