St Mary's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of St Mary’s Church of England Primary School Broomfield Drive, South Reddish, Stockport, Cheshire SK5 7DR

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 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 19 and 20 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values of ‘love, respect, creativity, forgiveness and perseverance’ are at the centre of everything it does. Everyone is welcome, irrespective of any differences. Pupils live up to the school’s high expectations of their behaviour. They show deep respect for other pupils and for staff. Pupils feel confident that staff will deal with any issues quickly and fairly. They learn and play well together, happy to take part in group games and activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high ambition for the achievement of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils try hard to meet these aspirations. They show a love of learning and they are eager to share their work with others. Most pupils learn well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel that they can truly make a difference to school life. They take any additional responsibilities, such as being an eco-councillor, school councillor or playleader, very seriously. They carry out their own research to ensure that they are knowledgeable, ready to fulfil their duties and equipped to share their expertise with others. Pupils are proud of their achievements such as securing new equipment for the playground.

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

The school has developed a new and ambitious curriculum in recent times. Typically, it has identified the important content that pupils should learn. This has been carefully ordered to ensure that pupils can build their knowledge from the early years to the end of Year 6. In the main, the school has ensured that teachers have the professional development that they need to support them to deliver the curriculum effectively and with confidence. Teachers usually present information clearly and precisely, in a way that engages pupils. As a result, pupils love to learn.

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

In most subjects, pupils progress well through the curriculum. They readily link new learning to their prior knowledge. However, in a few subjects, the school has only recently finalised its thinking about what pupils should know. In these subjects, pupils’ knowledge of earlier learning is not as secure as it could be. Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge from the previous curriculum. This hinders these pupils when staff introduce new concepts.

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

The school has implemented strategies to help teachers to check how well pupils are learning the new curriculum. In some subjects, this is in its infancy. This makes it harder for teachers to address pupils’ misconceptions when they arise, or fill the gaps in pupils’ knowledge from the previous curriculum.

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

The school has improved its approaches to identifying the additional needs of pupils with SEND. It now uses a range of information to ensure that pupils receive the help that they need swiftly. Teachers successfully adapt their delivery of the curriculum for pupils with SEND so that they can learn well. 19 and 20 November 2024

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From the time children enter the Reception class, they begin to learn phonics. Pupils, including those in the early years, are given books to practise reading that are carefully matched to the sounds that they know. In the past, the school’s systems to identify and support those pupils who struggle with reading have not been effective enough. This is reflected in the published outcomes for 2024. However, the school has ensured that staff are now well trained to help those pupils in most need of reading support. Staff quickly identify pupils who are struggling and step in to help them. As a result, more pupils are now developing into confident and fluent readers.

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From the early years, pupils are eager to learn. They behave well in lessons. The school celebrates pupils’ high attendance. The school carefully analyses pupils’ absence and takes swift action if a pupil’s attendance begins to fall. The school works closely with parents and carers to ensure that all pupils attend school on time and as regularly as they should.

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Pupils have opportunities to explore their own views and beliefs. They understand the importance of respecting others. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures and they deepen their knowledge of these through their multi-faith weeks. They are taught about fundamental British values, such as democracy and tolerance of others. Pupils are clear what these values mean to them.

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Staff said that the school cares about their well-being. They value the support that they receive to carry out their roles effectively. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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Governors are committed to supporting the work that the school does. However, in some aspects of their work, they have not provided effective enough challenge over time. As a result of this lack of challenge, the school’s evaluation of some aspects of its provision, including the curriculum, is not as robust as it could be.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, pupils have gaps in knowledge from the previous curriculum. This means that some pupils do not have a secure enough knowledge base to help them learn new content. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, teachers are clear about the essential knowledge that pupils should learn before introducing new material.  Sometimes, the checks that teachers complete on what pupils know and remember are not refined enough. This hinders staff from determining whether pupils have fully secured knowledge, or if gaps remain. The school should ensure that teachers have the 19 and 20 November 2024

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expertise to check robustly how well pupils have learned the important information that they have been taught.  Governors have not routinely challenged the school about some aspects of its work, including the effectiveness of the curriculum. This has hampered the school from rigorously evaluating the quality of education that it provides. The school should ensure that governors have the knowledge that they need to hold leaders to account effectively.

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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). 19 and 20 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Yvonne Guariento

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School details

Website www.st-marys-reddish.stockport.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a voluntary-controlled Church of England school and is part of the Diocese of Manchester. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in July 2023. Its next section 48 inspection is due in July 2028.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.  The headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.

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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/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 19 and 20 November 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors also held meetings with other staff, including those responsible for attendance and pupils’ behaviour, welfare and personal development.  The inspectors held meetings with the leaders responsible for SEND and the provision for children in the early years.  An inspector met with the chair and other members of the governing body.  An inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority and of the diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and

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history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects with leaders and met with pupils to discuss their learning in these subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour as they arrived at school and during lessons and breaktimes. They also spoke with pupils about their views of school life.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They took account of

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the responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.  Inspectors met with parents and reviewed the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  Inspectors considered the views of pupils who responded to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Kathy Nichol, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Moira Atkins Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 November 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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