English Martyrs’ Catholic Voluntary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

This school has improved significantly since it was last inspected. It is now a good school in most respects. It has focused determinedly on improving the quality of teaching and learning with considerable success.

The headteacher is particularly skilled at coaching staff, so that they develop good practice in teaching and perform as confident leaders and managers in their areas of responsibility. Her precision in making astute judgements about the quality of teaching and learning underpins the impressive shift in performance. Adults have a delightful rapport with the pupils and create a positive climate for productive learning in classrooms.

Effective teaching coupled with pupils' good behav...iour and attitudes are the striking features influencing their good achievement. Attainment is broadly average but a pattern of improvement is evident. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well and make good progress from their starting points.

The most-able pupils are the group that has yet to excel. A carefully-structured and innovative curriculum meets the needs of almost all groups of pupils. It captures their interests and fires their enthusiasm to learn.

However, the more-able pupils are capable of taking on a higher level of challenge and difficulty, especially in English and mathematics. At all levels leadership and management demonstrate ambition and drive to move the school forward. Self-evaluation is accurate but centred too strongly around provision rather than pupils' learning.

Plans for improvement, although fit for purpose, lack a similar focus and timescales are generally too broad to effect change rapidly. The governing body understands its statutory responsibilities and ensures that they are met. Nonetheless, monitoring of policies, systems and procedures to promote pupils' health, safety and welfare is insufficiently rigorous.

Firm foundations have been laid for the federation with staff realising its potential and keen to develop partnership work. Initiatives, such as sharing leadership roles, are in the early stages of development and it is too soon to measure their impact. Areas for improvement identified in the school's last inspection have been tackled systematically and effectively: the school's overall effectiveness has moved from satisfactory to good as a result.

The school demonstrates its good capacity to improve by its good track record in improving provision and outcomes for pupils.

Information about the school

This school is smaller than the average primary school. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage; a very small minority speaks English as an additional language.

The proportions of pupils eligible for free school meals and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are below national averages. The number of pupils joining or leaving the school during the school year is higher than is typical nationally. Pupils in Key Stage 2 are taught in mixed-age classes covering two year groups.

A hard federation with Saint Augustine's Catholic Primary School in Stamford was formed in January 2011. The headteacher spends equal time between both schools which share one governing body. The school has achieved the Activemark and Healthy Schools status.