St Mary and St Michael Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 April 2023

Pupils enjoy attending this harmonious school. They like its strong sense of community, and feel safe and well supported. Leaders ensure that pupils experience a friendly and fun learning environment, and pupils appreciate this. For example, they enjoy the range of activities and equipment on offer in the playground. Leaders seek out ways to provide joyful learning moments, such as when children get to watch the hatching of duck eggs in the Nursery class. Leaders give careful thought to teaching about character. For example, pupils are taught to be reflective, to consider others and show kindness and tolerance. In lessons and around the school, pupils are polite and articulate. Very little time is lost to low-level disruption. Bullying is rare, but is dealt with effectively when it does occur. Parents and carers, as well as staff and pupils, are very positive about the school. Leaders ensure that all have access to a broad curriculum. They are ambitious for every pupil's learning, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Pupils appreciate that teachers are always ready to help them with their learning. They enjoy their lessons and achieve well. Leaders and teachers find lots of ways to promote pupils' broader understanding of the world, including through planning a range of educational trips and events.

What the school should improve

• Teachers are clear about the long-term aims of the curriculum. However, in some instances, the knowledge that pupils need to learn is not taught in sufficiently small parts. Sometimes, the things that pupils are finding difficult to understand or remember are not identified accurately. This means that some pupils retain misconceptions or cannot link their learning to what comes later in the curriculum. Leaders need to improve their oversight of how the curriculum is delivered, including in the early years. This includes making sure that teaching helps pupils to build up their knowledge in manageable steps, and addresses misconceptions in a timely manner.

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