St Mary and St Chad CofE First School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 26 September 2023

Pupils and many parents feel lucky to be part of this 'happy and caring' community, where 'everybody feels included'. This is a school that provides a wide range of learning opportunities for all pupils. This successfully encourages most pupils to show positive attitudes to their learning and demonstrate good behaviour, both in and out of the classroom. Pupils achieve well, with success measured not only by how well they do in their learning, but also in what they achieve outside of lessons. Pupils benefit from many wider opportunities that are matched to their interests. Most pupils take part in after-school clubs such as rugby, dance and art. Many report that 'EKO' club is their favourite because they get to learn outdoors. There is a calm and respectful culture, and pupils understand the importance of being kind and helpful. Staff demonstrate these values, and this helps pupils to understand the importance of positive relationships. Pupils know what bullying is and feel that, should it happen, staff would help them and deal with it quickly. The school uses 'faith and spirituality' to promote the importance of being good citizens. Pupils say that learning about other cultures and religions helps them to understand the world around them.

What the school should improve

• On occasion, teachers do not successfully adapt the curriculum to meet the precise needs of pupils with SEND. This means that these pupils struggle to understand what they are learning. The school should support staff to adapt the curriculum so that learning activities match individual education plans for pupils with SEND.
• Staff do not consistently ensure that the books pupils read are matched to their ability. This means that a few pupils struggle to apply their phonics knowledge when reading. The school should make sure that all pupils read books that match the sounds they are learning.

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