St Matthew's Church of England Aided Primary School and Nursery Centre

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 June 2025

Pupils are happy at this warm, welcoming environment. The school fosters strong relationships with pupils and their families effectively. The 3 Rs of 'respect, responsibility and resilience' are understood by pupils, who show kindness and care to others. Pupils respond well to the school's expectations and achieve well by the end of Year 6. However, the curriculum is not delivered consistently well in some subjects. This means that in some areas of the curriculum, pupils do not learn well enough. The school celebrates and gets to know each pupil as an individual. Pupils learn to debate, sing and perform. Pupils willingly engage in leadership roles. They enjoy the roles of 'well-being champions' and 'peer buddies'. The variety of clubs sparks pupils' talents and interests. Through these experiences, pupils are supported to develop new leadership skills and be active responsible citizens. Pupils are polite and well mannered. They welcome visitors and take pride in their school. Many pupils behave very well in classrooms. At social times, pupils get on well together. The school manages pupils' behaviour effectively. Pupils are proud to represent their school and community. For example, speaking at inter- school debating events on subjects such as reducing emissions and participating in football tournaments.

What the school should improve

• The implementation of the curriculum is inconsistent, and staff do not check pupils' learning consistently. This means pupils have gaps in their knowledge or misconceptions that are unnoticed and so go unaddressed. This impacts on the depth of pupils' learning across subjects. The school must ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently so that staff identify gaps in pupils' knowledge early and address them swiftly and pupils are able to remember and connect new knowledge securely.
• There is variability in the teaching of early reading. As a result, the weakest readers do not learn to read as fluently as they could. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge and skills needed to deliver the early reading curriculum effectively.
• Sometimes, the curriculum is not adapted precisely in order to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. As a result, pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they should. The school should make sure that the curriculum is adapted consistently to enable pupils with SEND to learn and achieve well.
• Governance of the school is not robust. This means leaders are not held to account or supported to make the rapid improvements that are needed. The school must improve the quality of governance so that governors can provide robust challenge and support to school leaders.

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