Sharow Church of England Primary School

Sharow Church of England Primary School has improved significantly since its previous inspection, when it required improvement. Pupils are safe, cared for and enjoy school, and staff have high expectations for learning and behaviour. The curriculum has developed strongly and is well designed across subjects, with clear steps for knowledge and skills, secure teacher subject knowledge and effective checks on learning. Early reading is a particular strength, and pupils with SEND are well supported through effective adaptations, interventions and work with external agencies. Children in the early years get a positive start and are well prepared for Year 1. Leadership is a notable strength: governors are committed, carry out statutory duties effectively, and provide challenge and support; staff morale is high and training and networking are used well. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Personal development prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain, including through residential trips, leadership roles and use of the school grounds for camping and bushcraft. The main areas for improvement relate to mixed-age teaching and citizenship. Because pupils in the same class are at different stages, teaching is sometimes not adapted well enough to what pupils already know and can do, so some do not learn as well as they should. In the early years, some activities do not help children practise and apply learning independently. In addition, some pupils do not have enough meaningful opportunities to contribute to the life of the school and wider community, which limits their development of responsibility and active citizenship.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe, cared for and enjoy attending school.
• Staff have high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour.
• Pupils behave well, engage in lessons and get on well at social times.
• The curriculum has developed strongly and is well designed across subjects.
• Teachers have secure subject knowledge and revisit important knowledge effectively.
• The school checks effectively how well pupils are learning the curriculum.
• Early reading is taught well, and pupils learn to read quickly and accurately.
• Pupils with SEND are well supported through effective adaptations and interventions.
• Children in the early years get a positive start and are well prepared for Year 1.
• Personal development prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.
• Residential trips and school grounds activities build independence and resilience.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Governors are committed, carry out statutory duties and provide effective challenge and support.
• Staff morale is high, with good use of training and networking opportunities.

Areas for Improvement

• Teaching is sometimes not well adapted to the different needs of pupils in mixed-age classes.
• Some pupils do not learn subject content as well as they could because activities are not well matched to their needs.
• Some early years activities do not help children practise and apply learning independently.
• Some pupils lack meaningful opportunities to contribute to the school and wider community.
• Limited active citizenship opportunities restrict pupils’ development of responsibility and purpose.

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 Sharow Church of England Primary School attended 94.8% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 13.2% 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, 2.2% of pupils at Sharow 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 Sharow Church of England Primary School had 15.2 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, 17.1% of pupils at Sharow 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 Sharow Church of England Primary School received £9,925 and spent £9,906 for each of its 76 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £49,000 (£639 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 Ripon · North Yorkshire local authority: places and applications

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

The latest Ofsted rating for Sharow Church of England Primary School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

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

Sharow Church of England Primary School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Sharow Church of England Primary School have?

Sharow Church of England Primary School has 76 pupils on roll.

What age range does Sharow Church of England Primary School cover?

Sharow Church of England Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

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

In 2025, 31% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Sharow Church of England Primary School?

Sharow Church of England Primary School is at Berrygate Lane, Sharow, Ripon, North Yorkshire, HG4 5BJ.