Great Marsden St John's Primary School A Church of England Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 23 January 2024

This academy is a happy and welcoming community. Staff have high expectations for the achievement of all pupils. They foster a warm, supportive atmosphere in classrooms, which gives pupils the confidence to try their best and be unafraid of making mistakes. Pupils make strong progress through the curriculum and typically achieve well. The school helps pupils to build strong relationships and to feel part of the school community. For example, children in the early years are buddied with Year 6 pupils who act as mentors. At lunchtime, the 'family dining' approach has pupils sitting in mixed year groups, with the older pupils setting the table and modelling the behaviour expectations for the younger pupils. Pupils uphold the school ethos by behaving well and treating one another with kindness and respect. Pupils benefit from a wide variety of activities that promote and enhance their physical fitness. At lunchtime, sport leaders run games that get pupils moving and develop their collaborative skills. Pupils enjoy the opportunities to participate in clubs that deliberately promote more unusual sports such as curling, archery and laser-tag. Other opportunities include the school choir, which is open to all pupils who enjoy singing.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, the school is in the early stages of designing methods for teachers to check how much pupils know and remember. As a result, teachers may not have recognised that some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. This is hindering pupils' learning. The school should ensure that teachers know how best to identify and fill gaps in learning in all subjects, giving pupils a secure base of knowledge to build on.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)