Sedgeberrow CofE First School

Sedgeberrow CofE First School is a highly inclusive and nurturing school where pupils are well supported to achieve. Reading and mathematics are taught strongly, pupils with SEND are identified quickly and supported effectively, and attendance and behaviour are high. The school’s personal development offer is exceptional, with a coherent focus on mental health, pupil leadership and wider opportunities that help pupils build resilience and confidence. Leadership is compassionate and well regarded by staff, governors provide appropriate support and challenge, and parents are positive about the school. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic and its first graded inspection in 10 years, following a previous ‘Outstanding’ judgement under an earlier framework. The school has also recently opened a pre-school for 3-year-olds. Inspectors found that the core subjects are stronger than some foundation subjects, where the key knowledge pupils should learn has not been identified sharply enough and assessment systems are not yet established. As a result, pupils’ knowledge in some foundation subjects is less secure and staff cannot check progression as well as they do in reading and mathematics. A further area for development is the new pre-school, where the school’s established policies and routines, including behaviour expectations, are not yet fully embedded. Overall, the school remains a calm, caring and purposeful place where pupils are happy and achieve well, but it needs to sharpen curriculum planning and assessment in foundation subjects and ensure its high expectations are applied consistently in the pre-school.

Strengths

• Strong phonics and early reading provision helps pupils read accurately and fluently
• Mathematics is taught well, with regular revisiting that builds fluency
• Pupils with SEND are identified without delay and well supported
• Pupils behave beautifully and show positive attitudes to learning
• Attendance is high and pupils rarely miss a day
• Personal development is exceptional, with rich opportunities linked to body, spirit and mind
• The school prioritises mental health and provides strong pastoral support
• Pupils have varied leadership opportunities, including assemblies, public speaking and charity work
• Leadership is compassionate, with staff feeling valued and supported
• Governors know the school well and provide appropriate support and challenge
• Parents are positive about the school and recognise its child-centred, inclusive approach
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

Areas for Improvement

• The curriculum in some foundation subjects is not refined enough and key knowledge is not clearly identified
• Pupils do not always learn or build on the most important knowledge in some foundation subjects
• Assessment systems for foundation subjects are not yet in place, making it difficult to check pupils’ progress
• Policies and routines are not yet fully embedded in the newly opened pre-school
• Some pre-school pupils do not consistently follow the school’s established systems and routines

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 Sedgeberrow CofE First School attended 96.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 5.3% 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, 0.0% of pupils at Sedgeberrow CofE First 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 Sedgeberrow CofE First School had 20.1 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 13.1% 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, 14.7% of pupils at Sedgeberrow CofE First School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 4.5% 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 Sedgeberrow CofE First School received £7,172 and spent £7,737 for each of its 177 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £42,000 (£238 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 Evesham · Worcestershire local authority: places and applications

What is Sedgeberrow CofE First School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sedgeberrow CofE First School is Good, from an inspection in November 2024.

When was Sedgeberrow CofE First School last inspected by Ofsted?

Sedgeberrow CofE First School was last inspected in November 2024.

How many pupils does Sedgeberrow CofE First School have?

Sedgeberrow CofE First School has 177 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sedgeberrow CofE First School cover?

Sedgeberrow CofE First School for pupils aged 3 to 10.

Where is Sedgeberrow CofE First School?

Sedgeberrow CofE First School is at Main Street, Sedgeberrow, Evesham, Worcestershire, WR11 7UF.