St Matthew's High Brooms Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 26 March 2024

Pupils are warm and caring at this welcoming school. They understand the school's values of responsibility, kindness, honesty and respect and the majority of pupils demonstrate this in their positive behaviour. A small group of pupils require additional support to behave well and leaders have begun to address this effectively. Pupils know that staff will manage any concerns they may have. Pupils show positive attitudes to learning and respond well to staff. For example, pupils in Reception Year show high levels of concentration when listening to stories and rhymes. They work hard, but teachers do not always have high expectations and, as a result, pupils do not achieve well enough in a number of subjects. Pupils have ample opportunities to develop a range of skills and talents. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and or/disabilities (SEND), enjoy attending a variety of clubs, including running, sewing and the school orchestra. Others learn musical instruments, such as the harp and violin, and benefit from one- to-one music tuition. Pupils proudly represent the school in sporting competitions, such as athletics, or regular orchestra recitals for parents.

What the school should improve

• Staff do not have secure enough subject knowledge to teach phonics well. As a result, pupils in key stage 1 do not develop their fluency well enough. Leaders must ensure that all staff have the training and knowledge that they need to deliver phonics sufficiently well.
• Some staff do not have high enough expectations of pupils and do not design challenging and engaging activities. Consequently, some pupils do not learn the important knowledge and skills they require. Leaders must ensure that staff have stronger subject knowledge to consistently create activities that deepen pupils' learning.
• The school's curriculum is not designed well enough in a number of subjects. Therefore, pupils do not improve important skills and knowledge over time. Leaders must design a curriculum that is well sequenced and ambitious in all subjects.
• Some teachers do not check pupils' knowledge and understanding carefully enough. Subsequently, misconceptions and inaccuracies are not addressed quickly and gaps in learning are not identified accurately. Leaders must ensure that Controlled Primary School 3 assessment is used systematically to identify and act on pupils' gaps in knowledge.

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