St Mary's Church of England Primary School St Neots

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 12 November 2024

Pupils are part of a caring school community in which they are known well as individuals. They are expected to work hard and look after one another. In response, pupils speak kindly and respectfully to, and of, staff and each other. Equally, pupils generally focus well during their lessons. As a result of this culture, the school is a calm and orderly place. Pupils want to learn. From the very youngest children in Nursery through to Year 6, pupils show they are interested in their learning. They enjoy answering questions and teachers encourage them to do so. Across the subjects they study, pupils develop their subject vocabulary. When learning about the natural world in science and geography, pupils secure the specialist vocabulary they need to organise and label different groups of animals. The curriculum enables pupils to learn about a range of views and beliefs, including those of different religions. In the eyes of the pupils, being different is something to be celebrated. Kindness and acceptance are values which are demonstrated by pupils very commonly. Pupils feel confident to speak to a trusted adult if they are worried about something, for example if another pupil has not been kind to them.

What the school should improve

• At times, the approach used by teachers to check what pupils know and can do does not consistently identify pupils' misconceptions or gaps in their knowledge. This means that teachers sometimes move on to new learning before pupils have secured what they have learned previously. The school should ensure that teachers check pupils' learning accurately so that pupils can know more and remember more over time.

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