St Mary’s CofE Primary School, Deane

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Mary's CofE Primary School, Deane continues to be an outstanding school.

What is it like to attend this school?

The quality of education that this school provides is exemplary. Pupils, including children in the provision for two-year-olds, blossom socially and academically at this warm and nurturing school.

A very warm welcome awaits all pupils who attend, including the high number of pupils who join the school in different year groups or part way through the year.

The school is highly ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils rise to this challenge and, typically, achieve exceptionally well across the cu...rriculum.

The school expects the highest standard of behaviour from all pupils, including children in the early years. Pupils do not disappoint and live up to these very high expectations. They are kind hearted and well mannered.

Pupils know that adults are there to help them if they have any worries or concerns. This helps pupils to feel happy, safe and secure.

The school supports pupils' wider development extremely well to ensure that they become well-rounded and conscientious young people.

Pupils access an extensive range of clubs, trips and residentials to broaden their awareness of the world around them. Additional opportunities, such as acting as a well-being ambassador, e-safety cadet or member of the school council promote pupils' leadership skills and sense of responsibility. For example, pupils are included on the interview panel when governors are appointing senior leaders and other members of staff.

Pupils are quite rightly proud of the money that they raise for charitable causes and the close links that they have established with the local community.

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

Governors, leaders at all levels and staff want to give pupils, including pupils with SEND, the very best start in life. To this end, the school has designed a well-thought-out and highly ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of pupils, including children in the early years and those in the provision for two-year-olds.

Across subjects, the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils should know and remember is very well thought out. Teachers know exactly what should be taught and the order in which this content should be delivered.

The school has invested heavily in subject-specific training for teachers.

This ensures that they are exceptionally well prepared to deliver all of the subjects in the national curriculum. Subject leaders are trained to the same very high standard. They monitor their areas of responsibility judiciously to ensure that the curriculums are being delivered as they intended.

In lessons, teachers present new learning clearly. They are highly skilled in using assessment techniques, such as questioning, to check pupils' understanding and deal with any misconceptions quickly. New learning builds securely on what pupils already know and can do.

Across subjects, pupils, typically, have a deep knowledge of their current learning and of the topics that they have studied in the past.

Teaching pupils to be confident and fluent readers is at the heart of the school's work. In the early years, children are introduced to the joys of stories, rhymes and poems.

Staff are experts in the teaching of phonics. They make excellent use of their voices and body language to ensure that learning in phonics is active and fun. Pupils, including those with SEND, read books that are well matched to the sounds that they know.

When pupils struggle to read, highly skilled staff provide pupils with the support that they need to catch up with their peers.

Pupils are very keen to learn. They work hard in lessons to ensure that they achieve their very best.

Pupils work well with their peers, sharing their thoughts and ideas. Classrooms are very calm and orderly.

As a result of the school's concerted efforts, more pupils are now attending school on a regular basis.

The proportion of pupils who are absent from school for extended periods of time has reduce significantly.

Pupils with SEND, including those in the early years, have their needs identified quickly. Carefully considered adaptions are made to teaching so that pupils with SEND can learn the same curriculum as their classmates.

Those with particularly complex needs access a bespoke curriculum that is carefully planned to meet their specific requirements.

Pupils are aspirational for the future. They talked about becoming doctors, vets or teachers.

Through the curriculum, pupils learn about money management and the dangers of drug and alcohol misuse. They understand the importance of keeping themselves healthy, both mentally and physically.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

The school ensures that vulnerable families, including those new to the country, get the support that they need in a timely manner.

Staff feel very appreciated and thoroughly enjoy working at the school. They know the school will provide the support they need to ensure that they carry out their roles effectively.

Governors use their excellent knowledge of the school to support and challenge the school in all aspects of its work.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in May 2017.