St Mary's School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 27 September 2023

Pupils at St Mary's School have highly complex social, emotional and behavioural needs. Most arrive without the personal skills they need to make a positive contribution to their school and wider community. Leaders and staff are very aware of this and plan the school's curriculum to help pupils develop these skills over time. The rural setting of the school enables it to provide an enriching outdoor curriculum. Pupils particularly enjoy forest school and caring for the school's chickens, goats and horses. Older pupils, who have been at the school the longest, have been supported to develop their empathy and understanding of others and to re-engage with learning. Most feel well prepared for their next steps in life. Pupils throughout the school sometimes struggle to regulate their emotions. Occasionally, pupils use aggressive language when they are upset or frustrated. Staff are well trained and quick to respond. They know how to keep others safe and get pupils back to learning as quickly as possible. However, for some pupils, it is unsettling to see and hear the behaviour of others. Leaders are aware of this. They have taken steps to reassure younger pupils, for example by staggering breaktimes. They have also created a separate provision for older pupils with autism, who need a smaller and quieter learning space.

What the school should improve

• The early reading and reading catch-up programmes are not as effective as they could be. Not all staff are trained to teach early reading effectively. While some pupils progress well with their reading, others do not. Leaders need to ensure that all staff are trained in the teaching of early reading, and that the early reading curriculum is revised to ensure a clear sequence of learning from the moment pupils join the school.
• In some subjects, the curriculum lacks cohesion between the primary and secondary phases of the school. As a result, pupils are not as well prepared for the secondary phase as they might be. Leaders need to review their curriculum plans to ensure that they plan a continuous and well-sequenced curriculum in all subjects that starts when pupils first join the school.

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