St Mary’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Following a previous dip in outcomes, the new headteacher has inspired a cohesive team of staff and a clear vision for the school.

Her passion and commitment have embedded an exceptionally caring ethos and boosted standards during a time of significant changes. Leaders and governors have been well supported by the local authority and benefit from working with other local schools. This training has helped to boost standards across the school.

St Mary's has particular strengths in music, modern foreign languages and sports. Staff provide pupils with stimulating learning contexts and boost learning through trips and visits. As one parent pro...udly recalled, 'My children always come home happy and engaged about the world.'

The higher-than-average number of pupils who join the school other than at the beginning of Reception are supported to settle in very well. Staff ensure that pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is at the centre of everything they do. Consequently, pupils are very well prepared for their next steps in education and life in modern, diverse Britain.

Attendance is consistently above the national average for primary schools. St Mary's offers a warm and inclusive family atmosphere. Pupils feel safe, are polite, respectful and rightly proud of their school.

Children in Reception get a good start to their education. Strong relationships and enhanced learning environments have boosted the quality of teaching and learning. Outcomes at the end of key stage 2 are good.

Pupils make progress in line with the national averages. Pupils' mathematical skills have significantly improved following a dip last year. In some areas of the curriculum teachers do not make sufficient use of pupils' progress information to inform the next steps of their learning.

Where this happens, pupils with low prior attainment can struggle to keep up, or the most able are not sufficiently challenged. The impact of teaching assistants in classrooms is variable across the school. Refinements to some teachers' planning are needed to make better use of teaching assistants and to ensure that all groups of pupils are actively engaged in class.

Most parents value the work of the school and are keen to praise the support on offer. However, a small minority of parents expressed concerns about pupils' behaviour or the quality of communication from the school.

Information about this school

St Mary's Primary School is a small primary school with pupils organised into a Reception class and three mixed-age classes.

The school is designated as a Church of England school. Its last section 48 inspection took place in November 2015. The school expanded in September 2017 to become a primary school and teach children up to the age of 11.

Outcomes for key stage 2 were published for the first time in 2018. Most pupils are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language. A higher-than-average number of pupils join the school at times other than in Reception or Year 1.

The proportion of pupils who have SEND is well above average. The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is well below average. Detailed comment about the progress of this group is not made in this report as it may identify individual children.

Following the appointment of the headteacher in September 2016, there have been some staffing changes at the school. In addition, the governing body has been restructured and has reorganised its committee structure. The school has received support from the local authority and the Chichester Diocese.