St Mary's VA CofE Lower School

Overview

St Mary's VA CofE Lower School is described as a "happy, caring school" where pupils' wellbeing is a top priority and attendance is high. The report highlights that leaders maintain "strong oversight" and have established an "open culture" in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility. Pupils are "eager to learn" and benefit from a curriculum that is "very carefully planned" to support their progress.

Strengths

• Attendance is "above the national averages" due to leaders who "scrutinise attendance information meticulously" and offer personalised support.
• Pupils display "impeccable behaviour" and a "strong sense of community," with bullying and discrimination being "very rare."
• Early years provision "builds firm foundations," with staff using "highly effective" strategies to support language development and phonics.
• Inclusion is robust, with "specifically tailored" support ensuring pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities overcome barriers to learning.
• Governors "fulfil their statutory duties effectively" and work collaboratively with leaders to drive school improvement.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should ensure "consistently high-quality teaching is embedded across all subjects," including the effective use of questioning to check understanding.
• Leaders should continue to embed the new English curriculum to improve standards in "foundational knowledge and skills for writing," such as spelling, punctuation and grammar.

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, meaning leaders have established an open culture where concerns are "actively identified, acted upon and managed," ensuring pupils are made safer and feel safe.