Shiplake Church of England School

Shiplake Church of England School

Address: Memorial Avenue, Shiplake, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, RG9 4DN Unique reference number (URN): 123203

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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.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

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

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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.

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Achievement Strong standard

By the end of key stage 2, pupils are very well prepared for their next stage of education and life beyond school. Reading, writing and mathematics published outcomes are consistently above national averages. If pupils have barriers to their learning, they respond well to highly personalised approaches which enable them to make significant progress from their starting points. Pupils at the earliest stages of learning to read progress swiftly through the reading programme. If any pupils fall behind their peers they are given the practice and support they need to keep up. Pupils' outcomes in the phonics screening check are consistently above national averages. Work in books is of a very high standard. Pupils develop their knowledge and skills over time. For example in history, pupils developed their understanding of World War 'allies and axis' and the meaning of propaganda, whilst also learning and evaluating

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Achievement Strong standard

different sources of historical evidence. Pupils develop a rich depth of understanding across the curriculum.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils attend school regularly. They run excitedly into school and routinely demonstrate a clear love of learning. Staff are committed to promoting good attitudes to learning and regular attendance. Staff and pupils have very positive relationships, which helps staff to anticipate risks of lower attendance and intervene quickly should they need to. Leaders work effectively with parents and carers to create a supportive community that has children at the heart of their decision making. Leaders have a clear strategic approach to promoting high levels of attendance, placing relationships and school community at the centre.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning. Pupils are kind to each other, respectful and treat each other courteously. From the beginning of the school day, pupils settle quickly to their learning. Staff establish clear routines that are used consistently well throughout the school. Pupils demonstrate impeccable behaviour in all lessons, at playtimes and in the corridors. On the playground, pupils play very well together. Pupils of all ages flourish. They take turns, play imaginatively and cooperate well together. Pupils consistently model high levels of respect towards each other. If pupils need extra support to improve their behaviour, staff are highly skilled at acting quickly and putting successful interventions in place.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders understand the curriculum strengths and areas for development thoroughly. They demonstrate clear insight and rigour in analysing and evaluating the effectiveness of their practice. The curriculum is of a consistently high quality across subjects. Leaders prioritise pupils' accuracy and competency, guiding pupils sensitively to enable increasingly correct and confident responses. The school's approach builds resilience and independence in their pupils well. Subjects such as history, science, English and mathematics offer thoughtful sequences of learning that build pupils’ knowledge deliberately and creatively. Key vocabulary is explored regularly. Staff assess pupils' learning skilfully. They use focused and very effective approaches that pupils find extremely supportive and help them to know and remember more over time.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The curriculum is taught consistently well. Across subjects, staff have the knowledge and expertise they need to implement the school's curriculum highly effectively. Staff explain new learning skilfully and use insightful questions to extend and maximise learning opportunities within lessons, including in the early years. Reading is prioritised. Highly effective phonics teaching ensures that all pupils make secure progress within the phonics programme. Pupils' handwriting, already at a high standard, is an area that leaders want to strengthen even further.

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Early years Strong standard

From the very start of Nursery, leaders strive for the children to be the best that they can be. There is clear ambition for children to be confident and fully prepared for their next stage of education. Leaders value the strengths of relationships with parents and carers, relationships with the children and the growing trust that exists in the school community. The curriculum is sequenced highly effectively from Nursery Year through to Year 1. Staff prioritise relationships, personal development, and foundational knowledge and skills, which are broken into small units and personalised for each child. Knowledge is planned explicitly. Staff weave key vocabulary into their sequences of learning consistently well. As a result, children's vocabulary is impressive. For example, children could talk about chrysalis, symmetry and metamorphosis after learning the 'minibeasts' topic. By the end of Reception

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Early years Strong standard

Year, children achieve very well across all areas of learning.

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Early years Strong standard

Staff use inclusive, high quality interactions to maximise learning and extend children’s ideas. For example, by using musical instruments that the children have made to explore group performance together. Staff model, explain and develop children’s ideas skilfully, including more vulnerable children and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Songs, rhymes, poems and traditional stories are used creatively throughout the setting to help make learning memorable and create a sense of joy that is tangible across all stages.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have the highest expectations for what all pupils can achieve. They prioritise inclusive teaching to enable the most vulnerable pupils in the school to consistently succeed and thrive in all aspects of school life. In close partnership with parents, staff gather the information they need and adapt the curriculum skilfully. Through highly personalised approaches, staff meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and other vulnerable pupils effectively. Leaders identify vulnerable pupils’ needs quickly. Where needed, they work closely with external agencies such as speech and language specialists and education psychologists, ensuring that their work has a positive impact.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Strategies to support pupils with their learning and/or wellbeing are well established. For example, common systems are used throughout the school to help pupils to understand the meaning of new words and related language extremely well. Leaders monitor the impact of these approaches forensically. Leaders evaluate the progress of more vulnerable pupils systematically. They use this information to develop precise, ambitious strategies. Leaders use pupil premium funding highly effectively. Through determined, focused support and high aspirations for all pupils, staff consistently remove pupils’ barriers to learning. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND make excellent progress from their starting points and are fully ready for their next stage of education.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders use detailed and insightful analysis to evaluate and adjust improvement priorities skilfully. Leaders use their high levels of expertise to develop the school's strategic approaches successfully. Leaders at all levels contribute well to the community-focused, collaborative approach at the school. There is a culture of high expectations and professionalism at every level. This translates to very positive experiences for all pupils at the school.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff feel considered, safe and supported in terms of their workload and wellbeing. Professional development for staff is thorough and tailored to the specific needs and context of the school. Staff develop the expertise they need for their roles. Staff fully appreciate leaders' and governors' care and dedication. Governors are highly knowledgeable about their roles, responsibilities and duties. Governors know the school’s strengths and areas for development well. They support and challenge leaders highly effectively. Rigorous challenge ensures that improvement actions impact positively on pupils’ learning and wellbeing. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive. Leaders and staff engage with parents very well. During the inspection, inspectors received many positive comments in person, by email and in the free text of Ofsted's survey responses, summarised well by one comment: ‘Wonderful school with brilliant teachers. Our children are thriving here.’

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have devised an excellent programme of personal development and wellbeing that is an entitlement for every pupil at the school. Leaders monitor the impact of this programme systematically. Leaders are passionate about translating the school's values into all aspects of the curriculum and school life, and helping all pupils to be fully prepared for life beyond school. Pupils know the school’s values deeply. They feel safe and know that adults keep them safe. Pupils have detailed knowledge of the personal, social and health education curriculum. For example, knowledge of online safety, road and water safety, healthy eating and healthy lifestyles. Pupils understand protected characteristics and British values in detailed, age-appropriate ways that link closely to the school's values. Leaders have an impressive ambition to strengthen this even further. Pupils enjoy their roles and responsibilities in school, such as becoming ambassadors, school councillors and buddies.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

These opportunities help pupils to gain independence and confidence.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils thrive through the school's many wider curriculum opportunities, including residential visits. Pupils learn first aid, how to ride a bike, how to play a musical instrument and how to perform on a stage. Artistic, musical, sporting and cultural opportunities help pupils to connect their talents and interests into wider school and community activities. For example, pupils participate in drama groups and the school council leads its own talent show. This approach builds pupils' confidence at every opportunity. Pupils are taught about recognising right and wrong. Staff use ‘big questions’ in the curriculum to help pupils shape their views about moral and ethical issues. For example, presenting talks about ways to protect the environment, and debating key ideas focussed around high quality, classic literature texts. Pastoral support matches closely to individual pupils' needs. This includes support from a

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

school councillor and a play therapist. Pupils understand that support is available for them if and when they need it.

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

Pupils are happy and achieve highly at this caring school. Staff and pupils have warm relationships with each other which helps pupils to feel safe, grow in confidence and develop a clear sense of belonging. Pupils' learning and wellbeing needs are understood thoroughly. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported expertly from the very start of their education journeys.

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

Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. Pupils settle quickly into their lessons and learning activities each day. Pupils are kind and thoughtful towards each other. They model positive attitudes to their learning. They know the school’s values and demonstrate them through their actions routinely. Bullying is not a part of school life. Pupils are confident that any issues at school would be dealt with quickly and fairly. Pupils know that there is always someone they can speak to if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils attend school regularly. If pupils are at risk of lower attendance leaders work closely and supportively with parents and carers.

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

Pupils develop their knowledge and understanding across the curriculum successfully. From the beginning of the early years, children learn the curriculum extremely well. Pupils enjoy a wide range of subjects and learning activities that are sequenced effectively to help pupils know and remember more. For example, in science pupils learn deeply about topics such as electricity, the human body, and the circulatory system as well as learning about Charles Darwin and evolutionary adaptations. Educational visits and visiting speakers to the school enhance the curriculum thoughtfully. Reading is prioritised. Fluent word reading, spelling and mathematics are taught very effectively. Children in Nursery and Reception Year make a very positive start and grow in their confidence and independence. Pupil's outcomes in national tests, including the Year 1 phonics screening check, are consistently above national

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

averages. All pupils make very positive progress from their starting points.

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Next steps

Leaders should sustain and build on their existing work to further develop handwriting across the curriculum. Leaders should refine their highly effective provision for personal, social and health education to further strengthen pupils’ detailed knowledge and understanding.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 14 July 2026

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About this inspection

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

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About this inspection

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

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Andrew Dunn.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other school leaders. Inspectors spoke with the chairs of governors. Inspectors also spoke to a representative of the local authority and a representative of the diocese.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school: This school is registered as having a Church of England religious character. It is in the Diocese of Oxford. Its last section 48 inspection was 29 November 2023. The school has Nursery provision on-site which caters for children aged 2 to 4 years old. The school currently does not use any alternative provision.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Katherine Page-Howie The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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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.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

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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.

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What does this mean?

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

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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.

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What does this mean?

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

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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.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

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

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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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.

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mathematics

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

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

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

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

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

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

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

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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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.

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mathematics

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

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

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

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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.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

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

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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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.

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Persistent absence

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

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Exceptional

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

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Strong standard

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

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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.

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Needs attention

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

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Urgent improvement

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

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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.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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