St Mary’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Key findings

This is an outstanding school. Its success is based on ambitious leadership at all levels, from the determined headteacher, through a highly cohesive staff team, to a challenging governing body.

The excellent teaching of a rich curriculum to highly motivated pupils leads to their outstanding achievement and spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development. The school lives its mission statement on a daily basis, so that pupils thrive in a harmonious family atmosphere in which they know how much they are all valued. Pupils make rapid progress and attainment is well above average by the end of Year 6.

The recent attention paid to improving writing, particularly for the more-able boys, is reapi...ng dividends, as is the action taken to increase the proportion of pupils working at levels above those expected in mathematics. Pupils apply their mathematical skills very well when solving problems, but are less secure when faced with open-ended investigational tasks. Pupils learn in a purposeful and very stimulating environment.

Lessons grab their imagination quickly and drive learning forward at pace. Teaching is pitched carefully to meet each individual's needs and provides challenge for pupils at all levels. Pupils of all ages are tremendous ambassadors for the school through their outstanding behaviour and exceptionally positive attitudes to learning.

This and the care and consideration they show for others help to generate a happy family atmosphere in which the pupils' learning and development can thrive. There is a continual drive to improve teaching and learning, through carefully checking classroom performance. Leaders at all levels are highly reflective and contribute significantly to the carefully planned actions to improve teaching.

All have high expectations and are ambitious for what the pupils can achieve.

Information about the school

Half of the pupils are from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds in this average-sized school. One-third of the pupils speak English as an additional language and some are at an early stage of learning English.

This represents a significant increase in recent years. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is average and rising. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.

Their needs are mostly associated with speech, language and communication. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in a Nursery and a Reception class. The school has received the Basic Skills Quality Mark.

The school meets the current floor standards, which set the government's minimum expectations for attainment and progress. A breakfast and after-school club uses the school's premises. This provision is not managed by the governing body and, as such, is inspected separately.

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