Great Result of Ofsted Inspection: Rated Good with Outstanding Behaviour and Attitudes
We are incredibly proud to share the fantastic outcomes of our recent Ofsted inspection, which took place on 10 and 11 June 2025. The results reflect the hard work and dedication of our entire school community!
What is it like to attend this school?
Mary Howard Church of England Primary School is described as a small school with a big heart that is central to the local community. Staff, pupils, and governors fully embrace the school’s motto, ‘grow and flourish’. Pupils are nurtured throughout their time here, and it is a school that everyone is rightly proud of.
The school has set high expectations for how pupils should behave, and pupils respond by behaving exceptionally well. They are consistently polite and respectful, listen very well in lessons, and show incredibly positive attitudes towards their learning. Pupils are kind and help each other during lessons and social times, with different ages playing happily together. Importantly, pupils feel very safe and well cared for.
What does the school do well?
• High Academic Standards and Curriculum: Most pupils achieve high standards in reading, writing, and mathematics, preparing them well for the next stage in their education. The curriculum is well structured with ambitious aims, and staff teach content clearly, expecting pupils to work hard. Teaching ensures pupils revisit and apply previous learning to secure important knowledge.
• Reading Priority: Reading is a high priority, with the phonics curriculum taught effectively by knowledgeable staff who address misconceptions quickly. Pupils read widely and often, and those needing to catch up receive extra phonics lessons, leading to most pupils becoming confident, fluent readers by the end of Year 1.
•Exceptional Behaviour and Attitudes: As highlighted, pupils behave exceptionally well, showing politeness, respect, and positive attitudes towards learning.
•Strong Personal Development: Curriculum enrichment is important, with pupils visiting museums and places of interest. Older pupils take part in outdoor activities during an annual residential. They learn to stay physically healthy and participate in sporting competitions. Pupils understand fundamental British values like democracy, care about fairness, and show respect for differences. They benefit from personalised well-being support and actively develop their sense of citizenship through community involvement and fundraising.
•Quality Early Years Provision: The early years environment is calm and purposeful with well-established routines. Children demonstrate very positive learning behaviours, showing high levels of independence and confidence, and cooperating well. They achieve well and are ready for the next stage in their education.
•Effective Support and Attendance: The school is quick to accurately identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and seeks external advice when necessary. High attendance rates are sustained, with no pupil groups disadvantaged by poor attendance.
•Strong Leadership and Staff Well-being: Our Executive Headteacher, Rachel Mills, leads with vision, supported by Charlene Gethin, CEO of The Staffordshire Schools Multi Academy Trust, and Co-Chairs of the board of trustees, Kevin Borg and Peter Halifax. Trustees and the local governing committee know their roles well and hold leaders accountable for pupils' achievement. Staff report that their well-being is prioritised and their workload is well managed.
What does the school need to improve?
The inspection identified a few areas for continued development, which we are already addressing:
•Addressing Knowledge Gaps: In some subjects, identified gaps in pupils’ knowledge are sometimes not addressed consistently, which affects how well pupils achieve in these subjects. The school needs to ensure these gaps are fully addressed.
•Adapting Curriculum for SEND: For some pupils with SEND, the curriculum is not always adapted successfully to meet their needs, meaning some may not achieve as well as they could. The school needs to ensure staff adapt the curriculum effectively to support pupils with SEND.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding were found to be effective. Inspectors reviewed the single central record, considered the views of leaders, staff, and pupils, and assessed how the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that prioritises pupils’ interests. They also observed informal times of the day to evaluate safeguarding
Ofsted Parent View gives you the chance to tell Ofsted what you think of your child’s school, including: - how happy your child is at the school - how the school manages bullying or challenging behaviour If your child has special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), we will ask how well the school supports them. The questionnaire can be completed at any time - you don’t have to wait until the school is being inspected. We will use your responses to help us plan inspections. The information you provide can: - inform discussions inspectors have with school leaders during an inspection - help Ofsted decide when to inspect a school In addition to this, we also publish the overall summary of the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This information is anonymised.
