St Mary's Broughton Gifford Voluntary Controlled Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 22 November 2022

St Mary's is a welcoming village primary school which is at the heart of the community. Pupils enjoy attending school. They say it is like a 'big family.' Pupils are polite and kind towards one another. They are adamant that bullying is rare. Relationships between adults and pupils are respectful. Pupils feel safe and know that adults are there to help. From Reception Year onwards, staff have high expectations for pupil's' behaviour. In lessons, pupils show positive attitudes to learning. They are keen to participate and share their ideas. During social times, pupils of all ages play well together. Play ambassadors encourage others to be active. They organise playground equipment and games. Leaders have designed a curriculum that enables pupils to understand the world beyond Broughton Gifford. Pupils understand the importance of equality. They are keen to help those in need. House captains select charities they want to support and raise funds for them. Pupils attend a range of clubs on offer. They are proud to represent their school in local sports competitions. Older pupils enjoy their responsibilities as buddies to children in Reception. They enjoy reading to them and sitting together during collective worship.

What the school should improve

• In some wider curriculum subjects, leaders do not have an accurate understanding of how effective the curriculum is. They have not identified what pupils remember or any gaps in knowledge they have. Leaders need to evaluate these subjects and use this information to make the necessary changes to ensure that pupils' knowledge builds on what they know and matches the ambition of the curriculum.
• Some pupils, who are at the early stages of reading, struggle to read fluently. This is because the books they read are too difficult. Leaders need to ensure that these pupils have books that precisely match the sounds they know, so that they can develop their fluency, confidence and enjoyment in reading.

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