John Mayne Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 February 2026

Pupils feel a strong sense of belonging in this small village school and they take pride in its long history. The school has served the community since 1522 and pupils feel connected to the past and to each other. They enjoy learning about the school’s place in local history and value the facts they discover. For example, pupils are keen to share that the site is linked to the first-known crime-scene photograph from a Victorian scandal. Pupils form consistently positive relationships with staff and with one another. They show respect, kindness and cheerfulness each day. They take part in school life with enthusiasm. Pupils enjoy learning, but they do not achieve as well as they could. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, engage well in lessons. Plans to support their needs are clear, but staff do not apply these plans consistently, so barriers to learning remain. Pupils with any form of disadvantage have positive attitudes to learning, yet the support they receive in class does not always help them make secure progress. As a result, gaps in knowledge and skills begin in the Reception class and do not close quickly enough before pupils reach the end of Year 6. Pupils’ experiences of the curriculum and teaching do not fully prepare them for their next steps. Pupils feel safe because staff provide daily care and effective pastoral support. Pupils know who will help them and trust adults to deal with any concern. They say bullying is rare and handled quickly. Pupils attend increasingly well and arrive on time. Their positive behaviour and attitudes are evident in all that they do. They understand how to be active and responsible members of their school and local community. They show pride in their roles as 'Good Shepherds' and play leaders.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should gain a clear strategic view of the school's effectiveness which is accurately monitored and used to inform professional development, create capacity and bring about improvement.
• Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is implemented in line with their intentions, and that staff teach and adapt materials for pupils effectively, focus on the most important knowledge, present concepts accurately and check pupils' understanding systematically.
• Leaders should ensure that pupils' gaps in reading, writing and mathematics are consistently addressed so that they are well prepared for their next stage in education, and that this is reflected in improved outcomes for pupils in national tests and examinations and across the wider curriculum.
• Leaders should ensure that staff in the early years receive appropriate professional development so that children deepen and consolidate their knowledge and skills, particularly in phonics and writing but also across the curriculum, in the classroom and outside.

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