St. Matthew’s has improved rapidly over recent years. As a Church school, the school receives both Ofsted and SIAMS church school inspections. St Matthew’s is graded as good by Ofsted (June 2022) and Living Up to its Foundation: Meaning the school successfully embodies its Christian vision, fostering a positive environment where pupils and adults flourish spiritually, morally, socially, and academically SIAMS (February 2024). Both recent reports can be found on this page along with links to other useful inspection information. More information can also be found at our Ofsted Portal.
Since our last inspection in June 2022, there have been many changes both within the school and within our understaning of the wider world. We have also seen the introduction of a new Ofsted framework, which puts a bigger emphasis on the inclusion and quality of education. This is why I am especially proud of everyone involved in our school family – children, staff, parents/carers, volunteers, governors – for the way in which they have continued to strive for the very best, despite the challenges we may have faced as a smaller school.
I am sure you will agree that within both reports there is high praise for our children who “live up to the school motto, ‘let your light shine’, and thoroughly enjoy learning with their friends.” We were, and continue to be, so proud of our children who embody our school values, work hard and enjoy coming to school.
We are very proud of both reports. It is the outcome of a thorough inspection, in which all views shared were triangulated with several pieces of evidence. The inspector has managed to capture our commitment to reading, the ways in which we support children with SEND to thrive, our children’s positive behaviour and the fact children feel safe and loved in our school.
Within the report there are two main areas for improvement, namely the development of subject leadership and assessment of all subjects, both of which will be incorporated into the school improvement plan for 2025-26, and we are confident that we can soon meet these targets for the benefit of all in our school family.
School Improvement
St. Matthew’s is highly ambitious for our children and school family. Each year we set priorities for school improvement based on an evaluation of the previous year. Below is our school improvement summary which shows our priorities for this year:
