St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School

Overview

The report describes a school where pupils “get on really well with one another” and demonstrate “exceptional” behaviour and attitudes. Leaders foster a culture of “friendship, respect, achievement and faith,” ensuring pupils feel safe and valued. While the overall effectiveness is rated Good, the school excels in creating a positive environment where students are “committed to their learning” and actively contribute to the community.

Strengths

• Pupils display “very strong” behaviour, showing “care and high levels of respect” for peers and staff.
• The curriculum in subjects like mathematics and physical education allows pupils’ learning to “build well on their previous knowledge.”
• Leaders provide enriching opportunities such as “forest school and regular trips,” creating a “palpable buzz” around events.
• Personal, social and health education helps pupils understand the world, including diverse religions and moral dilemmas, with “insight.”
• Staff have an “exceptional understanding of the causes of a pupil’s strong emotions” and use effective strategies to support them.

Areas to improve

• Staff subject knowledge is “variable across the school,” leading to inconsistent curriculum delivery in some areas.
• Leaders must ensure staff are “expertly trained, monitored regularly and provided with clearer expectations” for all subjects.
• In some subjects, tasks for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are “not well matched to the needs of those learners.”

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders having “embedded a safeguarding culture of raising and reporting all concerns, no matter how small.”