St Mary's CofE Primary School

Overview

The report describes St Mary’s CofE Primary School as a “very friendly, nurturing and welcoming school community” where pupils “love coming to school every morning.” Leaders maintain “high expectations for all pupils,” ensuring that learners, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, “progress well.” The inspection highlights a strong culture of respect, with pupils behaving in a “calm and attentive” manner and demonstrating pride in their school values.

Strengths

• The curriculum is “well sequenced” with “realistic and ambitious” thinking, particularly in core subjects like English, mathematics, and science.
• Early reading is a “high priority,” with rigorous assessment ensuring most pupils become “confident and fluent readers by the end of Year 2.”
• Staff are “knowledgeable” and receive effective professional development, enabling pupils to build deep understanding in subjects such as computing and art.
• Pupils benefit from “many enrichment activities,” including visits to museums and opportunities to develop leadership skills as ambassadors.
• Leaders support staff well, creating an environment where staff feel “well supported and listened to.”

Areas to improve

• Leaders must refine and embed the new curriculum approach in some foundation subjects, as it is “not fully embedded” and pupils have not yet had the opportunity to develop “secure knowledge and skills” in these areas.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are “effective,” with a “positive culture” where staff are “vigilant,” receive regular training, and know how to report concerns.