St Mary’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders, including governors, work well as a team to provide good leadership and sustain an effective drive for improvement. Standards are rising throughout the school in response to consistently good teaching.

Pupils are stimulated and challenged by the teachers' probing questions and make good progress. Pupils' progress has improved year-on-year since the previous inspection so that overall pupils achieve well during their time in this school. Strong teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) underpins the good development of pupils' reading skills.

Leaders make good use of additional pupil premium and physical education funding... to raise pupils' achievements. Pupils behave well and show a keen interest in learning and work well in lessons. Staff share excellent relationships with the pupils and are diligent in caring for them and keeping them safe.

As a result, pupils feel safe, enjoy school and their attendance is above average. Children in the early years are taught and supported well and make good progress from their starting points. It is not yet an outstanding school because : The school's new systems for recording pupils' progress are not yet presented or used to best effect to improve pupils' achievements.

Pupils' handwriting skills are not developed well enough. Some lower-attaining pupils do not develop the wide vocabulary needed to write to a good standard, both descriptively and expressively. Opportunities for pupils to learn by undertaking responsibilities at break and lunchtimes are not organised consistently enough.

Information about this school

This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. The overwhelming majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. A well-below average proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds.

The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is also well below average. An above average proportion of pupils join and leave the school other than at the normal times. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is broadly average.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority) is below average. Children experience the early years provision in a Reception class. Other pupils across the school are also taught in single-age classes.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. The school holds a breakfast club each morning. The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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