St Mary’s CofE VC First School, Charminster

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders and governors are ambitious for the school and provide determined and effective leadership. This has led to significant improvements since the previous inspection. As a result, teaching is good and pupils achieve well.

Governors have a good knowledge about how well the school is doing because they check regularly for themselves. This enables them to support and challenge leaders effectively. Senior leaders' checks on teaching provide teachers with clear guidance about how to improve their work.

They follow their checks with appropriate support and training. This ensures that teaching continues to improve. Teachers know their pupil...s well and plan to make learning interesting and challenging.

Current groups of pupils make good progress and attainment is rising across the school. However, sometimes weak letter formation holds back fluency in writing for some of the younger children. Pupils enjoy school and attend well.

Attendance is consistently about the national average. Few pupils are persistently absent. The most able pupils are challenged well in their learning so they reach high standards.

Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress in line with other pupils. Their provision is carefully planned to ensure that their needs are met effectively. Pupils behave well and feel safe in school because staff look after them well.

Parents praise the work of the school, especially the great dedication shown by staff in caring for pupils. The curriculum is designed to be exciting and engaging. It promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.

Leaders of subjects outside the core curriculum work alongside colleagues to improve learning. As yet, they do not make a full contribution to monitoring and developing teaching in their areas of responsibility. Children in the early years settle quickly, grow in confidence and make good progress.

However, teaching does not enable some children to achieve as they could in writing.

Information about this school

This school is smaller than the average-sized school. It admits pupils up to the end of Year 4.

Pupils are organised in 7 classes; all are mixed age, with the exception of one Reception class. The proportion of pupils with SEND is slightly above average while the proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below. The school manages breakfast and after-school clubs each day.

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