Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School

Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School is a small village primary where pupils feel safe, calm and happy, and where warm relationships and strong pastoral support are evident. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was previously judged good. All key judgements in this inspection were good, with the school showing particular strength in reading, early years, personal development and the care it provides for pupils. The curriculum has been strengthened since the previous inspection and is now ambitious, with clear knowledge endpoints across subjects. Phonics and reading are high priorities, and pupils receive effective support to become confident, fluent readers. Children get off to a strong start in the early years, SEND provision is improving, attendance has improved, and pupils benefit from a well-planned personal development programme and strong community links. There are still areas for improvement. Checks on pupils’ learning are not consistently effective, especially in wider curriculum subjects, so gaps can develop in some pupils’ knowledge. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, but records are sometimes incomplete and monitoring lacks rigour. Governors are committed but do not yet have close enough oversight of school improvement work, and governance is not as strategic as it needs to be.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe, calm and happy in a supportive village school community.
• Warm, trusting relationships and strong pastoral support help pupils with worries or concerns.
• High expectations for behaviour are reflected in pupils following the golden rules and older pupils caring for younger ones.
• The curriculum has been strengthened and is ambitious, with clear knowledge endpoints across subjects.
• Phonics and reading provision are strong, including effective support and a well-developed love of books.
• Early years provision gives children a strong start, particularly in communication, language and outdoor learning.
• SEND provision is improving, with swift identification and access to the same broad curriculum as peers.
• Attendance work is effective, with reduced absence and more pupils arriving promptly.
• Well-planned PSHE and personal development help pupils stay healthy, safe and active citizens.
• Staff feel well supported and proud to work at the school, and governors are committed.

Areas for Improvement

• Checks on pupils’ learning are not consistently effective, especially in wider curriculum subjects, so gaps can develop in some pupils’ knowledge.
• Safeguarding records are sometimes incomplete and the procedures for monitoring safeguarding actions lack rigour.
• Governors do not have close enough oversight of the school’s improvement work, and governance is not strategic enough.

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 Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School attended 95.1% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 10.9% 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, 2.9% of pupils at Sheepy Magna Church of England 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 Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School had 17.0 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 6.3% of pupils at Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 5.3% 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 Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School received £8,576 and spent £8,713 for each of its 95 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £76,000 (£802 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 Atherstone · Leicestershire local authority: places and applications

What is Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School have?

Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School has 95 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School cover?

Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 4 to 11.

What are Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 61% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School?

Sheepy Magna Church of England Primary School is at Main Road, Sheepy Magna, Atherstone, Warwickshire, CV9 3QR.