St Mary’s RC Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement Leaders and governors have not ensured that pupils make consistently strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

Standards in reading and mathematics are improving. Weaknesses in teaching writing mean that standards in this subject have declined. Leaders have improved teaching but historic weak practice from previous years leaves gaps in pupils' learning.

These are not being tackled swiftly enough to ensure that pupils catch up and reach expected standards at the end of Year 6. Leaders and governors make increasingly effective use of additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils. The progress of these pu...pils is improving in reading and mathematics but too few disadvantaged pupils reach the highest standards in any subject.

Leaders do not ensure that children in the early years make enough progress. The outdoor area presents too few opportunities for progress across a range of early learning goals. In the early years and key stage 1, books and reading materials are not always matched to children's levels of experience and understanding and this limits their progress towards fluency in reading.

Leaders and governors have not established a curriculum that supports pupils in making good progress across subjects in the wider curriculum, particularly in science, history, geography and Spanish. Leaders and governors do not ensure that pupils are aware of differences in sexual orientation. Consequently, pupils' understanding of these is limited.

The school has the following strengths Leaders care for vulnerable pupils and their families very well and maintain strong working relationships with outside support agencies. Attendance has improved, including that of disadvantaged pupils. Pupils' behaviour is good.

Most are keen to learn and disruption in lessons is rare. Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress from their starting points.

Information about this school

St Mary's is smaller than the average-sized primary school.

Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below the national average, as is the proportion who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils who receive SEND support is below the national average.

The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding is above the national average. Pupil numbers have declined over time and this has led to some turbulence in staffing and to financial constraints. Currently, there is stability in the staffing arrangements.