Sheredes Primary School

Inspection of Sheredes Primary School Benford Road, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire EN11 8LL

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

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

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected since January 2008. 7 and 8 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are the highest ambitions for all pupils at Sheredes Primary. This is seen throughout the diverse, rich curriculum that underpins pupils’ learning. Lessons give pupils a strong, growing body of knowledge over time. They also establish clear links to international themes, including an exposure to a range of languages. As a result, all pupils make strong progress from their starting points. They achieve highly by the end of their time in primary school. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ experiences go well beyond the academic curriculum. A meticulously planned programme of extra-curricular opportunities contributes significantly to pupils’ development. This includes the chance for all pupils to learn to play a stringed instrument. Pupils also encounter a wide range of meaningful books, which can be found in all classrooms. These texts help pupils to explore important issues, such as equality and identity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the moment children join the school in Nursery, there is a focus on children following reliable routines. This helps all pupils to develop responsibility for their own behaviours as they grow. As a result, pupils across the school demonstrate impressive levels of self-control. Incidents such as bullying are very rare. Pupils are encouraged to share worries with adults in school. They know staff are quick to respond to any individual concerns they might raise.

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better?

Leaders root all actions in one simple principle: that school should be the best place possible for all pupils to learn and grow. The commitment to this vision is shared by all governors and staff. Consequently, every single pupil benefits from the outstanding quality of education. This is embodied through the commitment to the four school values, kindness, fearlessness, confidence and resilience. Leaders promote these, and they are brought to life by pupils of all ages.

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better?

Leaders have established a broad and ambitious curriculum. This is planned from the early years and is precise about the wide range of knowledge pupils will learn. Staff have high expectations for all pupils. This ensures that pupils learn to automatically recall the knowledge they need to succeed. Staff are skilled and accurately identify barriers to learning that exist for any pupil. They create precise plans to provide tailored and highly effective support for pupils with SEND.

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better?

Highly consistent and effective classroom learning is a core feature in the school. This is achieved through the systematic and ongoing investment in the expertise of staff. Teachers have consistently strong knowledge to teach all subjects in the curriculum well. Their skill also enhances pupils’ opportunity to develop wider attributes. These include pupils’ confidence to speak aloud and ask intelligent questions. Teachers regularly check that pupils can recall what they have learned. 7 and 8 March 2023

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They are expert at adapting future lessons to address any content that would be helpful to revisit.

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Throughout the curriculum, reading has a very high priority. This begins in Nursery, where staff skilfully engage children in early communication skills. In phonics, pupils quickly gain confidence to use and apply the knowledge they need to read fluently. If pupils are at risk of falling behind, adults provide them with extra practise, and they quickly catch up. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to read aloud by using books that accurately match their abilities. Adults’ passion for reading saturates the curriculum. This inspires pupils’ own high levels of interest, and they read regularly for pleasure.

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Pupils learn to appreciate a wide range of cultural disciplines. This includes the opportunity to study a range of artforms, including opera and photography. This contributes to pupils’ wider perspectives of the world and their high ambitions for what they can achieve in the future. Exposure to relevant social issues starts in the early years. This is exemplified by children in the Reception Year, who learn to care for the planet. They can accurately explain issues such as pollution and suggest the possible solutions to which they can contribute.

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Pupils show impressive levels of respect, both to staff and their peers. This means that classrooms are environments of focused, purposeful learning. Pupils learn to be empathetic and considerate of others’ needs. They learn to use effective strategies to manage any anxieties. They share this advice to help others.

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Leaders’ regular and thorough evaluation supports them to strive for the very best. This includes governors, who have a fierce commitment to ensuring that all pupils thrive. They maintain a robust oversight of resources, and they are mindful of the well-being of staff. This ensures that pupils continue to access high-quality experiences, without limit. Governors also champion the values of diversity and inclusion, ensuring that these are at the heart of all decisions.

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Parents consistently express high praise for the school. They value the care and determination shown by staff at all levels. They acknowledge the exceptional quality of education their children access.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a strong culture of safeguarding. They ensure that all mandatory checks are completed on staff and volunteers working with children. They provide adults with training to ensure that they fulfil their responsibilities effectively.

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Safeguarding

A clear system for sharing information and concerns is in place. This enables leaders to consider the needs of individual children, drawing on a wide range of information. 7 and 8 March 2023

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As a result, leaders act swiftly and with determination to ensure that the right support is provided to keep pupils safe.

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Pupils learn a wide range of knowledge across the curriculum to help them make safe choices, including when using the internet.

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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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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. 7 and 8 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10211869 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 Natalie Knight-Wickens

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School details

Website www.sheredesprimary.herts.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 January 2008

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Information about this school

 The school use one registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspectors carried out this graded 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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher, who is also the special educational needs coordinator. Inspectors met a range of other leaders and staff to explore provision across the school, including curriculum, provision for pupils with SEND and early years practice. 7 and 8 March 2023

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 The lead inspector met with six representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors. A separate discussion was held with an improvement partner from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, history and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum documentation, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leader, the school secretary and other staff to discuss safeguarding.  During the inspection, inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the single central record of recruitment and vetting checks, curriculum plans, school development plans, external audit reports and safeguarding and behaviour records.  Inspectors also spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences of school life

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and their learning in lessons to understand what it is like to be a pupil in their school. Inspectors also observed the behaviour of pupils across the school site.  Inspectors considered 215 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including free-text comments. Inspectors also considered 30 responses to Ofsted’s survey for school staff.

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Inspection team

Kristian Hewitt, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Amy Luu Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 March 2023

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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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