Ofsted inspectors praise “family feel” at Sutton school but pupil achievement “needs attention”

St Mary Magdalene C of E Primary School received the ‘needs attention” standard for achievement and the ‘expected standard’ in all other areas including attendance and behaviour, inclusion and curriculum and teaching.

Speaking about achievement at the Springwood View Close, school in Sutton the report states: “Pupils' achievement at the end of key stage 2 is below where it should be for their age in reading and mathematics. This is also the case for disadvantaged pupils. This means that some pupils are not as well prepared for their next stages as they should be.

"Leaders are taking effective action to address this, and their work is bearing fruit in mathematics and reading.”

Inspectors found the school has a “family feel” and children benefit from a “curriculum that is broad and ambitious across all subjects.”

Inspectors said that children’s wellbeing is at the forefront of everything leaders do, commenting: “Children are nurtured, cared for and well looked after. By the end of the Reception Year, children are ready for Year 1 both academically and socially.”

The report states: “Pupils are happy and feel safe at this friendly, welcoming and nurturing Church of England school. They model the school's values of 'courage, love, honesty, respect and forgiveness'.

"Pupils feel a real sense of belonging here and are kind and accepting of one another. They behave well and say that bullying is rare and always dealt with.”

Children’s behaviour was praised by inspectors who said: “Pupils behave well and show respect to one another. The school takes a caring and supportive approach to managing pupils' behaviour.

"Staff understand that behaviour is often linked to how a pupil feels. They respond calmly and consistently, while maintaining their high expectations of pupils' behaviour. This ensures that there is an inclusive and respectful ethos across school.”

Sarah Pearson, Headteacher at the school said: “We are incredibly proud of this achievement, which reflects the dedication of our staff, the positive attitudes of our pupils, and the strength of our whole school community. While we celebrate this success, we remain ambitious for every child as we continue to build on these strong foundations together.

"We are extremely proud of our children for representing the school so positively as exemplary ambassadors during the Ofsted inspection. We look forward to building on this success in continued partnership with our supportive school community.”