St Michael and St Martin Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want to 'open up the world' for pupils at this school.

Pupils value immensely all of the rich learning that leaders and teachers provide for them. They also want to do positive things for the whole-school community. Leaders help them to do this by providing opportunities for leadership roles.

At breaktimes, for example, sports leaders run a range of activities for their peers to take part in. Digital leaders help to educate other pupils about online safety. Pupils take pride in the way that they contribute to school life.

Pupils excel in their learning. This is because leaders have high academic ambitions for all pupils, including those with special e...ducational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They have designed and implemented a rich and balanced curriculum to ensure that their aspirations are realised.

Parents and carers are very supportive of leaders' work to ensure that the school provides a high-quality education for every pupil.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. In lessons, pupils work together to support the learning of each other.

Pupils are taught to be resilient in their approach to learning. This helps them to be successful in mastering the ambitious curriculum.

Pupils are happy, and they enjoy coming to school.

Leaders, teachers and staff all work together to ensure that pupils are kept safe.

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

Leaders have put in place a highly ambitious curriculum for all subjects, including early reading. Curriculum thinking in each subject is driven by subject leaders' determination that pupils will learn and remember a rich and detailed body of knowledge.

In places, this exceeds the expectations of the national curriculum.

Leaders ensure that the curriculum is delivered effectively. They do this by providing an extensive programme of professional development for all teachers.

Teachers value this. They were particularly positive about the way guidance and training is well tailored to their individual needs.

A particularly successful aspect of the curriculum is the way that it enables pupils to build up and deepen their knowledge in small steps.

This starts in the early years. For example, children in Nursery begin to use sources to find out more about the world around them, such as when they learned about the Chinese New Year. This provides them with strong foundations to build on when they study history in Years 1 to 6.

Pupils are able to use sources confidently to support their learning about what happened in the past, including significant events such as the Second World War. This includes, for example, considering the reliability of what different sources tell them.

Teachers use a variety of strategies in lessons to ensure that pupils are learning and remembering the curriculum.

Assessment is expertly used to identify any gaps in pupils' knowledge. Leaders and teachers then use this information to adjust how the curriculum is taught. They make sure that all pupils' knowledge is developing very successfully.

Leaders' have developed a thorough and precise approach to early reading, including phonics. Reading is prioritised and at the forefront of all that takes place in the school. Children begin to learn phonics from day one at the school, in Reception.

They learn and practise sounds step by step. Any difficulties in learning to read, no matter how small, are identified swiftly. Well-planned extra help enables pupils to speedily catch up.

Leaders for all subjects ensure that there is an explicit focus on vocabulary. Staff help pupils to love reading. Pupils eagerly describe the books that they have enjoyed reading.

Leaders and staff quickly identify pupils with SEND. They put in place well-targeted plans to ensure that these pupils succeed in their learning. Leaders, teachers and parents work together closely to ensure that pupils with SEND are well supported.

Pupils behave in an excellent manner. Children are taught about behaviour expectations as soon as they start in early years. Leaders and teachers all have the same consistent high standards.

Pupils are supported to be resilient when learning and to not give up when they find a task difficult. They are confident and polite. Older pupils support younger ones with kindness.

For example, they help them to find their way around the school.

Leaders provide very high-quality opportunities for pupils' personal development. They have identified which experiences pupils might not routinely get outside of school and woven these experiences through the personal development provision.

For example, educational visits to museums and taking part in sports teams are prioritised and carefully planned. Leaders check pupils' participation in these activities, and they ensure that all pupils are able to access them.

The personal, social and health education (PSHE) programme is carefully designed to ensure that pupils receive age-appropriate information about healthy friendships and relationships.

Pupils also learn about fundamental British values, both through the PSHE curriculum and in lessons for subjects like history.

Leaders continually look to improve opportunities for the professional development of staff. Leaders also carefully consider the well-being of their staff team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that there is a strong culture of safeguarding at the school. Regular training is delivered to staff to ensure that they know how to identify any potential concerns and that they are then able to correctly report them.

Leaders work closely with the local authority and other external agencies to ensure that appropriate support is in place for families and pupils when it is needed.

Pupils spoke about how the PSHE programme of lessons and assemblies helps them to learn about keeping themselves safe, including when they are online. Pupils know that there is a trusted adult at school who they can speak to if they are worried about something.