‘A school that creates global citizens’
Glowing report for Hampshire independent school following inspection
Sherfield School, Hook, has received an outstanding inspection from Ofsted and the ISI. Sherfield is a unique school, set in 75 acres of woodland and beautiful sports fields, a lake and listed topiary gardens with an innovative new co-educational boarding house. It is a learning community with a family atmosphere that educates pupils from 8 months to 18 years on one site. From Nursery to Sixth Form, pupils are valued, their talents discovered, nurtured and celebrated. Every child has opportunities to shine throughout their learning journey.
Inspectors noted that pupils “achieve high standards across all areas of the curriculum” and “the quality of pupils’ personal development is excellent.” It was also noted that in 2016, the outstanding Sixth Form results, with 82% of grades A* to B, placed the school 4th in The Daily Telegraph league tables for this type of school. In a separate inspection by Ofsted, the Sherfield Nursery was judged “Outstanding”, the third consecutive Ofsted Report awarding this superlative grade.
The ISI report praised Sherfield’s staff, stating that teachers have “close knowledge of the pupils, understanding well their strengths, abilities and aspirations” and noted that “pupils are well cared for pastorally and their welfare provided scrupulous attention.”
Current parents and staff were struck by this direct from the January ISI report:
“The pupils’ behaviour both individually and corporately is excellent and this results in first-class collaborative work, and consequently teams and houses operate enthusiastically. . . The excellence seen in this area is largely as a result of the consistent example set by all teaching and non-teaching staff, who exemplify the school’s ethos and behavioural standards. “
The breadth of opportunities available to pupils was also highlighted by inspectors, who noted the “rich diet” of curricular and extra-curricular provision afforded to pupils.
Sherfield’s partnerships programme, allows elite-level pupils in sport and the creative arts to receive coaching alongside their academic studies. It received significant praise by inspectors as “innovative” and for enabling “many athletes and performers to be highly effective role models.”
The report praises the school’s all-round approach to education, highlighting the strong contribution pupils make to both their school and wider society. Inspectors also noted the school’s underlying ethos of enabling “the creation of global citizens” and the harmonious nature of the school as a whole.
At his first assembly of the summer term, Sherfield Head Master, Nick Fisher, praised staff and pupils for their role in the report’s outcome, saying:
“The ISI’s report is testament to the hard work of Sherfield’s wonderful staff and the enthusiasm of its creative pupils - a clear reflection of this thriving school. I was delighted to hear the inspectors talk so warmly about their meetings with our pupils who are the heart of our focus at Sherfield, and who are also our greatest ambassadors. I look forward to building on these excellent foundations and leading Sherfield towards its prosperous future.”
Sherfield School is currently recruiting a dynamic Director of Teaching & Learning to work with universities and local schools in developing innovation in the classroom. The Head Master and Governors also have a visionary building programme, which will introduce an all-weather hockey pitch, Sports Science Centre, Centre for Creative Arts and STEAM Learning Hub.