St Mary's CofE School, Truro

Inspection of St Mary’s CofE School, Truro Higher Trehaverne, Truro, Cornwall TR1 3RJ

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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 Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since November 2014. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 3 and 4 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Mary’s CofE School is a happy, welcoming and inclusive place to learn. The vision and values permeate through the school. For example, through the value of ‘friendship’, pupils learn to be kind and respectful. Staff build warm relationships with pupils to help them to feel well looked after. Pupils follow the school routines and behave well. This starts in the early years where children get off to a strong start.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are united in their determination to ensure that pupils succeed. This is reflected in their high expectations of what pupils can achieve through a well-designed, broad and ambitious curriculum. Pupils live up to these high expectations and learn the curriculum well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ wider development is at the heart of the school. It provides a wealth of opportunities that go beyond the academic. For example, as one of ‘St Mary’s top ten’ to achieve by the end of Year 6, pupils learn to swim and surf to ensure that they are safe when visiting their local beach. Pupils are prepared well for living in the wider world, such as how to keep themselves safe when online. They are confident that adults will help if they have any worries or concerns.

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

Through the ‘sunrise curriculum’, the school has identified the most important knowledge pupils need to learn, starting in the early years. The school has given careful consideration to how pupils build their knowledge based on what they have learned before. As a result, teachers are clear about what to teach and when. They provide pupils with learning tasks that match the ambition of the curriculum. On occasions, the quality of some pupils’ written work across subjects is variable. This is because some pupils do not demonstrate the accuracy in handwriting, spelling and punctuation that is appropriate to their stage of development.

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

The school supports staff to develop their expertise through a consistent, shared teaching approach. For example, pupils regularly revisit prior learning to secure knowledge into their long-term memory. As a result, pupils can talk about their learning with ease, linking their current knowledge with what they have learned before.

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

The school checks how well pupils are building their knowledge to identify and support them with any gaps in their understanding. For example, teachers use their checks to identify how well pupils have remembered important knowledge. On occasions, these checks lack sufficient precision. When this happens, teachers are not clear when pupils may need support more quickly, or when pupils are ready for further stretch and challenge. As a result, some pupils do not deepen their knowledge as well.

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

Inclusion is a strength. The school has a universal offer to ensure that all pupils can access the curriculum. There is a clear process to identify pupils with special educational 3 and 4 June 2025

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needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This ensures that these pupils get the support they need to learn the curriculum well.

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The school has prioritised helping pupils to become confident and fluent readers. A ‘book for learning’ and a ‘book for love’ ensures that pupils learn to read well with well-matched books while developing a real love for reading. The school has been relentless in ensuring that staff are experts in teaching pupils to read. Staff quickly identify and support those pupils who need extra support. As a result of the school’s work, pupils achieved well above the national standard of the phonics screening check in Year 1 in 2024.

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Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. They want to be successful and value the recognition they gain for doing so. Pupils engage well in their learning and take pride in their work. They know what is expected of them as they move around the school sensibly.

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Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities that enhance the curriculum. They value trips and residentials to try new experiences, such as a visit to Bristol. Pupils follow the school motto ‘You are never too young to make a difference’ to develop as responsible and active citizens. For example, pupils run a ‘care fair’ by designing stalls and activities to raise money for a local charity. Pupils also know they make a difference through their leadership roles. For example, older pupils are buddies to children in Reception Year to help them to settle quickly.

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Staff are proud to work at the school and value the high levels of support for their workload and wellbeing. The school, including governors, knows its strengths and where there is further work to do.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasions, the school is not clear about how well some pupils have secured the knowledge they need for future learning. As a result, some pupils develop gaps in their understanding, while some others do not move onto more complex learning quickly enough. The school should ensure that the checks made routinely inform teaching so that appropriate adjustments are made to future learning. This will help pupils to deepen their understanding over time.  At times, the school does not ensure that pupils’ writing is of a consistently high standard across the curriculum. This is because some pupils’ errors in their writing are not addressed quickly enough and so they persist. The school should develop staff 3 and 4 June 2025

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expertise to identify and address pupils’ misconceptions and errors promptly. This will enable pupils to write fluently and with accuracy across the curriculum.

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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). 3 and 4 June 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Mary Ann Trethewey

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School details

Website www.st-marys-truro.cornwall.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 November 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 There has been a change in leadership since the last inspection. The current headteacher took up her substantive post in April 2025, having been acting headteacher since April 2024.  The school is designated as having a religious character. The school is part of the Diocese of Truro. The most recent section 48 inspection of the school was carried out in October 2022.  The school provides a before- and after-school club.  The school currently uses two alternative provisions, one of which is unregistered.

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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 provision). Schools 3 and 4 June 2025

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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.  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 spoke with school leaders, curriculum leaders, staff, governors, a representative from the diocese and from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the 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.  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.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, as well as spoke to some parents at the start of the second day. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Esther Best, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lizzie Lethbridge Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 June 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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