St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Thornbury

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 29 April 2025

Pupils are happy and safe. They form warm, positive relationships with staff and each other. Older pupils are pleased to be 'buddies' for the younger children. This develops their sense of care and responsibility. The school encourages pupils to show gratitude through gestures of kindness, such as writing thank-you letters. The school has recently raised its expectations for pupils' achievement. It has started to strengthen the curriculum and be more ambitious for its pupils. However, some pupils are not prepared well enough for the next stage of their education. Some children in Reception Year do not get off to the strong start that they need. Pupils behave well. There is rarely any disruption in lessons, and pupils usually have positive attitudes to their learning. Pupils know and follow new routines well. As a result, the school is calm and orderly. Parents and carers appreciate the school's distinctive ethos. Pupils are keen to live up to the school's values, such as justice, peace and hope. They have opportunities to contribute to both the local and global communities. This helps them to learn how they can make a positive difference to others. For example, they sing at a local home for elderly residents and raise donations for a school in Africa.

What the school should improve

• The curriculum does not develop children's learning well enough in Reception Year. As a result, some children do not deepen or secure their knowledge and understanding. The school must ensure that the curriculum in Reception Year builds on children's knowledge in all areas so that it prepares them well for key stage 1.
• The school does not use assessment effectively to identify gaps and misconceptions in pupils' learning. Therefore, it does not adapt the curriculum well to build on pupils' knowledge and understanding. The school must strengthen the checks it makes on pupils' learning so that it can adapt teaching to build on from pupils' starting points and deepen their knowledge and understanding.
• Governors have not gained sufficient insight into the school's effectiveness. As a result, they have not provided enough challenge and support to bring about necessary improvements. The school must ensure that governors have a strong oversight of all aspects of its work, so that they can hold the school to account effectively.

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