Ofsted & SIAMS

Ofsted Inspection

In March 2023, St Mary’s took part in a Section 8 (ungraded) Ofsted inspection, which confirmed that the school continues to be a good school. Inspectors described St Mary’s as a welcoming and caring place where pupils feel safe, behave well and enjoy learning. They recognised the school’s high expectations, calm classrooms and broad curriculum that helps pupils develop curiosity, confidence and a love of reading. 

The report also highlights the positive relationships between staff and pupils, and the way older pupils take responsibility and act as role models for younger children. Pupils are encouraged to respect differences, care for others and develop the knowledge and skills they need for the next stage of their education. 

The full report can be accessed below or viewed on the Ofsted website. 

SIAMS Church School Inspection

St Mary’s, along with all church schools, takes part in an inspection additional to the Ofsted inspection. This inspection is known as the SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) and focuses on aspects of the school which make it distinctive as a church school.

The final report from our inspection states that the distinctiveness and effectiveness of St Mary’s School is GOOD.

You can download the full report below but some of the highlights include:

• Standards of teaching and learning in RE are consistently good as evidenced by the school’s own monitoring. 
• Assessment shows that pupils achieve in line with the age related expectations of the school’s RE syllabus and make good progress over time. 
• Recent changes in the teaching arrangements have raised the profile of RE as an academic, core subject. 
• The subject leader has a clear plan of action to further raise standards in RE through ensuring that all pupils, including the most able and those with special educational needs, are challenged appropriately in their learning.