St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils here are well cared for.

Their teachers are kind and supportive and listen to any concerns they may have. This assures pupils that they are kept safe.

The school sets high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

Pupils reflect these in their positive and respectful attitudes, both in and out of lessons. Pupils demonstrate the school's 'STAR' values throughout the school day. They listen well to their teachers and each other.

Pupils enjoy learning and find lessons interesting. Staff have high ambitions for everyone. Pupils rise to this by concentrating hard and trying their best.

Pupils are encouraged to explore new learning. Current work i...n books shows pupils are well supported to meet the aims of the curriculum.

Pupils participate in environmental projects.

For example, older pupils have worked with a local environmentalist, gathering plastics from the beach in front of their school grounds and learning about the impact of plastics in the ocean.

Pupils benefit from a range of clubs in sports, science, arts and gardening. They learn new skills and develop their interests.

They have meaningful opportunities to develop their leadership and teamwork skills through school council, reading buddy and house captain roles.

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

The school has successfully steered its way through a period of change and managed significant changes in staffing and curriculum leadership. Some of this turbulence has impacted on recent published outcomes.

However, leaders' swift and decisive actions have recently improved the curriculum. This is now well planned and taught. As a result, pupils are now achieving well across the curriculum.

From early years upwards, the school's curriculum is ambitious and builds and connects pupils' knowledge effectively over time. This helps teachers to know what to teach and when to teach it. However, in a few subjects, the checks on what pupils have learned are not designed precisely enough to ensure pupils can recall exactly the key detailed knowledge intended.

This oversight means that teachers are less clear as to the extent of gaps in pupils' knowledge and sometimes move on before learning is fully secure.

Pupils learn to read as soon as they join the Reception class. Teachers are well trained to ensure pupils in the younger years learn the sounds that letters make.

They ensure pupils can blend these sounds together to read words and sentences. Teachers make daily checks on how well pupils are learning to read. Younger pupils read books that help them practise the sounds they know and so are developing fluency.

The school provides swift and effective additional support for pupils who need to catch up. However, there are occasions where older pupils have books that are not well matched to their reading abilities. This is because the reading curriculum from Year 3 to Year 6 is less precise in identifying how reading knowledge builds once pupils have mastered phonics.

While pupils still achieve well in reading, this impacts on those older pupils who find reading trickier or those who could be accessing more-challenging texts.

The school carefully identifies how the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can be met. Where appropriate, staff make subtle adaptations to the curriculum, such as providing additional resources in mathematics.

This means that pupils with SEND successfully meet their specific learning targets.

Pupils behave respectfully. In early years, children learn to share, take turns and concentrate when listening to adults.

Reception children display resilience in their learning, for example when searching for pictures of animals in their outside area and recording the numbers found. Older pupils are polite and courteous. The school takes effective action to ensure pupils attend school.

The school has ensured that pupils' personal development is promoted well. Pupils understand tolerance and respect. They are accepting of each other's differences.

They learn about diversity through lessons, assemblies, trips and visits. They are taught to be active citizens through fundraising, raising awareness about climate change and supporting community events. Elections to the school council and eco-council firm their understanding of democracy.

They have a good awareness of other religions and cultures. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Governors and trustees hold leaders effectively to account for school improvement.

Trust leaders are instrumental in providing training for staff. This grows expertise and ensures staff are well supported to perform their roles well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The reading books chosen by older pupils are not always closely matched to their reading ability. This can hinder how well pupils catch up or means pupils are not extending their reading further. Teachers need to ensure that the reading curriculum is precise about the key reading knowledge older pupils need to know and that reading books to rehearse these skills are well matched to this curriculum.

• In a few subjects, checks on what pupils know and remember are not fully developed. This means that in these few subjects, staff cannot precisely identify whether pupils have fully secured the knowledge in the depth intended or if gaps remain. The school should ensure that it checks robustly how well pupils can recall the knowledge needed to meet the ambitious curriculum aims.