The Primary School of St Mary and St Martin

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: 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 has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are encouraged to develop their leadership and communication skills throughout their time at The Primary School of St Mary and St Martin. They are able to take on a range of responsibilities, including as diversity champions, house captains and school council members. Pupils are proud to represent their school. They talk positively about attending school. Pupils are happy and enjoy being part of the school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour around the school and in lessons is exemplary. Staff have high expectations of pupils, and these are lived out across the school. Older pupils act as positive role models to younger pupils. Staff model how to behave to pupils, including how to show kindness and look after each other. This creates a highly positive learning environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils. Pupils achieve well. There is a clear focus on ensuring that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the curriculum successfully alongside their peers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a range of clubs to develop pupils’ wider interests, including singing club, ‘books and biscuit’ club, drama club and sporting clubs. Pupils make use of these opportunities. There are regular trips for each year group, including visits to museums and residential trips. 25 February 2025

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

There is a well-designed and considered curriculum in place for the majority of subjects that are delivered at the school. This curriculum builds from the early years and pupils are encouraged to engage with subject-specific vocabulary from the earliest opportunity. In subjects such as mathematics and English, teachers ensure that pupils build and connect their knowledge over time. This enables pupils to confidently recall their learning in these subjects. In some subjects, the school has not clearly identified the precise knowledge that teachers want pupils to know. In these subjects, some of the activity choices that teachers use do not enable pupils to build their knowledge. When this happens, pupils do not consistently develop their understanding of the more complex aspects of the subjects they study, such as how to think like a scientist or an historian.

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

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They routinely check pupils’ understanding. They address any misconceptions or gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Teachers know the pupils in their classes well and make adaptations when necessary for pupils who may require additional support. Pupils with SEND have their needs promptly and accurately identified. They receive personalised support and learn the curriculum well.

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

The school fosters a love of reading. Children in the early years are quickly introduced to the school’s phonics scheme. They are excited to learn new sounds and become confident readers rapidly. Staff quickly identify any child at risk of falling behind their peers. They provide the help that these children need to keep up with their reading. Older pupils can talk about the wide variety of books that they read and the skills that they need to be ‘good readers’. Many pupils talked with enthusiasm about going to ‘books and biscuit’ club at lunchtime. They enjoy the opportunities that they have to share the books that they enjoy.

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

Pupils enjoy attending school. Their attitudes to learning are positive. The school is calm and orderly, and routines are well established. Pupils are proud to be part of the school and respond well to the praise of staff. There are positive relationships among staff and pupils throughout the school, including with children in the early years setting.

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

There is a carefully planned personal development programme at the school. Pupils benefit from a range of trips and educational visits. These visits enable pupils to develop their understanding of the subjects they study and to broaden their horizons. Pupils develop an understanding of active citizenship as they work hard to support the local community. They organise events for the church and help to support local and national charities. Pupils clearly understand the importance of showing respect to each other. While pupils can talk about Christianity and the work of the church, they struggle to recall their learning connected to other world religions.

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

Governors know the school well. They provide appropriate challenge and guidance to the school. Most staff feel well supported and feel that their well-being is taken into consideration when decisions are made. There is a clear sense of community at the school among parents and carers, staff and pupils. 25 February 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the curriculum does not identify clearly what pupils will learn. As a result, teaching sometimes does not secure the most important knowledge. In these subjects, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that teaching is designed effectively to secure key knowledge, so that pupils know and remember more.  The curriculum does not give pupils a sufficient understanding of different faiths and cultures. This means that pupils do not have a depth of knowledge and understanding about different religions and are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they could be. The school should ensure that pupils have the knowledge that they need to be able to understand and engage positively with people who may be different from themselves.

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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.

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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 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.

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Background

This is the third ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in November 2010. 25 February 2025

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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). 25 February 2025

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chairs of governing body Matthew Shaw Sarah Illingworth Headteacher Mrs Sarah Preston

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 December 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England School. Its most recent section 48 inspection for schools of religious character took place in June 2023.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 had 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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, two senior teachers, subject leaders and members of staff. The lead inspector also met with members of the governing body, including the co-chairs of the governing body. 25 February 2025

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 Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, 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 the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors spoke with parents and considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. Inspectors considered the feedback from pupils and staff to their respective Ofsted surveys.

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Inspection team

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

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Inspection team

Natalie Hackett Ofsted Inspector 25 February 2025

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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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