St Stephen's Tockholes CofE Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 3 February 2026

Pupils benefit from a harmonious school culture. They feel deeply that they belong here. Leaders know individual pupils and their families well. If pupils need extra help with their wellbeing, they receive support that is just right for them. Pupils feel safe and are ready to learn. One parent summed up the views of many, saying, ‘This school is a family.' Pupils enjoy their learning. Leaders have recently implemented an ambitious curriculum for pupils to study. Pupils benefit from a high-quality reading and phonics curriculum that is taught well. This has a positive impact on pupils’ achievement. Leaders have recently improved the curriculum for writing and mathematics. Pupils’ work is improving rapidly. However, pupils’ achievement in writing and mathematics lags behind the positive changes that have been made in school. Pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities receive carefully tailored support. Staff routinely adapt learning for these pupils. Pupils get the help that they need to be ready for the next stages of their education. Pupils behave well and know what is expected of them. They rise to these expectations. From the early years onwards, children quickly settle to new routines. Across the school, pupils benefit from consistently positive relationships with adults and each other. Bullying is rare. If it happens, leaders take swift action to make sure that it stops. Leaders take well-considered action to reduce any barriers to attendance that pupils might face. Overall, pupils attend well. Leaders make their vision, to open up the world to pupils, a reality. Pupils have many opportunities to develop their sense of citizenship. Pupils take this citizenship beyond the school gates, for example by delivering Christmas cards and hot chocolate to local residents. Others sing for patients in hospital. These experiences help pupils to be prepared for their future lives.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should make sure that staff design and select tasks that help pupils to consistently acquire the learning that they need.
• Leaders should embed the improvements they have made to the curriculum in writing and mathematics so that these improvements are reflected in pupils' achievement by the end of key stage 2.
• Leaders should embed the recent improvements to the teaching of handwriting so that pupils' handwriting becomes more consistent across the subjects that they study.

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