St Mary’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this school.

They describe the atmosphere here as being kind and caring. Leaders strive to provide pupils with the education and social skills they need to prosper in life. Their work is underpinned by the school's values.

Leaders succeed in these endeavours and pupils achieve well.From the moment children join the Nursery, they are taught to respect all people. This continues throughout their time in school.

Staff emphasise that all people are equal, no matter their background, faith, or individual circumstances.

Pupils get on well with their classmates. They enjoy strong working relationships with adults.

Pupil...s make an important contribution to ensuring that all can learn and play in a calm and purposeful manner. This is achieved, for example, through the work of pupil-elected peer mediators and anti-bullying ambassadors. Should bullying occur, leaders take effective action.

As appropriate to each case, they sanction, support and reconcile the parties involved.Pupils relish the many enrichment clubs on offer. These range from drama, multiple sports, boxing, choir and chess.

The curriculum is also enhanced with many visits, such as to various museums and a fire station. Older pupils attend a residential retreat, which aims to enhance their team-building skills.

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

Leaders make it a priority to teach reading, right from the start of the Nursery class.

Staff have gained the expertise to teach the phonics programme effectively. They give extra support to children and older pupils who fall behind, helping them to catch up. Pupils practise reading books that are matched to the sounds that they learn.

They take books home regularly and read to their parents or carers. They also enjoy listening to their teachers, who read stories for pleasure to them. Pupils swiftly become confident and fluent readers.

The school's curriculum matches the ambition of the national curriculum. Pupils achieve well across the different subjects. There are, however, some variations and inconsistencies in how well pupils' knowledge is developed across different subjects.

This is, in the main, down to several recent changes. Some subject leaders are new in post. There have also been a few changes to the thinking behind and planning of programmes of study in some subjects.

In subjects where curriculum thinking is firmly established, leaders have thought very carefully about exactly what they want pupils to know and remember. They plan a logical step-by-step programme, which builds upon and increases pupils' knowledge. They plan this from the start of the early years to the end of Year 6.

In physical education (PE), for example, children begin to learn about how to move with and begin to control a ball. This serves as a foundation for Year 1 when they learn and practise dribbling skills, and then progress to playing games and scoring. In some subjects, however, leaders' curriculum thinking only starts from Year 1.

Similarly, in a few instances, expectations for pupils' learning in Year 3 are not precisely linked to what pupils have been taught in Year 2. This means, that in these cases, leaders have not ensured that pupils have a strong enough foundation on which to build new knowledge.Leaders make sure that teachers have opportunities for professional development.

This supports them in gaining the different subject expertise that they need. Teachers help pupils to master subject-specific vocabulary. They use well-chosen resources and activities to support pupils to learn and understand new knowledge and set work that is appropriately demanding.

Occasionally, teachers do not teach all of the planned curriculum knowledge that they are expected to. This can mean that pupils miss out on learning or revisiting key subject content. Most times, teachers use assessment to good effect.

They identify, with precision, the gaps in pupils' knowledge, which they then address.The identification, planning and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are effective. For example, any difficulties in speech and language development are picked up early because leaders check children's development in both Reception and Year 1.

Teaching and support staff are given information and training about each pupil with SEND. This enables them to support the specific needs of those pupils. As a result, pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers.

Children in the early years show great focus and engagement. They learn to negotiate together and problem solve. Pupils pay attention in class and are eager to learn.

Teachers respond straight away to the odd occurrence of low-level disruption. These positive attitudes contribute to pupils' strong achievements.Through assemblies and the curriculum, staff explain to pupils how to form healthy relationships.

They help pupils to understand their feelings and how to act responsibly. Pupils are taught about fundamental British values. Staff also support pupils in learning about how to look after their physical and mental health.

Staff feel that their workload is reasonable. They appreciate that leaders are open and willing to listen to their concerns.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and governors have made the necessary improvements to safeguarding procedures and systems. These are now rigorous, consistent and robust. Staff are clear that safeguarding is a responsibility that they all share.

Training is comprehensive, frequent and up to date. Staff are vigilant and recognise the role that they have in identifying and sharing any safeguarding concerns or niggles, even at a low level, whether these are about adults or pupils. Records and contact with external agencies are timely.

Safeguarding leads review these thoroughly and identify and act on any emerging issues.

Pupils are taught to have a good understanding of risks, such as those they might face when using the internet.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Owing to some recent changes to curriculum leadership and design, there are a few inconsistencies in curriculum thinking and implementation.

This means that although pupils achieve well overall across the subjects, in some curriculum areas they do not routinely build up detailed knowledge over time. Leaders should draw on the strongest practice already in the school. They should ensure and assure that any inconsistencies are ironed out, so that pupils routinely achieve highly across all subjects.