Our Lady’s Catholic Primary School, Barnstaple

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders have successfully tackled the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. Leaders effectively promote pupils' mental health and well-being. Pupils feel valued and know whom to talk to if they have any concerns.

Pupils enjoy school and attend well. Mathematics is a strength. Staff provide suitably challenging learning for all pupils.

Governors and representatives from the trust know precisely how well the school is performing. They provide meaningful challenge for school leaders, based on precise information about pupils' progress. Foundation subject leaders are enthusiastic about improving standards in their subje...cts, but this work is in its early stages.

They have strong leaders around them to support them in achieving this aim. Current pupils make strong progress in writing. The new approach to teaching writing is embedding well.

However, while teaching is mostly good, the challenge for higher attaining pupils is not yet consistent across the school. The early years outdoor provision is an awkward space for staff to manage. They work tirelessly to overcome this.

However, there are times when children access activities that are not well matched to their emerging needs. Leaders, at all levels, accurately evaluate the school's performance. Their improvement priorities are based on robust and accurate monitoring.

Early years provides children with a strong start to their school life. Over time, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development has been higher than national averages. Pupils make strong progress, particularly in reading and mathematics.

In recent years, key stage 2 pupils' progress has been significantly above national averages in these subjects. Physical education (PE) is an important pillar of the school's curriculum. Pupils access high-quality lessons and some further their development outside school.

Safeguarding across the school is effective, recruitment checks are robust, and staff have the training they need to maintain pupils' welfare. Staff across the school share leaders' vision for improvement. Staff feel valued, particularly through the principal's efforts to reduce workload.

Staff are effective in promoting pupils' progress. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make strong progress. However, on occasions, targets lack precision and pupils have few opportunities to improve.

Information about this school

The school is part of the Plymouth CAST multi-academy trust. The school is in the top 20% of all schools for the proportion of pupils who require SEN support. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is in line with national averages.

In 2017, the school extended to accommodate for children of Nursery age. This was an amalgamation of a setting that was already operating on the school site. The school's most recent section 48 report was in March 2015.