St Martin’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St Martin's is a nurturing school.

At the heart of the school are its Christian values of respect, resilience and compassion. Pupils demonstrate these through their learning and play. There is a strong sense of community and mutual respect.

A view expressed by a parent that this is 'a caring school that fosters an excellent community spirit' is shared by many others.

Pupils enjoy school and are happy. Bullying does not worry them.

Pupils know leaders will respond to any reported incidents of bullying and take effective action. Pupils meet leaders' high expectations for behaviour. Teachers make sure that pupils follow the school rules, but also suppor...t pupils who need help to manage their behaviour.

Therefore, lessons run smoothly.

Leaders are ambitious for what pupils can achieve. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

Pupils' experiences are broadened by trips and by visitors in school. For example, local authors come into school to share their books with the pupils. Pupils visited a local place of worship.

Pupils value these experiences.

Leaders help pupils to become responsible, active citizens. They can be a digital ambassador, a member of the school council or a worship leader.

Pupils regularly raise money for charity. Pupils take on these responsibilities willingly.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Directors of the trust, members of the local academy committee (LAC), school leaders and staff all have a clear vision for the school, that is for pupils to thrive.

This vision is realised.

Leaders are tenacious in helping all pupils get the most from their time at school. Missed learning during the COVID-19 pandemic meant that some pupils did have gaps in their knowledge.

This is no longer the case. The sharp focus given by leaders to English, including reading, and mathematics means that current pupils are catching up quickly.

Leaders have started to improve other subjects over the last year.

New schemes of work have been introduced. Teachers have taken on responsibility for leading subjects. Lessons are well planned and sequenced.

The things pupils learn build on what they have learned before. However, there remains some variability in teachers' subject knowledge across subjects. For example, in science, not all staff use key scientific words well in their teaching.

This hinders pupils' learning.

The teaching of early reading is a key school priority. Every classroom has a reading area.

The school library is warm and welcoming. It has a good range of fiction and non-fiction books. All classes have a daily story time.

There is an effective reading programme in place. This starts in Nursery. Staff receive regular training.

Leaders check how pupils are doing. They put help in place quickly for those who need it. Pupils are developing into confident, fluent readers as a result.

Children get off to a good start in Nursery. Adults are highly attentive and know how to support children effectively. Leaders quickly identify children who may need extra help.

Staff seek specialist advice from external agencies when needed. For example, the speech and language therapist gives advice to staff about how to meet pupils' additional needs across year groups. Teachers and teaching assistants use this advice well to plan support for those who need it.

This includes pupils in the SEND resource base. Leaders make sure that pupils in the base follow a curriculum that is bespoke to their needs. So, pupils with SEND achieve well.

Leaders provide pupils with many opportunities for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. This includes weekly assemblies that celebrate cultural and religious differences. Clear routines and structures also help children settle well into the early years.

These high expectations for pupils' conduct continue throughout the school. Pupils live up to these expectations. Behaviour at all times is good.

Pupils have many experiences beyond the classroom. At breaktime and lunchtime pupils keep themselves physically active by playing on the trim trail or playing football. The school provides a range of clubs to develop pupils' interests and talents.

This includes sport and music. However, a small number of pupils do not attend school regularly enough. They miss out on these experiences.

This hinders both their academic and personal development.

Staff speak positively about the support leaders give them. This includes staff who are at an early stage in their career.

Leaders consider staff well-being. For example, they have set up a staff well-being group. Staff from the group say leaders act upon their suggestions.

Consequently, all staff enjoy working at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils feel safe in school.

Parents agree. Staff report concerns, confident in the knowledge that leaders will take effective action. Staff receive regular training.

The pastoral team works well with external agencies. This means pupils and their families get the right help when they need it.

The school completes all the appropriate checks on all adults who work at or visit the school.

Leaders makes sure pupils know how to keep themselves safe through lessons and assemblies. This includes e-safety. Pupil digital ambassadors help their peers know how to stay safe when working online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not yet ensured that all staff have the appropriate subject knowledge to teach all subjects in the curriculum. This is contributing to the inconsistency in the quality of implementation of the new curriculum in some subjects. Leaders should continue to ensure that all teachers have the necessary subject knowledge to teach the curriculum.

• A small number of pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This hinders their academic and personal development. Leaders need to continue to work with parents and carers to improve the attendance of pupils who are regularly absent from school so that they are in school, learning well and making better progress.