St Mary’s CofE Academy Stotfold

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Mary's CofE Academy Stotfold has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

The headteacher of this school is Miss Sam Bishop.

This school is a single-academy trust. The headteacher is also the chief executive officer (CEO). The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mr Robert Thornley.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive a warm welcome at this school. They benefit from how deeply staff care about them. The school makes time to get to know pupils' needs and interests.

This is particularly successful for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupi...ls are safe, happy and ready to learn.

Pupils talk positively about their learning.

They know staff want them to succeed. Pupils relish reward points for their work and effort. Staff skilfully support pupils to access the ambitious curriculum.

As a result, most pupils achieve well and are suitably prepared for the next stage of their education.

The school has a strong culture of mutual respect and kindness. This results in pupils behaving well and being empathetic.

They play and learn harmoniously. Pupils also know that staff will help them with any worries.

Pupils enjoy the range of wider opportunities to broaden their horizons.

Pupils experience activities that they may otherwise not get to do. This includes a residential and visits to museums, zoos, theatres and local areas of interest. Many pupils take up the offer of a club, such as football, science, signing or prayer club.

There are also sports leaders and an elected school council. This develops pupils' sense of responsibility.

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

The school remains firmly committed to ensuring positive outcomes for all its pupils.

Pupils receive a curriculum high in expectations, including for pupils with SEND. In all subjects, the school has carefully considered the key knowledge pupils need to learn and when. Staff teach the curriculum as intended, using their knowledge and expertise well in most subjects.

As a result, most pupils are successful learners, achieving in line with national expectations.

In lessons, pupils, including in early years, recap prior learning. Staff provide clear explanations of new knowledge.

In reading, writing and mathematics, the school quickly identifies and rectifies any pupil misconceptions. Staff, from the early years upwards, make sure that pupils have reading books accurately matched to their reading ability. Pupils with SEND are expertly supported in revisiting sounds they have learned and developing reading fluency.

Pupils who fall behind in their reading soon catch up.

Pupils also recall key knowledge learned in other subjects. However, in these subjects, some pupils are not remembering securely the necessary detail of what they have been taught.

While the current checks on learning highlight these knowledge gaps, there is often insufficient time given to filling them before pupils move on to a new topic. This limits the depth of knowledge some pupils secure.

Since the last inspection, there has been a significant increase in the number of pupils with SEND attending the school.

The school has managed this change well. The school has made the necessary adjustments to the learning and play environment so it is accessible to everyone. Staff who work with pupils with SEND are trained well to identify and respond to needs.

They encourage pupils to be as independent as possible. The school actions the advice of external professionals. This robust approach means most pupils with SEND achieve their specific targets.

A few pupils with SEND require specialist communication and language support. The school has put in place effective adaptations for these pupils, including in early years. However, work on developing a more tailored curriculum for these pupils has only just started.

This means that, currently, the school is still getting to grips with how to precisely enhance learning activities to help these pupils progress more quickly from their starting points.

Across the school, pupils follow the school's clear behaviour expectations. Unwelcome behaviours are rare and swiftly dealt with.

The school manage pupils who need space to regulate their emotions well so as not to impact the learning of others. Pupils like coming to school, and most attend regularly. The school takes decisive action if this is not the case, including ensuring pupils are punctual.

The school makes considered choices with regard to the personal development offer for its pupils. Pupils are made aware of the world beyond school that they may not normally see. These experiences are accessible to all and start in early years.

There is a high take up of any extra-curricular activities. Pupils share how trips, clubs and workshops have benefited them personally. They know about different religions and cultures.

Pupils demonstrate values such as respect and kindness in how they conduct themselves around school.

The trust board is dedicated to wanting the best for all pupils. It challenges its own thinking as well as that of leaders.

It provides effective oversight of the quality of education and of safeguarding. The school checks on staff well-being and workload. Staff value this.

The school also engages well with parents and carers, who are incredibly positive about the school's work.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes, the school's checks on learning in wider curriculum subjects are not used robustly enough to address gaps in pupils' knowledge.

Therefore, some pupils do not build knowledge in the detail or depth the school intends. The school needs to ensure sufficient time is given to address gaps in pupils' knowledge in these subjects so that pupils achieve more highly. ? The school is at the early stages of developing a bespoke curriculum for a few pupils with SEND.

This means these pupils are not developing some communication skills as securely as the school intends. The school needs to ensure that the key knowledge to support the language acquisition of these pupils is more precisely outlined. This will support staff confidence and skill in how best to support these pupils to excel from their starting points.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2016.

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