Lowton St Mary's CofE (Voluntary Aided) Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 January 2025

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are safe and feel happy. Pupils are well looked after by their teachers and staff. They behave well and are attentive during lessons. Most pupils are confident that they can raise a concern about bullying with a member of staff. The school takes appropriate action to resolve any issues when pupils do report their concerns. The school has high ambitions for pupils, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Typically, pupils achieve in line with, or above, national averages in end of key stage 2 assessments. Additionally, the proportion of pupils meeting the standards of the phonics screening check in Year 1 have been consistently high over time. Pupils enjoy the wider opportunities that are available to them. For example, they take pride in undertaking a variety of roles and responsibilities. These range from acting as 'buddies' to being members of a 'champions of change' group, which at the time of inspection was leading a recycling project. Pupils engage well with citizenship activities, such as by raising money for charities. The school provides pupils with some extra- curricular clubs, such as sports clubs. In some sports, pupils also compete against other local schools.

What the school should improve

• In a small number of subjects, the school has not identified the important knowledge that pupils should learn. This sometimes leads to pupils not developing knowledge as securely as they could. The school should finalise its curriculum thinking, so that staff are clear on what they should teach pupils and at what point.
• At times, the school does not design and adapt learning activities well to suit pupils' learning needs. Occasionally, this means that some pupils do not acquire the intended knowledge. The school should ensure that learning is consistently well matched to pupils' needs, so that they achieve well across the curriculum.
• The governing body does not have a robust insight into some aspects of the school's strategic work and the impact that this work has on the education that pupils receive. Consequently, governors are not as well equipped to challenge and support the school, to bring about the best possible outcomes and experiences for pupils, as they could be. Governors should ensure that they have the knowledge and expertise needed to fulfil their statutory duties effectively.

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