Shap Endowed CofE Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 16 July 2024

Pupils are happy and enjoy each day spent in this small, friendly and nurturing school. They are greeted warmly by staff each morning with a welcoming smile. The school's mission to provide pupils with 'a safe branch from which to soar' is brought to life by all in the school and its wider community. Pupils strive to live up to the high expectations that the school has for them academically. Most pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. They enjoy learning and are proud of what they can do. This is showcased in the wonderful work on display around school. Pupils are polite and well mannered. They treat each other with respect and kindness. These foundations are strongly laid as soon as children enter school in the Nursery class. Children quickly learn to share, take turns and to support one another in their play and learning. Pupils benefit from the exciting variety of activities that the school provides, such as theatre trips, farm visits and dance workshops. Residential trips to places of cultural significance, including capital cities, help to broaden pupils' horizons. Pupils proudly represent the school in debating, musical and sporting events. They thoroughly enjoy working alongside other like-minded pupils from an array of local schools.

What the school should improve

• In one or two subjects, the school continues to refine its curriculum thinking. This makes it difficult for teachers to design learning that helps pupils to build on their prior learning effectively. The school should identify the key knowledge that pupils should learn so that they progress well in these subjects from the early years to Year 6.
• In some subjects, assessment strategies are not used in a timely and effective manner. As a result, opportunities are missed to check what pupils know and can do. This leads to some gaps in knowledge for some pupils. The school should ensure that staff know how to use assessment effectively in order to maximise pupils' progress.
• In some subjects, staff do not revisit the important knowledge that pupils need to remember long term. This prevents some pupils from building securely on what they know. The school should review its approach to helping pupils to remember key curriculum content over time in these subjects.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)