Stoke-on-Tern Primary School

Inspection of Stoke-on-Tern Primary School Rosehill Road, Stoke Heath, Market Drayton, Shropshire TF9 2LF

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 1 and 2 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s passion and determination to help pupils ‘to be the best that we can be’ is lived and breathed at Stoke-on-Tern. Pupils and staff are happy to attend such a special place. Most pupils attain well and are proud of their achievements. They are equally proud of their contribution to the wider life of the school. Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships that are rooted in mutual respect and shared values lie at the heart of managing behaviour. Staff know pupils well and show a genuine care for them. As a result, pupils behave well. They value these relationships and trust adults to help with any problems that might arise. This helps them to feel safe in school. Everyone in the ‘Stoke- on-Tern family’ is treated fairly and equally.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ambition for pupils is not limited to the classroom. There is a wide range of activities, experiences and enrichment that pupils take advantage of. They enjoy the wealth of opportunities that leaders have created for them. Pupils play an important part in creating a school where everyone is celebrated and valued. The school is determined that these experiences have a lasting impact for pupils when they leave Stoke-on-Tern.

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

The school has made some well-considered curriculum changes, built on the principle of ‘inclusion by design.’ These ensure that the most important things for pupils to learn are clearly identified. The curriculum is ambitious. It sets out the sequence of learning so that pupils can build their knowledge over time. However, in some subjects, teachers’ subject knowledge is not as secure, which means that the activities chosen are not always well matched to pupils’ needs. This means that the quality of work varies. As a result, pupils do not always make the progress that they are capable of.

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

Reading is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. Children learn to read as soon as they start school. The school ensures staff teach phonics consistently well. Pupils who need extra support get the help they need to keep up. This means that pupils quickly learn to read with fluency. The strong focus on reading continues throughout the school, where developing a passion for reading is a priority.

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

In reading, teaching effectively identifies gaps in pupils’ knowledge and addresses them. However, in other parts of the curriculum, the checks made on pupils’ understanding do not always accurately identify and address misconceptions and mistakes. When this happens, pupils do not secure the key knowledge as well as they could.

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

The school identifies and supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) very effectively. The school identifies individual needs quickly and accurately. It provides staff with the key information they need to help them to support these pupils. This means that support is put in place so that all pupils can access the same learning. 1 and 2 July 2025

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Children in the early years get off to a good start. In Nursery, children learn and follow the high expectations for their behaviour through the ‘Stoke-on-Tern Way’. The school has created a nurturing environment where everyone is welcome. Children develop important social skills such as sharing and taking turns. The curriculum prioritises their language and communication skills. Many children successfully learn to manage their feelings and emotions. This means children are happy, secure and well prepared for their next steps.

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The school works tirelessly to make sure that pupils experience a wide range of opportunities to build their character. Carefully chosen visits and visitors help to deepen pupils’ knowledge. Pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs and activities that encourage and nurture their talents and interests. These include coding club, ‘Little Troopers’ and ‘Pudding and Pie’. Pupils are active in the wider school community. For example, they run clubs for their peers or take part in the school council. The school supports pupils to develop a sense of responsibility as well as a sense of right and wrong. As a result, pupils are confident, caring and respectful.

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Staff value the steps that the school takes to support their well-being and workload. There is a strong sense of teamwork. Governors are well-informed and forward thinking. They are committed to providing the right balance of challenge and support. This means that their work is very effective. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive, typically saying, ‘This school has helped my children reach their goals and potential and build the belief they need in themselves to achieve great things.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some areas of the curriculum, teachers’ subject knowledge is not always secure. As a result, the activities chosen are not always well matched to pupils’ needs. This leads to variation in the quality of work pupils produce and how well pupils learn the knowledge that is taught. The school should ensure that all staff have the knowledge and skills they need to ensure that the delivery of the curriculum is of a consistently high quality.  Assessment is not used as effectively as it could be to identify and address misconceptions. As a result, gaps in pupils’ learning and mistakes are not always identified and addressed quickly enough. The school should develop a consistent approach in all subjects so that assessment informs teaching and supports pupil progress. 1 and 2 July 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). 1 and 2 July 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteachers Jen Brotherhood and Theresa Evans

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 February 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school operates a before- and after-school club.

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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 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.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and science. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the 1 and 2 July 2025

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curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors had formal meetings with the headteachers, subject leaders, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, the designated safeguarding lead and the leader responsible for early years.  The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body.  Inspectors met with members of staff and spoke to pupils formally and informally at various points in the inspection to gather general information about school life. They took account of responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the online staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors spoke informally with parents at the end of the school day.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans, records of governance and documentation relating to

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attendance and pupils’ behaviour.  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.

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Inspection team

Su Plant, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Madeleine Griffin Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 July 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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