Following the inspection of Sharlston Community School on April 30, 2019, it has been determined that the school continues to be good. The acting headteacher, Mr. James Grayston, has effectively collaborated with other leaders and staff to enhance the school's performance. The leadership team, including governors and the chief executive officer of the Waterton Academy Trust, has a clear understanding of the school's strengths and areas for improvement. Recent efforts have successfully improved the quality of reading instruction, strengthened safeguarding measures, and increased overall pupil attendance. The school has maintained positive aspects of pupil behavior and personal development noted in previous inspections.
Pupils exhibit good behavior, moving around the school in an orderly manner and demonstrating respect towards others. They engage attentively in lessons and participate well in various activities during playtime. The school's behavior policy is well understood, and staff consistently apply it. While attendance levels are improving, further efforts are needed to reach national averages.
The school has addressed previous areas for improvement, ensuring that all pupil groups are appropriately challenged in their learning. The focus on enhancing arithmetic knowledge is yielding positive results, although some less able pupils require additional support to fully embed their learning. The leadership team recognizes the need to refine recently introduced teaching approaches.
In early years, the school has made strides in ensuring that activities in the Nursery class are challenging and purposeful, particularly in supporting early number and reading development. However, variability in the quality of learning opportunities exists between indoor and outdoor settings. The safeguarding measures in place are effective, with a strong culture of safety prioritized by leaders and staff. Recent improvements to site security and thorough staff training contribute to a safe environment for pupils.
The inspection findings indicate that the leadership team has adapted well to their interim roles, with the trust providing necessary support for continued improvement. The structured approach to phonics teaching is effective, although there is still work to be done to meet national standards in phonics screening. Reading instruction is well-planned, and pupils enjoy reading, with many achieving expected standards.
Despite some progress, challenges remain in ensuring that all pupils, particularly those with special educational needs, receive the support they require. Parents generally express satisfaction with the school, noting their children's progress and the support provided for additional needs. However, concerns about bullying and the identification of special educational needs have been raised.
Governors and the trust's CEO actively engage with the school, providing a balance of challenge and support. The trust's school improvement officers have effectively targeted support to meet the school's needs. Moving forward, the school must focus on embedding developments in reading and phonics, consistently applying assessment approaches, enhancing mathematics teaching, improving outdoor learning in early years, and continuing to raise attendance levels to match national averages. The leadership team is committed to addressing these areas to ensure ongoing improvement and success for all pupils.
