St Margaret's Church of England Primary School, Stoke Golding

Inspection of St Margaret’s Church of England Primary School, Stoke Golding High Street, Stoke Golding, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV13 6HE

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 October 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good

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The executive principal of this school is Adam Watson. There is also a head of school, Aly Steele. This school is part of Inspiring Primaries Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Andrew Riches, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Graham Reed. 29 and 30 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and welcoming school. In accordance with the school’s mission statement, pupils are encouraged to develop ‘the roots to grow and the wings to fly’. Pupils feel comfortable to explore their ideas without fear of failure. One pupil described the school as ‘a safe, kind place to make mistakes’. Pupils are encouraged to be the best version of themselves. This underpins a culture of high expectations about what pupils can achieve. Most pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils are courteous and respectful. They are kind and considerate to each other. Pupils know that they can talk to any member of staff, or use the school’s worry boxes, if they have any concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have lots of opportunities to ‘shine’. They develop their character by taking part in events such as ‘service week’. This involves pupils ‘giving back’ to the local community through fundraising events and acts of kindness.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides pupils with a well-rounded education. Parents and carers appreciate this. One parent expressed the views of many when they stated, ‘I feel fortunate to have been able to send my daughter to this school, as it not only promotes learning academically but also morally and spiritually.’

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

The school has recently increased the ambition of the curriculum in many subject areas. The curriculum now identifies what pupils should know and be able to do in order to be well prepared for secondary school. It sets out when teachers should help pupils to revisit their previous learning to help them to connect their learning over time. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure. They share important knowledge clearly with pupils. Teachers check pupils’ understanding. Most of the time, pupils’ misconceptions are identified and addressed. In most subjects, pupils achieve well.

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

The school prioritises reading. Pupils talk confidently about the range of authors and books that they have read. They enjoy taking books home to read to their parents. Well- trained staff help pupils at the early stages of learning to read to develop the accuracy and fluency of their reading. Pupils at risk of falling behind their peers receive the help they need to keep up. Pupils leave the school as confident readers.

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

Pupils who need additional support, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have their needs identified swiftly. Staff are provided with training to help them understand and meet the needs of these pupils. Most pupils with SEND build their knowledge of the curriculum well. However, teachers do not always adapt their teaching precisely enough to meet the needs of these pupils. At times, pupils with SEND are not supported to achieve the best possible outcomes. These pupils do not focus consistently on their learning. 29 and 30 October 2024

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The early years curriculum has been well considered. There is a focus on developing children’s vocabulary. Staff ensure that the transition to school life is smooth. This includes regular communication with parents. Children are encouraged to be ‘star listeners’ and most children work well with each other. The indoor provision in the early years supports children’s learning. However, when working and playing in the outdoor environment, children do not have as many opportunities to practise applying what they have learned.

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The school teaches pupils how to behave well. Pupils learn how to develop friendships and resolve conflicts. Most children in the early years quickly develop the ability to manage their behaviour.

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Pupils access a range of opportunities to enable them to develop their talents and interests. For instance, they attend Spanish club, play netball and can take part in baking competitions. Pupils develop a secure understanding of different faiths and cultures. They discuss with animation the importance of learning about people who have beliefs different to their own. Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.

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Teachers feel well supported. They value the opportunity to work with teachers from different schools in the trust. The school considers staff’s workload and well-being. Staff share how much they enjoy working at the school and said that it is like a family. Some aspects of the school’s work to evaluate the impact of the curriculum are not well developed. In a small number of subjects, where the curriculum is new, the school does not have processes in place to evaluate what is going well and what the school needs to do to improve. In contrast to most subjects, in these subjects, areas for development in relation to teaching and pupils’ knowledge of the curriculum have not been identified.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the school does not have strategies in place to evaluate the quality of curriculum delivery and its impact. As a result, the school has not identified areas for improvement in the teaching of these subjects and related gaps in pupils’ knowledge. The school should ensure that the systems in place to gather information about the success of the curriculum enable areas for development to be identified and addressed.  In some lessons, including in the early years, teaching is not adapted well enough to meet the needs of some pupils with SEND. As a result, some pupils with SEND are not engaging and achieving as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff have the expertise needed to support pupils with SEND to learn successfully. 29 and 30 October 2024

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 29 and 30 October 2024

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School details

Headteacher Adam Watson (executive headteacher) Aly Steele (head of school) Website www.stmargarets-leics.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 and 29 September 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England school. It underwent a section 48 inspection in July 2023. The next section 48 inspection will take place within eight school years of its last inspection.  The school uses the services of one unregistered alternative provision.  The school is part of the Inspiring Primaries Academy Trust.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 29 and 30 October 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of the school’s provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held various meetings with the executive principal, the head of school, curriculum leaders and trust leaders. The lead inspector met with members of the local governing body and trustees.  The lead inspector spoke with the CEO of the trust.  The inspection team carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and science. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for pupils’ behaviour and attendance and pupils’ personal development. They also met leaders responsible for the provision for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors met with the leader responsible for the early years, visited the early years and spoke with children.  Inspectors met formally and informally with groups of pupils.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Roxanne Fearns-Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Cleo Redmond Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 October 2024

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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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