St Mary's CofE Academy Stotfold

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Mary’s CofE Academy Stotfold Rook Tree Lane, Stotfold, Hitchin, Hertfordshire SG5 4DL

p.1

Outcome

St Mary’s CofE Academy Stotfold has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

p.1

Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Miss Sam Bishop. This school is a single-academy trust. The headteacher is also the chief executive officer (CEO). The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mr Robert Thornley.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive a warm welcome at this school. They benefit from how deeply staff care about them. The school makes time to get to know pupils’ needs and interests. This is particularly successful for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils are safe, happy and ready to learn.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk positively about their learning. They know staff want them to succeed. Pupils relish reward points for their work and effort. Staff skilfully support pupils to access the ambitious curriculum. As a result, most pupils achieve well and are suitably prepared for the next stage of their education.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a strong culture of mutual respect and kindness. This results in pupils behaving well and being empathetic. They play and learn harmoniously. Pupils also know that staff will help them with any worries.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the range of wider opportunities to broaden their horizons. Pupils experience activities that they may otherwise not get to do. This includes a residential and visits to museums, zoos, theatres and local areas of interest. Many pupils take up the offer of a club, such as football, science, signing or prayer club. There are also sports leaders and an elected school council. This develops pupils’ sense of responsibility. 4 and 5 February 2025

p.1

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

The school remains firmly committed to ensuring positive outcomes for all its pupils. Pupils receive a curriculum high in expectations, including for pupils with SEND. In all subjects, the school has carefully considered the key knowledge pupils need to learn and when. Staff teach the curriculum as intended, using their knowledge and expertise well in most subjects. As a result, most pupils are successful learners, achieving in line with national expectations.

p.2

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

In lessons, pupils, including in early years, recap prior learning. Staff provide clear explanations of new knowledge. In reading, writing and mathematics, the school quickly identifies and rectifies any pupil misconceptions. Staff, from the early years upwards, make sure that pupils have reading books accurately matched to their reading ability. Pupils with SEND are expertly supported in revisiting sounds they have learned and developing reading fluency. Pupils who fall behind in their reading soon catch up.

p.2

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

Pupils also recall key knowledge learned in other subjects. However, in these subjects, some pupils are not remembering securely the necessary detail of what they have been taught. While the current checks on learning highlight these knowledge gaps, there is often insufficient time given to filling them before pupils move on to a new topic. This limits the depth of knowledge some pupils secure.

p.2

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

Since the last inspection, there has been a significant increase in the number of pupils with SEND attending the school. The school has managed this change well. The school has made the necessary adjustments to the learning and play environment so it is accessible to everyone. Staff who work with pupils with SEND are trained well to identify and respond to needs. They encourage pupils to be as independent as possible. The school actions the advice of external professionals. This robust approach means most pupils with SEND achieve their specific targets.

p.2

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

A few pupils with SEND require specialist communication and language support. The school has put in place effective adaptations for these pupils, including in early years. However, work on developing a more tailored curriculum for these pupils has only just started. This means that, currently, the school is still getting to grips with how to precisely enhance learning activities to help these pupils progress more quickly from their starting points.

p.2

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

Across the school, pupils follow the school’s clear behaviour expectations. Unwelcome behaviours are rare and swiftly dealt with. The school manage pupils who need space to regulate their emotions well so as not to impact the learning of others. Pupils like coming to school, and most attend regularly. The school takes decisive action if this is not the case, including ensuring pupils are punctual.

p.2

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

The school makes considered choices with regard to the personal development offer for its pupils. Pupils are made aware of the world beyond school that they may not normally see. These experiences are accessible to all and start in early years. There is a high take up of any extra-curricular activities. Pupils share how trips, clubs and workshops have 4 and 5 February 2025

p.2

3

benefited them personally. They know about different religions and cultures. Pupils demonstrate values such as respect and kindness in how they conduct themselves around school.

p.3

3

The trust board is dedicated to wanting the best for all pupils. It challenges its own thinking as well as that of leaders. It provides effective oversight of the quality of education and of safeguarding. The school checks on staff well-being and workload. Staff value this. The school also engages well with parents and carers, who are incredibly positive about the school’s work.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, the school’s checks on learning in wider curriculum subjects are not used robustly enough to address gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Therefore, some pupils do not build knowledge in the detail or depth the school intends. The school needs to ensure sufficient time is given to address gaps in pupils’ knowledge in these subjects so that pupils achieve more highly.  The school is at the early stages of developing a bespoke curriculum for a few pupils with SEND. This means these pupils are not developing some communication skills as securely as the school intends. The school needs to ensure that the key knowledge to support the language acquisition of these pupils is more precisely outlined. This will support staff confidence and skill in how best to support these pupils to excel from their starting points.

p.3

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

p.3

Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the 4 and 5 February 2025

p.3

4

date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

p.4

4

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2016.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 4 and 5 February 2025

p.4

School details

Website www.stmarysacademystotfold.co.uk

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is a Church of England school and has a religious character and so is subject to a section 48 inspection. A section 48 inspection was last carried out in April 2018. The school will be due its next section 48 inspection within approximately five years of its last inspection.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the assistant headteacher, both special 4 and 5 February 2025

p.5

6

educational needs coordinators, subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  The inspector met with the chair of trustees and three governors.  To evaluate the quality of education, the inspector met with staff, visited classes, looked at pupils’ work and spoke to pupils from across the school.  The inspector also reviewed documentation provided by the school, including the school’s development plan, its self-evaluation document and governor minutes.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and children; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts children’s interest first.  The inspector met with groups of staff and considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.  The inspector took account of the views of parents expressed through Ofsted Parent

p.6

6

View, including free-text comments. The inspector also spoke to parents on the playground and read all emails sent by parents to the inspector via the school office.

p.6

Inspection team

Sara Boyce, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 4 and 5 February 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7