Shepeau Stow Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 18 March 2025

Shepeau Stow Primary School is a nurturing school where pupils feel welcome and included. Relationships between pupils and adults are warm. Pupils feel safe and cared for. Pupils know that they can share any concerns that they may have, and that staff will act on these quickly. Pupils are polite and treat each other with courtesy and respect. They play together happily during social times. The school has high aspirations for pupils' achievement. Since the previous inspection, much has been done to improve the quality of education. A well-planned curriculum is now in place in the majority of subjects. However, the school's curriculum is not taught consistently well, including in the early years. Learning does not build successfully on what pupils already know. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Pupils benefit from a range of carefully planned trips and experiences. They visit places that broaden their experiences of the wider world. Pupils visit different places of worship, for example a mandir, in order to broaden their knowledge of different faiths. The majority of parents and carers are positive about the work of the school and would recommend it to others. Many commented on the supportive and welcoming ethos of the school.

What the school should improve

• Sometimes, the school does not ensure that teachers check pupils' understanding effectively then act on this information to improve teaching. As a result, pupils do not remember what they have been taught in sufficient detail. They do not deepen their understanding over time and some misconceptions remain. Leaders should ensure that teachers check closely what pupils know, helping them to recall and build on prior learning while resolving any misconceptions.
• The school's early years curriculum is too focused on activities and end goals rather than the knowledge and skills that lead to specific learning over time. As a result, staff do not support children to develop their curriculum knowledge as well as they should. The school should ensure that it identifies the intended knowledge and skills that staff will teach children in each area of learning.
• Not all subject leaders have an accurate evaluation of the curriculum subject they lead. There are inconsistencies in how teachers implement and assess pupils' learning of the curriculum. This limits how well pupils know and remember the intended curriculum. The school should ensure that leaders and teachers have the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding to deliver and assess the school's curriculum intentions.

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