Kingston St Mary Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 6 January 2026

The poor quality of the curriculum and teaching at this school mean that pupils do not do as well as they should. Although many pupils enjoy their learning, the curriculum lacks a clear and well-structured design. This impacts on the effectiveness of teaching. Pupils are not provided with opportunities to practise and link what they learn. They are not supported to retain new learning. Too much time is given to filling gaps in pupils’ knowledge and learning as they move through the school. Children in the early years do not benefit from a curriculum that supports their development in aspects such as communication, language and number. Expectations in the early years are low. This leads to children underachieving. Despite weaknesses in the quality of education they receive, pupils show positive attitudes to learning. They behave well. They are keen to learn, and show curiosity and an eagerness to know more. Pupils’ positivity continues into how they support each other and play together. Pupils are supported to develop a clear set of values, which include kindness, empathy and respect. Pupils demonstrate this in abundance, and this provides firm foundations for their lives beyond primary school. Pupils show pride and a clear sense of belonging to their school and its community. They are appreciative of the nurture and care that they experience. This comes from the relationships that staff build with them. Parents and carers recognise these strengths, and value the focus that staff provide so that their children feel safe and are keen to attend. While this provides an important part of each pupil’s education, the school’s academic provision does not match this pastoral offer well enough. Equally, the impact of the school’s taught personal development programme is limited. As a result, pupils are not equipped as well as they should be for their next steps.

What the school should improve

• Leaders, including those responsible for governance, must ensure that there is sufficient capacity for strategic working to drive the necessary school improvements.
• Leaders, including those responsible for governance, must ensure that they gain the necessary assurances about the quality of education pupils receive and use this to inform actions and decision-making.
• The school must ensure that there is a coherent and well-structured curriculum in place, across the school, to enable pupils to benefit from effective and cohesive teaching and learning.
• Leaders should ensure that staff have the required subject knowledge and have a secure understanding of how pupils learn most effectively, including children in the early years, so that they can support pupils to learn and develop with greater success and achieve more ambitious outcomes.
• Leaders must ensure that there is a coherent and well-sequenced curriculum in place for children in the early years so that they are well prepared for learning in key stage 1 and beyond.
• Leaders should ensure that teachers have the expertise and resources that they need to adapt learning and make the necessary adjustments to pupils’ provision, particularly for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They should ensure this expertise allows pupils to learn successfully and overcome the barriers to learning or development that they face.

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