Sherwood Junior School

Sherwood Junior School

Address: Sherwood Street, Warsop, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, NG20 0JT Unique reference number (URN): 122501

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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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This school requires significant improvement

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have ensured that there is a coherent and appropriate programme of personal development across the school and that it extends across the curriculum and wider experiences. It makes a positive difference to pupils, especially disadvantaged pupils, who are able to talk about the different experiences that they have had and the skills that they have developed. For example, the school organises residential visits for multiple year groups and this allows pupils to develop their communication, independence and social skills.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school enriches its personal, social, health and economic education curriculum with opportunities for pupils to learn about different professions and career pathways. Pupils talk very positively about the ‘exciting’ careers week that happens in the school. This allows pupils to develop their aspirations and consider careers that they may not have previously considered.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils learn about fundamental British values, such as democracy, respect and individual liberty, and the differences between themselves and others. They learn about different religions and cultures, although they sometimes find it difficult to recall what they have been taught.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils enjoy the variety of opportunities available to them to pursue their interests and develop their talents. This includes a range of clubs such as drama club, where pupils get the opportunity to put on performances in front of different audiences.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pastoral care is an area in which leaders have ensured that high standards are in place. Staff spend time working with pupils to get to know how best to care for them and their families. Staff understand the concerns of families and offer support and guidance to all pupils.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Some pupils do not attend school as often as they should. Leaders have taken action to improve pupils' attendance. This includes working closely with families and external partners. Leaders use analysis and bespoke strategies well to encourage pupils to attend. They communicate with parents and carers clearly about their expectations and to share the help that they can provide. There has been some improvement. However, attendance for many pupils is still low and has not improved for some pupil groups, including the most vulnerable, many of whom remain persistently absent. The work that has been undertaken around attendance has not had enough time to have the desired impact.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders have ensured that there are well-established routines and expectations in place to help pupils to behave well. These are based on being respectful and building positive relationships. Pupils start the day well and settle into their learning. When some pupils demonstrate heightened behaviour and dysregulation, staff generally manage this well. Pupils are typically positive about behaviour. However, they recognise that during social times, pupils sometimes do not follow leaders’ high expectations of their behaviour as well as they do at other times during the day. Pupils feel that when bullying happens, it is typically followed up appropriately. They feel safe in school and know who to go to if they have worries or concerns. Most pupils are respectful to each other and are keen to earn ‘golden tickets’ in recognition of their positive behaviour.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Since the previous inspection, leaders have ensured that there is a suitably ambitious curriculum in place for all subjects. Leaders are aware of the priorities for developing the curriculum. The curriculum is typically well planned for each subject. However, there is some work to be done in some subjects to ensure that the precise knowledge that leaders want pupils to know is clear and that activities are selected appropriately to achieve the desired learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The school does not support pupils with gaps in their foundational knowledge in reading and writing to catch up quickly enough. Many pupils, particularly disadvantaged pupils, do not develop their reading and writing skills to help them to achieve in line with their peers. Leaders have identified this weakness with the curriculum, but the work that has been undertaken to ensure that the gaps are closed is at an early stage of development.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The quality of teaching varies across the school. Staff generally maintain high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They design activities to enable pupils to build on prior learning. However, leaders have not ensured that pupils have their knowledge checked consistently well. At times, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding closely enough. On other occasions, teachers use strategies, including questioning, well to help pupils deepen their thinking. Leaders have worked closely with the local authority and there has been some improvement. This has been the case regarding the teaching of mathematics, but the impact of leaders’ actions is not evident in pupils’ achievement.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The school supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Leaders identify and assess the needs of these pupils quickly to ensure that they receive the help that they need in the classroom. Teachers know the barriers that pupils with SEND may face. A range of strategies, including the use of well-trained additional adults, enable pupils to learn alongside their peers. However, extra funding intended to support disadvantaged pupils has not enabled them to achieve well. Outcomes for many pupils who are

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Urgent improvement

disadvantaged have not improved quickly enough. Some staff are unsure about the needs of disadvantaged pupils and how to provide them with the academic guidance that they need.

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Urgent improvement

Leaders work closely with external agencies to ensure that pupils and their families receive personalised and effective pastoral support. This has ensured that some pupils with SEND now access more of their learning in the classroom. Leaders’ work with external experts benefits pupils who are known to social care so that they have a sense of belonging at the school. Parents and carers are positive about the support and guidance that they receive. Despite this, adaptations to learning for pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils, including the strategies leaders use to help pupils who have fallen behind their peers, are inconsistent in their effectiveness. They lack precision. This means that some pupils do not make progress in developing their reading and writing skills.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders understand the context of the school, the pupils and their families and the challenges that they face. They have a clear understanding of the priorities for the school. Since the previous inspection, leaders have ensured that there is a sequenced curriculum in place and staff have received training about how to teach it. They recognise that there is still work to be done to ensure that the curriculum is taught consistently well.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders’ actions to improve attainment across the school have not had enough impact. Leaders know that the academic outcomes are too low and they have plans in place to improve the quality of teaching across the school to ensure that pupils achieve and are prepared for the next steps. It is too soon to evaluate the impact of leaders’ work connected to strengthening pupils' foundational knowledge in reading and writing.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders are committed to improving the school. They work with external organisations and the local authority to reflect and consider how best to improve outcomes for pupils. Leaders have shaped a culture of belonging at the school. Staff at all levels feel well supported by leaders. Leaders give careful consideration to staff's workload and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Governors are aware of the priorities of the school and are knowledgeable about their responsibilities. The local authority supports the school and governors to develop clear monitoring systems to improve the quality of leaders' and governors' oversight of the school’s work.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Parents and carers are typically positive about the school and the support that is provided. The school is very much part of the local community.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Pupils do not achieve well enough. Typically, pupils do not reach the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. In 2024 and 2025, pupils’ attainment in these subjects was significantly below national averages. This means that pupils are not as well prepared for their next steps in education as they should be.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Many pupils lack the foundations of knowledge needed in communication, reading and writing. These gaps are not addressed quickly enough to support pupils to achieve well across the curriculum. The progress that disadvantaged pupils make is consistently well below that of other disadvantaged pupils nationally and has not improved swiftly enough.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Across the curriculum, leaders have not ensured that pupils remember their prior learning or the important knowledge that they have been taught. Leaders have not put in place a consistent approach to enable pupils to secure what they have learned and deepen their understanding. Pupils develop misconceptions that are not addressed and do not receive the advice they need when they repeat mistakes. Leaders have taken action to improve the quality of teaching across the school. However, these actions have not had sufficient time to make a noticeable, sustained improvement in pupils' achievement.

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

Since the previous inspection, leaders have supported staff to design a well-sequenced curriculum. However, these changes and the teaching of the curriculum have not had the desired impact on pupils’ achievement. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Teaching does not consistently ensure that pupils secure the knowledge and skills they need in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 2 remains significantly below the national averages. The attainment of disadvantaged pupils is much lower than that of disadvantaged pupils nationally. Pupils are not as well prepared for the next stages of their education as they should be.

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

Leaders have worked hard to ensure that there is a robust attendance system in place at the school. However, too many pupils are persistently absent from school and do not attend as often as they should. Typically, within lessons, pupils’ behaviour is calm. At times, some pupils receive additional support to help them to manage their behaviour. Pupils follow routines and typically respond well to staff. If bullying does occur, pupils generally feel that it is dealt with effectively.

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

Pupils are happy at this welcoming school. They know who they can talk to if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities benefit from caring pastoral support. They are encouraged to take part in a range of different extra- curricular activities and visits, including overnight residential trips. Pupils embrace these experiences and the opportunities that they have to develop their confidence and social skills.

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

Pupils learn to keep themselves safe. They understand the importance of staying physically healthy. Pupils can talk about their learning connected to online safety. Pupils benefit from leadership opportunities across the school. This includes being part of the school council and becoming ‘take five’ ambassadors. Older pupils embrace the opportunity of becoming a Sports Leader. Pupils recognise the skills that they develop through taking on these roles and are proud to represent their peers.

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Next steps

Leaders must review and develop their strategy to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. Leaders must ensure that staff understand where disadvantaged pupils have gaps in their knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics and how these gaps can be closed swiftly and effectively. Leaders must ensure that there is a sharp focus on closing the gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge so that pupils have the basic skills that they need to succeed across the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that teachers use checks on pupils' learning more consistently to identify any gaps that pupils have in their knowledge. They should support teachers to use these checks effectively so that they can successfully address gaps in pupils' knowledge and use them to inform future teaching. Leaders must ensure that consistently effective teaching is embedded across the school so that pupils gain the knowledge that they should across the curriculum.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue their focus on reducing absence so that attendance rates continue to improve and even more pupils attend school regularly. Those responsible for governance must ensure that they have precise oversight of the school’s work to close gaps and improve outcomes, checking closely and effectively on leaders’ progress and holding them to account, so that all pupils, and particularly disadvantaged pupils, are well prepared for their next steps.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Colin Barnard.

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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

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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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 HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator and various other staff and leaders throughout the inspection. The lead inspector also met with a group of governors, including the chair of the governors. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority.

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About this inspection

The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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About this inspection

At the time of the inspection there were 229 pupils on roll at the school.

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Lead inspector:

Roxanne Fearns-Davies, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Ben Waldram, Ofsted Inspector Mark Anderson, Ofsted Inspector

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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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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.

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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?

National average: 300 Headteacher: Helen Stevens

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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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average

2022/23 (final) 65% 71% Close to average

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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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national average

2022/23 (final) 38% 44% Close to average

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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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average

2022/23 (final) 52% 60% Close to average

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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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average

2022/23 (final) 52% 58% Close to average

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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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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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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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