Sturminster Marshall First School

Inspection of Sturminster Marshall First School 78 High Street, Sturminster Marshall, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 4AY

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 17 and 18 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Sturminster Marshall First school is a place where everyone is valued. Relationships between pupils, and across staff and pupils, are positive. Pupils feel safe to share any worries. They know they will receive the support that they need. Pupils recognise that their school value of ‘kindness’ underpins strong friendships. They play in harmony at social times, exploring the intricacies of nature and creating ‘bug hotels’. The school is calm and orderly so that pupils can focus on their learning. Pupils behave well in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school aspires for pupils to succeed both academically and socially. However, despite the creation of an ambitious curriculum, some pupils, particularly older pupils, do not learn and achieve well enough. Although the school is working to tackle the areas that require improvement, this is not realised in how well pupils are academically ready for their next stage.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending a variety of clubs, including drama and multi-sports. They enjoy making a difference to their local community. For example, the elected school council take pride in working with the parish council to litter pick. Pupils develop social responsibility by donating to a local food bank. Trips to Lyme Regis spark pupils’ interest in significant people such as Mary Anning.

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

The school has experienced a significant period of staffing instability. This has resulted in a negative impact on pupils’ learning and achievement. For example, in 2024, the proportion of pupils who met the expected standard in the Year 4 multiplication check was below average. In addition, pupils have gaps in their learning in other subjects due to weaknesses in the previous curriculum.

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

The school has overhauled the curriculum. It has set out the knowledge pupils need to learn at each stage and by when. The school has trained staff on how to teach the curriculum. However, this is not borne out in lessons. Teaching is inconsistent. Teachers do not check how well pupils have learned the curriculum. At times, teachers do not understand the end points that pupils need to achieve. They have therefore chosen learning activities that are not ambitious enough and do not challenge pupils to think deeply.

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

Conversely, lower down the school, pupils benefit from teaching which pinpoints precisely what they need to achieve to be ready for their next steps. Teachers check how well pupils have learned using strategies that identify and then support any misunderstanding. This means these pupils learn the curriculum well. For example, children in early years learn to compare amounts using language like ‘I have less and you have more’.

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

The strong leadership of reading means that pupils learn to read well. Trained staff teach phonics daily. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they know. Staff check pupils’ knowledge and provide additional support where needed. Consequently, all pupils met the national standard of the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2024. 17 and 18 June 2025

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In some cases, the school has not decided on the knowledge pupils need to revisit to secure the foundations of new learning. In other cases, there is too much for pupils to revisit. This means they cannot draw on the knowledge that they need to base new learning on. Some pupils find it hard to remember their learning over time. In some year groups, pupils are supported successfully to revisit previous learning to help them with new learning. For example, younger pupils revisit prior knowledge on fossil discovery and timelines before learning about their ‘before living memory’ topic.

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The school has enhanced its work to identify and support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils are identified early and accurately to receive tailored support. However, the shortcomings in curriculum implementation are also having an impact on pupils with SEND. These pupils do not develop detailed knowledge across the curriculum as well as they could.

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Pupils are attentive during lessons. Children in the early years develop their social skills well. Staff instil children’s independence to learn the routines of school life so they are ready for key stage 1. Leaders’ decisive actions to address attendance have meant more pupils attend school promptly and regularly.

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Pupils benefit from many opportunities to support their personal development. They have a comprehensive understanding of the fundamental British values. Pupils understand why it is important to have laws. They enjoy helping others through their esteemed play leader roles. This helps pupils to become active citizens.

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The school has clear intentions to improve the quality of education. However, checks on the impact of this work have not been precise or rigorous enough. Governors and leaders have an accurate understanding of the areas to develop. They are committed to ensuring the school has the capacity for sustained progress.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some older pupils have gaps in their learning due to weaknesses in the previous curriculum and the negative impact of staff instability. This hampers them from learning the new and improved curriculum well. The school must address gaps in pupils’ knowledge to enable them to be well prepared for the next stage.  The teaching of the curriculum is too variable across the school. Some learning tasks do not meet the ambition of the curriculum. Consequently, some pupils do not reach year group expectations and so are less prepared for their next stage. The school must 17 and 18 June 2025

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develop teachers’ understanding of how best to deliver the curriculum so that pupils can achieve well.  In some subjects, the school has not considered carefully enough which knowledge pupils need to revisit and when. Therefore, pupils do not consistently build successfully on what they have learned before. The school must ensure the most important knowledge pupils need to learn is regularly revisited so that pupils can remember this learning over time and make meaningful connections.  The school’s processes to check the quality of its work are not rigorous. This means that the school, and those responsible for governance, struggle to review the impact of the actions taken. The school and governing body must refine accountability processes to help the school rapidly improve.

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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). 17 and 18 June 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.sturminstermarshall.dorset.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 30 November and 1 December 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The senior teacher has led the school since March 2025 and supported the inspection in the absence of the headteacher. The school is also receiving some external support.  The school uses one registered alternative provider.

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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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 17 and 18 June 2025

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the senior teacher, school staff, parents, pupils and members of the local governing body including the chair of governors. An inspector also met with the provider of some external support.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. 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 reviewed 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 central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered

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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

Stewart Gale Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 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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