Sharmans Cross Junior School

Sharmans Cross Junior School

Address: Sharmans Cross Road, Solihull, West Midlands, B91 1PH Unique reference number (URN): 104049

p.1

Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

p.1

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ attendance at school. They share these with parents and carers. Leaders have implemented a new, robust attendance system to regularly review trends and patterns in pupils’ absence. They respond quickly to individual dips in attendance. As a result of these combined actions, pupils attend consistently well. Attendance rates are at least in line with national figures for groups of pupils. Leaders have worked successfully with parents of pupils who are frequently absent to remove barriers to attending. Consequently, persistent absence rates are well below national averages.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

One of the first actions of new leaders was to review and refresh the behaviour policy because they recognised that pupils would not learn well if they were disrupted by poor behaviour. Over several months leaders have established effective strategies that have improved pupils’ behaviour overall. Pupils typically understand the routines and strive to meet staff’s high expectations. Typically, they behave well around school and demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. Pupils who occasionally need help to manage their behaviour are supported well. This means that learning is rarely disrupted for other pupils. Playtimes and lunchtimes are safe and inclusive. Bullying or discrimination is not tolerated. Pupils are confident that staff will deal with bullying well.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

The school has recently undergone a period of turbulence with a number of changes to staff in key roles. The senior leadership team is new and the governing body has been recently strengthened. Governors understand their roles. They ask the right questions to find out how well pupils are doing. Governors have the necessary expertise to provide appropriate support and challenge to leaders.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are ambitious and have quickly got to grips with the school. They understand what needs to be done to improve the education and experiences of pupils at Sharmans Cross. Leaders have rightly focused on improving safeguarding and behaviour. The impact of their actions has been significant. They have identified appropriate actions to improve further. These include developing the expertise and leadership skills of middle leaders to support them to have more impact in driving school improvement.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents, carers and staff are typically positive about the school. They have confidence in leaders to develop the school further. They recognise the positive impact of changes that have been made on pupils’ learning and development. Staff feel valued in their roles. They appreciate that leaders consider their wellbeing and workload in the decisions they make.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have designed a programme of professional development for staff, including those at an early stage of their teaching careers. This enables staff to develop their skills in line with the school’s priorities for improvement.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders work in partnership with other schools and stakeholders. They are proactive in reaching out for support from the local authority, local schools and external professionals to

p.2

Needs attention

ensure that actions taken to improve the school has the intended impact on pupils’ learning and development.

p.3

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have adopted a clear personal development curriculum that builds on pupils' broader knowledge. It prepares them well for life beyond school. The school removes any barriers for disadvantaged pupils or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities so that they can participate in the full range of school activities.

p.3

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Relationships and sex education and health education is carefully sequenced so that pupils learn about healthy relationships, emotional regulation and personal safety in a thoughtful and age-appropriate way.

p.3

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils understand how the school’s values link to fundamental British values and protected characteristics. As a result, they typically have a secure sense of right and wrong. Pupils learn to develop tolerance and understand the importance of equality. Pupils know that it is okay to be different and that everyone at this school is treated the same. Leaders recognise that pupils would gain a deeper understanding of the richness of life in modern Britain through more opportunities to experience other faiths, cultures and lifestyles first-hand.

p.3

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils develop their confidence and leadership skills by taking on responsibilities such as safeguarding ambassadors, sports ambassadors and school council. Pupils enjoy these responsibilities and feel a sense of pride and accomplishment from developing their confidence and teamwork while helping others.

p.3

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils attend a range of clubs and take part in trips and residential visits. These provide opportunities to try new things and develop talents and interests. Leaders actively monitor pupils' participation in these experiences and ensure that costs are not barriers to pupils accessing them.

p.3

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Staff help pupils to build positive, respectful relationships with their peers and learn how to manage their emotions. Pupils, parents and carers are positive about pastoral support which they value highly. This enables pupils to feel confident, cared for and secure at school.

p.3

Achievement Needs attention

Published data shows a positive picture for pupils’ outcomes at the end of key stage 2, including for disadvantaged pupils. The progress pupils make from their starting points is close to average for all groups including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. These outcomes indicate that pupils are typically well prepared for secondary school in the core subjects when they leave Year 6.

p.3

Achievement Needs attention

However, leaders are not consistently addressing gaps in pupils’ foundational knowledge as securely as they should. The quality of some pupils’ work shows that they lack basic skills for letter formation, spelling and handwriting. This impedes the progress pupils make across the wider curriculum. Leaders have identified actions to address these gaps in learning, but it is too early to see the impact of this on pupils’ work.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The school has a well-structured curriculum where new learning builds on previous content. The reading approach has recently been overhauled, and a new writing scheme has improved how well pupils use vocabulary. Leaders' intended approach to teaching handwriting is in its infancy and has not yet had the intended impact on pupils’ writing fluency and accuracy. The school uses a phonics scheme to support pupils at an early stage of reading. This typically helps pupils to catch up.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders recognise that there is more to do to ensure that teaching consistently supports pupils’ learning across the school. Teachers do not routinely adapt their teaching to ensure all pupils have the work they need. Most pupils complete the same activities. This means that the curriculum does not meet the needs of different pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who are ready to move on to more challenging work.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The school does not have robust systems in place to check pupils’ knowledge and understanding of subjects across the whole curriculum. As a result, staff do not consistently know how well pupils are learning some subjects. Teachers’ feedback is variable and sometimes, when next steps are given, they are not routinely acted upon. Consequently, pupils are not clear what they need to do to get better at their work.

p.4

Inclusion Needs attention

Although staff know pupils well, the school does not have a consistent approach to identifying pupils’ needs, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). New leaders recognise that they need to strengthen the school’s step- by-step support system to enable teachers to identify pupils’ needs more reliably and put appropriate provision in place for pupils sooner.

p.4

Inclusion Needs attention

Pupils with SEND are typically happy in school and feel included. While there are some positive examples of how individual pupils have benefited from the support the school provides, this is not consistent. Leaders have not ensured that staff are equipped with the knowledge and confidence to provide precise adaptations to work that pupils need. This results in some pupils not being able to access the intended learning successfully.

p.4

Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders work well with external agencies and other local schools. This helps pupils receive specialist support at the right time and ensures there is a smooth transition between schools.

p.4

Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders have thought carefully about how additional funding is spent for pupils who are disadvantaged. They have produced a renewed strategy that focuses on closing the gap in pupils’ outcomes. This additional funding is used appropriately. This is having a positive impact on disadvantaged pupils’ progress.

p.4

What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are happy at Sharmans Cross Junior School. They recognise the positive recent changes to their school. At the start of each day, staff welcome pupils, parents and carers, embracing the school's warm and welcoming nature. Pupils and staff feel as if they all belong in the Sharmans Cross family. Pupils know who to go to if they have a worry. They trust staff to sort problems out. Pastoral support for pupils and their families is effective and valued highly by parents. Pupils attend well and feel safe at school.

p.5

What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Staff support pupils to reflect on their emotional wellbeing and understand their feelings. This helps pupils to develop empathy and tolerance for others. As a result, bullying is rare and pupils know that adults would deal with this well.

p.5

What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils’ behaviour is shaped by the school’s ‘PRIDE’ values which underpin the ethos of the school. Pupils are proud of how well they behave. They understand the consequences and rewards of the behaviour system which they agree is working well.

p.5

What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from a range of clubs and trips which develop their interests and give them a chance to experience new things. Pupils develop resilience and confidence on residential trips where they face challenges as a team. Pupils become more responsible through leadership roles as safeguarding ambassadors or school councillors. They learn about finance and budgeting through a planned programme that develops their understanding of money and budgeting. Pupils use these skills in enterprise schemes, where they raise money for charity. Leaders make sure that all pupils are able to participate in these opportunities. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities learn happily alongside their peers. Pupils typically achieve well in national tests but there are gaps in some pupils’ foundational knowledge that hinder their progress across the wider curriculum.

p.5

Next steps

Leaders should ensure that staff receive training and guidance, so they understand how to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities using an effective graduated approach that meets all pupils’ needs. Leaders should ensure that teachers have the skills to adapt learning to meet the needs of pupils so that the curriculum is consistently implemented effectively and pupils achieve well in all areas of learning. Leaders should ensure that there are effective assessment processes in place for all subjects so that teachers understand how well pupils are learning and can therefore provide them with clear feedback, so pupils know what they need to do to improve their work.

p.5

Lead inspector:

Corinne Biddell, His Majesty's Inspector

p.6

Team inspectors:

John Bates, Ofsted Inspector Dawn White, Ofsted Inspector Declan McCauley, Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

Leaders should ensure that staff are supported to identify and address pupils’ gaps in foundational knowledge, so that any gaps close quickly and pupils apply these skills independently in their work. Leaders should ensure that pupils benefit from first-hand experiences of different cultures and lifestyles to gain a deeper understanding of the diversity of life in modern Britain. Leaders should ensure that middle leaders have access to support and training to build their expertise aligned to whole-school improvement priorities to improve the consistency of teaching and learning across the school.

p.6

About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors is Kate Goode.

p.6

About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.6

About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty's Inspectors (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI.

p.6

About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, representatives of the governing body, including the chair, and a representative from the local authority during the inspection.

p.6

About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

p.6

About this inspection

The school has undergone significant changes in staffing and leadership since the last inspection. The headteacher took up post in April 2026 and the deputy headteacher joined the school in September 2025.

p.6

About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

p.6

About this inspection

Headteacher: Lucy Williams The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

p.6

What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

p.7

What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

p.7

What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

p.7

What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

p.8

What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

p.8

What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

p.8

What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

p.8

Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

p.8

average

2024/25 (final) 68% 62% Close to average

p.9

Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

p.9

Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

p.9

average

2024/25 (final) 73% 72% Close to average

p.9

average

2022/23 (final) 77% 71% Close to average

p.9

Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

p.10

average

2022/23 (final) 80% 73% Close to average

p.10

Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

p.10

mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

p.10

average

2024/25 (final) 47% 47% Close to average

p.10

average

2023/24 (final) 56% 46% Close to average

p.10

average

2022/23 (final) 47% 44% Close to average

p.10

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

p.10

national average

2024/25 (final) 67% 63% Close to average

p.11

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

p.11

average

2024/25 (final) 53% 59% Close to average

p.11

average

2022/23 (final) 58% 58% Close to average

p.11

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

p.11

average

2024/25 (final) 67% 61% Close to average

p.11

average

2022/23 (final) 58% 59% Close to average

p.11

Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

p.11

mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

p.12

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

p.12

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

p.12

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

p.13

Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

p.13

Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

p.14

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

p.14

Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.14

Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

p.14

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.14

Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

p.14

Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

p.14

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.14

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.15

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.15