St Mary’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Pupils achieve well, make good progress and reach broadly average levels of attainment.

Attainment in reading is above average and the progress pupils make is outstanding. Teaching is good and so progress and learning across the school is good in most lessons. Teachers have good subject knowledge and manage behaviour well.

They now plan precisely for pupils' needs, especially those eligible for the pupil premium, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and those new to learning English. The headteacher and staff have built a harmonious learning community, where pupils are very safe and secure, love learning and behave we...ll. The new headteacher, strongly supported by her senior team and governing body, provides a clear sense of purpose.

Together, they have been a tenacious driving force in improving the quality of teaching and learning and in turn raising pupils' achievement. Leaders monitor the school's work robustly, hold staff to account for pupils' performance and are strongly focused on improving provision. They have not shirked from the difficult decisions needed to address weak teaching which had been holding back pupils' outcomes.

It is not yet an outstanding school because: Progress is not better than good in mathematics and writing, because there are too few opportunities for pupils to develop higher-level writing and problem-solving skills. Teaching does not always extend or challenge the higher attaining pupils as much as it should and pupils are not always given sufficient opportunity to learn for themselves.

Information about this school

This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in one Reception class. The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average, while those supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average. Just over half of all pupils are from a wide range of minority ethnic groups and a high proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.

The majority of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is much higher than the proportion found nationally. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress. Since the last inspection a new headteacher has been appointed and a high number of teachers have left or joined the school.

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