Stella Maris School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 October 2024

Pupils enjoy coming to this small and welcoming school. They value how the school size helps them to form close bonds with pupils of all ages. Pupils are polite and courteous to each other. They behave well. Pupils are safe and happy. They are looked after well by their teachers and staff. As pupils happily enter the school building each morning, they walk through the Jubilee Garden. They tend to this space throughout the year, honing their gardening skills in the process. Outdoor learning is a prized aspect of the school's curriculum, with each class spending part of their curriculum time learning related skills in the nearby wooded area. Social times are a hive of activity. Pupils have plenty to do from the minute they arrive, from board games in the morning to musical instrument lessons and art clubs at lunchtime and badminton after school. The school regularly refreshes its extra- curricular offer so that pupils can expand their talents and interests during the academic year. The school is ambitious for all pupils. It is highly successful in supporting pupils to gain entry to their chosen grammar schools. Pupils achieve well in many subjects by the end of Year 6.

What the school should improve

• The proprietor's approach to ensuring that the school consistently meets the standards is not as robust as it could be. This sometimes means that the proprietor does not act as swiftly as it could when there are issues that affect the school's compliance with these standards. The proprietor should improve its oversight of the school and the rigour with which it routinely ensures adherence to the standards.
• The school's systems and expertise to identify pupils with potential SEND early are not as strong as they could be. This sometimes means that the school does not respond as quickly as it could when signs of additional needs emerge. The school should ensure that it is equipped with the knowledge, skills and systems needed to identify pupils' additional needs in a timelier manner.
• In some subjects, the school has not broken down what it wants pupils to learn into smaller building blocks of knowledge. This sometimes means that, in these subjects, pupils do not learn new content in a coherent manner. This prevents them from making strong connections to prior learning and deepening their understanding of some fundamental concepts. The school should further review the design of these subject curriculums.

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