The Primary School of St Mary and St Martin

Inspection of a good school: The Primary School of St Mary and St Martin Retford Road, Blyth, Worksop, Nottinghamshire S81 8ER

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Outcome

The Primary School of St Mary and St Martin continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They smile as they enter the classrooms ready to start their day. Parents and carers agree, with one saying, ‘I cannot recommend this school enough. Our children are very happy here.’ Pupils are polite and welcoming. They hold doors open for adults and wave ‘hello’ to visitors. Staff want all pupils to ‘let their light shine’. Pupils know this and work hard. They are keen to represent the school’s values of love, kindness and forgiveness.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They take care of each other. We saw pupils talking, playing and working together happily. They are tolerant and respectful. As one pupil told us, ‘Everyone should be treated the same.’ Pupils know about different types of bullying. They say that bullying can happen but that it is dealt with quickly. Pupils told us that they feel safe in school. They have an adult they would share their worries with.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience lots of exciting new things. They enjoy trips to Murton Park so they can live life as a Roman for the day. They visit Mr Straw’s House to see how houses and homes have changed in living memory. Pupils enjoy the clubs on offer, such as football, film and Lego.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have set out the knowledge and skills they want pupils to gain in reading. They are ambitious for all pupils to become fluent and confident readers. There have been significant improvements to the teaching of phonics. Teachers know what phonic knowledge pupils need. They plan effective lessons that build on what pupils already know. They revisit and practise this knowledge so that pupils remember it. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well in reading. They are getting better all the time.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders want all pupils to read for pleasure. Pupils told us that they enjoy reading. Teachers give pupils exciting books to read at home. For example, pupils in key stage 1 10 December 2019

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take home a suitcase of classic books and puppets to share with their parents. Pupils visit the library to borrow books. They relish completing their ‘reading passports’ and gaining stickers for the reading they do at home.

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Mathematics is taught well throughout the school. Leaders make sure that teachers know what order mathematical knowledge should be taught in. Teachers explain learning in clear steps. Pupils, including those with SEND, build their knowledge and understanding successfully each year. Pupils’ work is of a high quality.

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Leaders have begun to develop the curriculum for science. They have mapped out some of the important knowledge they want pupils to know and remember. However, more work needs to be done to improve the curriculum in science. Not all teachers know what should be taught and when. Some lessons do not build upon what pupils already know and can do. Some pupils’ work is not demanding enough.

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Pupils with SEND receive good support from teaching assistants outside of lessons. Some teachers have clear plans in place to support pupils with SEND in class. However, others do not. Leaders have not checked that pupils with SEND receive the support detailed in these plans. Some of these pupils could be doing better in some subjects.

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Children in the early years get off to a good start. They settle quickly into daily routines. Staff know children well and develop strong relationships. Leaders make sure that children learn to read and write as soon as possible. Some children can already write simple sentences containing tricky words. Children achieve well, especially in literacy.

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Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They want to get better. Pupils are proud of the work they do. They enjoy receiving ‘writer of the week’ awards each Friday, in celebration assemblies.

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Leaders work hard to develop pupils’ understanding of the wider world. Pupils enjoy learning about other religions such as Hinduism and Islam. Pupils build their understanding of the arts. They study famous artists such as Barbara Hepworth. They listen to music from different historical periods and countries, including famous composers. Leaders are keen to promote pupils’ spirituality. They ensure that pupils have time to discuss, debate and reflect. Pupils enjoy taking part in mindfulness sessions.

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Leaders and governors work hard to improve the school. They are particularly proud of the work they do to promote and celebrate diversity. We agree with them. Pupils show respect and care for people with different faiths, sexualities or disabilities.

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Staff morale is high. Staff say that they feel valued by leaders. They describe themselves as a ‘wonderful team’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained in safeguarding and first aid. They can spot the signs that a pupil 10 December 2019

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may be at risk of harm. Staff know how to report concerns. Leaders follow up these concerns quickly. They work with other agencies so that pupils and families get the help they need. Records of safeguarding incidents are thorough and well documented.

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Pupils learn about staying safe. They told us about a recent ‘emergency week’ that was held in school. Pupils learned basic first aid. They enjoyed a visit from the fire service and coastguard. They know how to get help from these services, if needed.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have made a good start to developing an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum in most subjects. However, leaders have not mapped out precisely enough the important knowledge they want pupils to know and remember in science. Pupils’ work is sometimes not demanding enough. Leaders should identify precisely what knowledge pupils should gain and by when. They must communicate this to teachers so they can use this information to plan work that is ambitious and builds upon what pupils already know.  Pupils with SEND have individual plans detailing the support they need to be able to achieve well in a range of subjects. This includes information about how the curriculum should be adapted to meet these pupils’ needs. Leaders do not know how effective this support is, because they have not recently checked. Leaders should check that teachers are implementing the plans successfully and that pupils with SEND know and

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged The Primary School of St Mary and St Martin to be good on 3-4 November 2010. 10 December 2019

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 10 December 2019

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Inspection number 10121268 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the school has changed the age range of the pupils it admits. The school provides places for nursery-aged children in the early years unit.  The school offers before- and after-school care services that are managed by the governing body.  The school is a Church of England aided school. Its last section 48 inspection took place in November 2015, when it was judged to be outstanding.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, four members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors examined the quality of education that pupils receive in reading, mathematics and science. They visited lessons, scrutinised pupils’ work, listened to pupils reading and spoke with pupils and teachers about their lessons.  A wide range of documents was scrutinised, including those relating to safeguarding, behaviour, the school’s plans for improvement and curriculum planning. Inspectors 10 December 2019

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considered published information about pupils’ achievement.  Inspectors took account of the 13 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. They considered the six responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupils’ survey.

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Inspection team

Steve Varnam, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rebecca King Ofsted Inspector 10 December 2019

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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