St Mary's CofE Nursery and Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 19 May 2026

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. Pupils know the school’s values of compassion, endurance and thankfulness. They aim to live up to them in their daily life at school. Pupils are proud to belong to one of the four ‘families’. They enjoy the opportunity to earn ‘family points’ for good manners, good effort, good behaviour, good learning and for supporting others. Their eyes light up when they describe how their ‘family’ is doing. Sport gives the four families the chance to compete against one another in a friendly spirit. Children get off to a positive start in Nursery and Reception. They settle quickly, make friends and learn the routines of the school day. Pupils enjoy their lessons and apply themselves well. Some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities wait too long for the support that would help them. When the support is put in place in a timely manner, these pupils take part in lessons alongside their classmates and make progress. However, this is not always the case. Most pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. By the time they leave at the end of Year 6, most pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Pupils attend school regularly. Staff know their families well. Pupils feel safe and well looked after. There is always a trusted adult ready to listen if they have a concern. Year 6 pupils take on the role of Playground Pals. They help anyone who is feeling sad or who needs a friend at break time. Pupils are polite to visitors, kind to one another, and hold doors open for adults and classmates alike. Bullying is rare. Anti-bullying ambassadors help lead the school’s work to keep it that way. When bullying does happen, staff act quickly. Pupils know they will be listened to. Pupils take part in a wide range of clubs and visits that broaden their experiences. Robotics, tennis and forest crafts are among the clubs they talk about with enthusiasm. Pupils in Year 5 and 6 particularly look forward to their residential trips.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should strengthen the school’s systems for monitoring its own work, so that they identify and act on weaknesses more quickly.
• Leaders should improve the way they plan and review support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), so that plans are put in place promptly and their impact is reviewed regularly.
• Leaders should develop teachers’ knowledge of making adaptations for pupils with SEND, so that the activities these pupils are set are well matched to their needs and they achieve well.
• The governing body should provide more rigorous challenge to leaders about the school’s monitoring of its own work, including its support for pupils with SEND, so that they can assure themselves that any weaknesses are being promptly addressed.
• Leaders should continue to sharpen their analysis of absence patterns, so that they can target support more promptly at the pupils who need it most to improve their attendance.
• Leaders should develop staff’s knowledge of how to model ambitious language in the early years, so that children consistently extend their vocabulary and respond in full sentences.

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