St Mary’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The headteacher leads his team with integrity. He has an acute understanding of the many strengths of the school. His transparent and open approach means that aspects that require further work are tackled with a determination and drive to serve pupils and children well.

The strong Catholic ethos and wide-ranging curriculum on offer support pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. Pupils show a deep respect and kindness for one another. There is a strong sense of 'family' and 'belonging' here.

Middle and phase leaders make a positive contribution. Their work is beginning to have a notable impact on raising pup...ils' achievement. However, there are some inconsistencies in teachers' expectations of what pupils can achieve across classes in the same year group.

Leaders' checks on teaching have not yet remedied this discrepancy in full. Teachers' assessments are accurate. Pupils make good progress over time.

However, on occasions teachers do not adjust their teaching so that it is closely matched to pupils' and children's needs. Some pupils with previously average or high attainment are not challenged sufficiently to achieve their full potential. Pupils are motivated and excited by their learning and are proud of their achievements.

The teaching of mathematics is consistently strong. Pupils use and apply their knowledge to reason and problem solve with confidence. The additional funding for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and the pupil premium fund are spent precisely on addressing pupils' learning and emotional needs.

As a result, these pupils make good progress over time in reading. The teaching of writing is typically good. However, in a few classes, pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to practise and apply their writing.

As a result, some pupils do not write with the complexity, cohesion and accuracy expected for their age. The teaching of phonics does not consistently deal with pupils' misconceptions. This hinders a few pupils' ability to catch up quickly and use the phonic code to read with the accuracy and fluency.

Pupils enjoy school; their behaviour is consistently good. Parents are very positive about the education their children receive. Governors have ensured that pupils attain exceptionally well by the end of key stage 2.

However, their work to ensure that pupils are challenged in every year group is too recent to have a discernible impact.

Information about this school

St Mary's Catholic Primary School is a single academy trust. It opened as an academy in 2011.

On 5 January 2019 the academy changed its age range to accommodate nursery-age children. The school is part of Clifton Diocesan Education Consortium. The school is designated as having religious character and received a section 48 inspection in June 2015.

The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average. The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with SEND or who are supported by an education, health and care plan is below average.