St Mary's CofE First School & Nursery

Inspection of St Mary's CofE First School & Nursery Station Road, West Moors, Ferndown, Dorset BH22 0JF

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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 headteacher of this school is Laura Crossley and the head of school is Sarah Corbett. This school is part of Heath 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), Justine Horn, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nick Musselwhite. 23 and 24 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Warm relationships underpin everything that happens in this welcoming school. Staff take the time to get to know pupils. This helps pupils to feel comfortable to share any worries. Staff support pupils in a pursuit to ‘be more awesome’ in line with the school’s vision. Pupils achieve well, including in in national assessment. They are well prepared for their next stage. The school aims to promote a sense of belonging. Consequently, pupils enjoy coming to school and attendance has improved because of the school’s work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils rise to the high expectations staff have of them. They understand and demonstrate the school’s behaviour expectations of being ‘ready, respectful and safe’. The nursery provides a nurturing environment. Children learn routines in preparation for starting school. Older pupils show respect towards one another, hold doors open for visitors and include others in their play.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Opportunities to promote pupils’ leadership skills are purposeful and well considered. For example, pupils democratically vote for the Year 4 ‘Saints’ who are role models for the school. Pupils develop their geographical knowledge through visits to local lakes. They learn about bush crafts in their forest garden. Pupils enjoy working within their locality. For example, pupils sing at local care homes and serve soup to local residents.

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

The school has taken rapid and decisive action since the previous inspection to address the most pressing areas. This is having a positive impact on pupils. The school has sequenced the curriculum progressively to include the most important knowledge pupils need to learn from Nursery Year up to Year 4. In subjects such as reading and computing, teaching helps pupils to retain their knowledge so they know and remember more over time. For example, pupils talk about how the ‘inference iguana’ helps them find clues from the text. In computing, pupils in Year 1 create copies of folders and rename them, building on learning in Reception Year where they learn to type their names.

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

Teachers model new learning well. Pupils secure new knowledge, apply it and practise it so they are successful when working independently. In most cases, teachers spot misconceptions quickly through clear systems for checking pupils’ understanding. As an example, in Reception Year, teachers help children to independently correct any errors in their letter formation. However, in some subjects, including mathematics, there are inconsistencies in how well misconceptions and gaps in pupils’ knowledge are identified and addressed. This can affect the depth of pupils’ knowledge in these subjects. Furthermore, in some other subjects, gaps in knowledge from the previous curriculum have not been addressed fully. This leads to misconceptions and gaps in learning. Because of this, some pupils do not develop the same depth of knowledge as they do in most subjects.

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

Early reading is a priority for the school. Well-trained staff teach pupils how to read successfully. Pupils read books that contain the sounds they are confident in. This enables them to become fluent readers. Those who struggle to read are given ample support to 23 and 24 April 2025

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help them catch up. Consequently, they develop confidence. Beyond early reading, pupils have strong comprehension skills. Pupils retrieve information and summarise it effectively and confidently.

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The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly and accurately. It works well with children’s previous settings to ensure that children settle in well to the early years. The school adapts the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Overall, the school makes sure that pupils with SEND access the curriculum and achieve well. However, sometimes, the support these pupils receive lacks precision. At times, it does not help them to achieve their personalised targets and goals as well as it could. This sometimes affects how well these pupils progress through the curriculum.

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Leaders have worked determinedly to create a calm and orderly environment around the school. Clear routines and expectations mean pupils can focus on their learning. Children in early years learn how to express their feelings and how to take turns and share.

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Pupils are supported to be ready for their next stage. Staff teach them techniques such as ‘happy breathing’ to keep calm through any challenging times. Pupils learn how to stay safe, for example through water safety talks and visits from the local fire brigade. Visits from scientists and athletes help to raise pupils’ aspirations and spark curiosity about different career options in the future. Pupils develop a sense of social responsibility. For example, they have raised money to support the installation of water wells in Kenya.

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Trust leaders and those responsible for governance have an accurate understanding of the school. They hold leaders to account effectively. Staff are proud to work here. Parents and carers and pupils talk positively about all aspects of the school’s work.

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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, including mathematics, assessment is not used with enough precision to identify and address misconceptions. Consequently, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge which makes it difficult for them to build and deepen their understanding. Where this is the case, the trust should ensure that assessment is used effectively to identify and address gaps in pupils' knowledge.  Sometimes, the support given to pupils with SEND lacks precision. This means that, at times, there is a lack of clarity around what individual pupils need in order to meet their personalised targets and goals. The school should ensure that, where this is the case, staff are clear about pupils’ next steps and that these pupils benefit from support which helps them to meet their individual targets. 23 and 24 April 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). 23 and 24 April 2025

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School details

Headteacher Laura Crossley (Executive headteacher) Sarah Corbett (Head of school) Website www.stmaryswestmoors.org

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 October 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 St Mary’s CofE First School & Nursery is part of the Heath Academy Trust.  Since the school converted to an academy, the senior leadership structure has changed. There is an executive headteacher and a head of school in place.  The school is designated as having a religious character. The school is part of the Diocese of Salisbury. The most recent section 48 inspection of the school was carried out in November 2023.  There is a before- and after-school club for pupils who attend the school.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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 23 and 24 April 2025

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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.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, staff, parents, pupils, representatives from the trust including the chief executive officer, chair of the board of trustees and other trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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 in lessons and around the school, including at lunchtime and breaktimes. In addition, the inspectors met with pupils formally and informally to hear their views.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They also looked at responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Lakmini Harkus, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Laura Bennett Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 April 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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