Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, Bishop's Stortford

Requires Improvement
Primary
Voluntary controlled school
Mixed
Church of England
Ages 411

Data last updated 11 Sept 2026

Location

Very likely (~1.3km)Possible (~1.9km)Unlikely (~2.4km)Confidence: high

Estimated admission likelihood based on school density and oversubscription data

Key Information

DfE GIAS
Head:Mrs Hafise Nazif
Pupils:62 / 105 capacity
LA:Essex
Phone:01279734210
Address:The Street, Sheering, Bishop's Stortford, CM22 7LU
Admissions:Not applicable
Status:open

Ofsted Rating

Ofsted · 1 year ago
-

Overall

Requires Improvement

Quality of Education

Requires Improvement

Behaviour & Attitudes

Good

Personal Development

Requires Improvement

Leadership & Management

Good

Early Years

Inspected 29 April 2025View full report
URN:115099
UKPRN:10072442
Diocese:Diocese of Chelmsford
Constituency:Harlow
Urban/Rural:Smaller rural: Nearer to a major town or city

Ofsted Insights

What This School Does Well

The school has created a happy environment where pupils embrace the school's AWESOME values and take pride in their roles as prefects and school council members. Reading is a real strength, with effective phonics teaching helping pupils achieve well and develop a love of books. Early years provision stands out as particularly strong, with children well-prepared for their transition to Year 1.

Key Strengths

  • Reading is taught effectively with high-quality phonics training and pupils achieve well in early reading
  • Early years provision is good with well-designed activities that prepare children effectively for Year 1
  • Pupils benefit from many roles and responsibilities, with older pupils acting as positive role models
  • Strong focus on pupils' physical and mental well-being through a comprehensive personal development programme
  • Safeguarding arrangements are effective and pupils know they are kept safe

Areas for Improvement

  • Curriculum delivery in some subjects is inconsistent - activities do not link to key knowledge, so pupils do not retain important learning
  • Behaviour policy is not being applied consistently by all staff, leading to low-level disruption and some disrespect
  • Strategic priorities and planned improvements lack clarity, limiting how well leaders can track progress
  • Some pupils' behaviour disrupts others' learning despite recent improvements
  • Leadership oversight and accountability for school improvements need to be more robust

Safeguarding

Safeguarding arrangements are effective with clear processes in place to identify and support pupils with additional needs.

Extracurricular Activities

Sporting events and competitions, Brittaine's Got Talent annual showcase

Sheering Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is a small primary school where pupils are happy and know the school's values well. However, the quality of education requires improvement, with inconsistent curriculum delivery and behaviour management needing to be strengthened.

At a Glance

27.4%

Free School Meals

No

Boarding

No

Nursery

No

Sixth Form

No

Special Measures

What Parents Think

22 responses
Would recommend64%
Child is happy91%
Well taught91%
Good progress73%
Feels safe91%
Well behaved59%
Bullying dealt with18%
Kept informed86%
Handles concerns50%
Wider development64%

Source: Ofsted Parent View - % who strongly agree or agree

Primary Performance (KS2)

Academic year 2025/26

KS2 Results (% meeting expected standard)

2024
2025
Reading+15ppMaths+34ppWriting+10pp

Reading has improved from 60% to 75%. Maths has improved from 47% to 81%. Writing has improved from 53% to 63%.

Class Sizes

21.5

Avg class size

16.0

Infant (KS1)

27.0

KS2

4

Total classes

2024/25 academic year

Getting There

Bus Stops

The Cock (o/s)
71m · 1 min walk
The Crown (adj)
229m · 4 min walk
Post Office (o/s)
356m · 6 min walk
Longland Bridge (SW-bound)
891m · 14 min walk
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Capacity & Demand

School Occupancy

59%

Available places

62 pupils

105 capacity

43 spare places available

Area Demand Pressure - Bishop's Stortford

Low pressure
New homes approved:1,134
Projected new pupils:284

Based on MHCLG housing supply data for Bishop's Stortford

Admissions Demand - Essex

Low demand0.87x oversubscription

Places available

17,913

Applications

15,619

Got 1st preference

90.3%

Got preferred school

98.4%

Primary admissions across Essex (2025/26)

Inspection History(10)

29 April 2025
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesRequires Improvement
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementRequires Improvement
Early YearsGood
24 January 2023
Requires ImprovementReport
Quality of EducationRequires Improvement
Behaviour & AttitudesRequires Improvement
Personal DevelopmentGood
Leadership & ManagementRequires Improvement
Early YearsRequires Improvement
17 December 2019

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SEN Provision

How many pupils have special educational needs, what types of support the school provides, and how it compares to similar schools.

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Pupil Demographics

The school's pupil mix - ethnicity breakdown, free school meals eligibility, and English as an additional language. Useful context when evaluating school fit.

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Teachers & Staff

Teacher qualification rates, pupil-to-teacher ratio, staff turnover, and salary data. Shows how well-resourced and stable the school's workforce is.

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School Funding

Annual funding per pupil, total budget, pupil premium grants, and how the school's resources compare to similar schools nationally.

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Pupil Absence
2024/25

5.38893%

Overall absence

9.87654%

Persistent absence

81

Enrolments

Authorised3.60175%
Unauthorised1.78718%
Persistent (10%+)9.87654%
Severe (50%+)2.46914%

Absence trend

3.84033%
18/19
2.47748%
20/21
5.87129%
21/22
4.85232%
22/23
4.87876%
23/24
5.38893%
24/25
Overall absence rate

Source: DfE pupil absence statistics. Persistent absence = pupils missing 10%+ sessions.

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