St Mary’s Catholic School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St Mary's is a very special community to be part of. The school provides an environment that enables its pupils to flourish in a caring, safe and inclusive setting. Pupils and staff alike describe the school community as feeling 'like a family'.

Pupils are confident that they can talk to adults about their worries and know that they will be taken seriously.

The school's expectations of pupils are consistently high. Pupils rise to this challenge.

As a result, pupils are welcoming to visitors. They speak respectfully to one another and adults. Equally, adults model the behaviours they expect of pupils.

Pupils feel included and celebrate difference. The...y can learn in a school that encourages them to be kind and well-mannered.

Students in the sixth form enjoy their education.

They feel their experience is broad and they have opportunities to extend and consolidate their knowledge. They very much feel part of the 'St Mary's family'.

Educational trips form a fundamental part of the school experience.

For example, pupils have the opportunity to visit Bletchley Park, New York and CERN. They also enjoy the chance to participate in activities and events that help to develop resilience and work as part of a team. These contribute to pupils building their confidence.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The quality of education pupils receive is exceptional. The curriculum is well-designed and commonly understood. Teachers have the expertise to deliver subject content highly effectively.

As a result, pupils achieve consistently highly in public examinations. Teachers create an environment which focuses on pupils by providing appropriate resources and encouragement. Teachers provide pupils with opportunities to recall and practise their knowledge.

Sixth-form students benefit from challenging subject content. Students enjoy the learning activities teachers provide. These enable students to actively engage with staff and their topics.

Typically, students' knowledge is checked frequently to ensure that gaps or misconceptions about their understanding are identified and addressed.

The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are met effectively, and consistently enable them to achieve highly. As a result, pupils with SEND learn well and produce high-quality work.

Increasingly, the needs of students with SEND in the sixth form are being met more forensically.

Reading is prioritised across the school. There is a thoughtful approach to engaging pupils in their reading.

Pupils who struggle to read are identified quickly. Appropriate support is provided to these pupils by well-trained staff. Pupils are encouraged to read widely and often.

This results in pupils becoming confident and fluent readers.

The culture of positive behaviour at St Mary's is remarkable. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary.

During lessons, pupils engage fully in their learning. They respond confidently to questions, work hard and produce written work that is of a high quality. During unstructured times, the school is a calm environment.

Pupils are universally polite, considerate and welcoming. Pupils attend school regularly because they enjoy, and benefit from, the high-quality education they receive. Sixth-form students act as positive role models to younger pupils.

This is a position they take seriously. They comment that they have greater independence and that they are well prepared for future study and/or employment.

Pupils benefit from an extensive range of extra-curricular activities.

In the sixth form, students benefit from a weekly enrichment session, which includes activities such as the Duke of Edinburgh's Award and extended project qualification. Careers provision for all key stages is a strength of the school. Pupils and students benefit from individualised advice, work experience and opportunities to engage with employers and local businesses.

Pupils study a broad personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum that supports further their wider personal development. However, some pupils do not have sufficient knowledge in some areas, leaving gaps in their understanding.

The energy, determination and tenacity of school leaders and the trust are bringing about effective and sustained improvements for pupils.

Opportunities for staff to engage in professional development activities are supporting this vision of excellence. The opportunities for parents to engage in the life of the school are increasingly frequent.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not delivered some aspects of the PSHE curriculum as strongly or effectively as many others. As a result, some pupils' knowledge of some areas of PSHE is less secure. The school should continue to review and evaluate the effectiveness of its new PSHE curriculum.