Mixed news in school’s report

A South Holland Primary School requires improvement, according to its latest Ofsted report.

Pupils at St Mary’s Church of England Primary School do not make good enough progress, the inspection body say.

The report, published this week, says the school requires improvements in three out of five key areas.

But pupils get off to a good start in the early years and their conduct is very good, the inspector found.

The school only has 62 children on the roll, making it a small school and the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than the national average.

“Since the last inspection, the school has experienced a turbulent time as there has been a high turnover of staff. However, currently, the staffing situation is settled,” says the report.

It requires improvement in the effectiveness of leadership and management; quality of teaching, learning and assessment and outcomes for pupils.

But it was rated good in early years provision and personal development, behaviour and welfare.

“Teachers do not consistently plan work that challenges the most able and supports the least able pupils. Some pupils complete the same work regardless of their ability, particularly in mathematics,” said lead inspector Peter Stonier.

“There is a warm and friendly feel to the school. Staff know pupils and their families extremely well.

Parents unanimously recommend the school to other parents,” he said.

In terms of leadership and management, the report says both leaders and the governing body have been unsuccessful in ensuring that pupils in Key Stage 2 make enough progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

“In some pupils’ workbooks, standards of handwriting and presentation deteriorate during the year,” it adds.

There is praise for the teaching assistants in the report and they are described as a ‘strength’.

“They help to promote pupils’ independence by allowing some activities to be completed by the pupil, without adult support.

“They are skilled in asking questions that help to deepen pupils’ thinking,” says the report.

“Pupils are knowledgeable regarding the school’s values of perseverance, trust, responsibility, forgiveness, compassion and respect. Pupils understand the meanings of these values and are rewarded in assemblies for displaying the attributes of a value during the week,” adds the inspector.

In 2017 and 2018 the proportion of pupils leaving key stage 2 with the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, was well below the national average and last year none of them achieved the higher standard in any subject.