Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a small primary where pupils are happy and most enjoy attending. Pupils understand the school’s values, and personal development and early years provision are stronger areas. Reading and phonics are well taught, children in early years achieve well, and pupils benefit from a wide range of sporting and wider opportunities. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, attendance has improved, and staff feel supported with workload and well-being. However, the school is not yet performing consistently well across the curriculum, behaviour and leadership. The curriculum is broad and identifies key knowledge, but in some key stage 1 and 2 subjects activities do not help pupils remember and apply that knowledge, so pupils do not develop the understanding they should. Behaviour has improved since a new policy was introduced, but it is not applied consistently; low-level disruption and some disrespectful behaviour continue to affect learning for some pupils. Leadership and governance also need strengthening. Strategic priorities and planned improvements are not clear enough, which limits timely improvement and makes it harder for governors to hold leaders to account. This was a graded inspection and, under current arrangements, no overall effectiveness grade was given. The school was previously judged to require improvement.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy and most enjoy attending school.
• Pupils understand and value the school’s ‘AWESOME’ values.
• Behaviour has improved since a new policy was introduced.
• Pupils take on many roles and responsibilities, including prefects and school council members.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced, with key knowledge clearly identified.
• Early years activities are well designed and children achieve well.
• Reading is a priority and phonics is taught effectively.
• Staff receive high-quality phonics training and pupils’ learning is regularly checked.
• Pupils who need extra phonics support receive it, including older pupils.
• Pupils have access to a wide variety of books and enjoy reading.
• The school has clear processes for identifying pupils with SEND.
• Staff receive effective guidance on meeting pupils’ needs and can draw on external agency support.
• Attendance has improved through close work with parents.
• Pupils’ physical and mental well-being are prioritised.
• Pupils benefit from a wide range of sporting opportunities and competitions.
• Staff are well supported with workload and well-being.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• In some key stage 1 and 2 subjects, the curriculum is not delivered as consistently and effectively as intended.
• In some subjects, activities do not help pupils remember and apply important knowledge.
• Pupils do not always know important subject knowledge or develop the understanding they should.
• The new behaviour policy is not applied consistently.
• Low-level disruption is not addressed consistently well and sometimes affects learning.
• A few pupils do not show the expected respect to each other, staff or equipment.
• The school’s strategic priorities and planned improvements are not clear.
• Some aspects of the school are not improving in a timely way.
• Governors’ oversight and accountability are not sufficiently robust.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School attended 94.6% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 9.9% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 1.2% of pupils at Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School had 12.9 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 14.3% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 21.0% of pupils at Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.2% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School received £11,791 and spent £12,117 for each of its 62 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £12,000 (£194 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bishop'S Stortford · Essex local authority: places and applications

What is Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School have?

Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School has 62 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School cover?

Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 50% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School?

Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is at The Street, Sheering, Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire, CM22 7LU.