St Monica’s RC Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Monica's RC Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school are friendly, safe and happy. The school provides them with many opportunities to build their interests and independence. Pupils appreciate this and enjoy school as a result.

Staff treat pupils with kindness and take the time to understand their needs. There are many ways pupils contribute to the school and wider community including taking on leadership roles. For example, they proudly partner with charities and pupils raise funds and then take donations of food to the local food bank for the benefit o...f others.

Leaders are ambitious for their pupils. They expect them to become fluent readers, capable mathematicians and to use advanced vocabulary. This is evident when speaking with pupils who can confidently explain what they know and understand.

All pupils including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can access the same learning. Pupils are given appropriate work that matches the high expectations of the curriculum and many pupils achieve well by the time they complete Year 6.

Pupils' attitudes in class are positive and respectful.

They show an interest in the topics they are being taught because they are keen to learn. Teachers trust them to complete tasks and pupils are in established routines that lead to a productive learning atmosphere.

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

The school's leaders are swift to identify and respond to any gaps in the quality of education on offer.

They have recently strengthened the school's approach to teaching pupils to read. This includes additional help for those who need it and working with parents to extend this effort at home. Staff have been well trained in their subject areas and provide a consistent learning experience to pupils that builds on what they know.

Teachers prioritise ensuring that pupils can explain what they have learned. For example, in history pupils correctly use subject specific vocabulary when discussing artefacts of the Mayan civilization or 'Caliphs' of the Abbasid Empire. Pupils with SEND are able to learn to the same level as their peers.

This is as a result of well-chosen resources and the proactive way that the school identifies who to help and how.

Pupils are encouraged to discuss their thinking with each other from a young age. They show high levels of oracy and are confident speakers.

In the early years, they share their ideas by taking turns when speaking and listening to one another. Children respond well to the clear behaviour routines and expectations that are in place.

The school has an ambitious curriculum in place for pupils.

They learn and remember the curriculum well across many subjects. This is because teachers take the time to remind pupils of their prior learning. In mathematics pupils are taught to calculate challenging computations with accuracy.

However, pupils struggle to apply this knowledge to problems. They sometimes use an incorrect approach which is not consistently corrected. This then leads to pupils developing misconceptions.

In the classroom pupils behave with maturity and focus on their learning. They are calm and attentive, following the instructions of adults. This starts in the early years, where pupils learn and enjoy the routine of the day.

It is rare to see lessons disrupted and the clear high expectations of staff are well understood by pupils. Outside of lessons pupils usually play well together and make the most of activities that the school arranges. At lunchtime, a strong team of pupil leaders ensure that younger pupils feel integrated and have someone to talk to.

However, a small number of pupils do not follow the school's high behaviour expectations during break and lunchtimes. When this happens, physical and immature behaviour sometimes occurs.

The school has put in place a rich and effective offer for pupils' personal development.

The curriculum for relationships and health education (RHE) is built upon by a broader offer from the school. Pupils learn about other cultures and events in the world alongside knowing the notion of voting and democracy, for example. Opportunities such as the Forest School are provided to all pupils where they learn about safety and positive mental health.

The school organises many lunchtime and after school clubs including a choir, netball, gardening, cooking club, football, gymnastics, chess and a magic club. Pupils participate well and enjoy the new interests that they can explore.

Staff value the positive working environment that exists and the impact this has on their well-being.

They appreciate the open communication and support available to them. Those responsible for governance understand their school well, holding leaders to account to drive swift improvement and keep pupils safe.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• At times, pupils struggle to apply the mathematical procedures they have learned. These errors are not consistently identified and this leads to gaps in their conceptual understanding. The school should ensure that pupils are able to correctly select and apply the methods they have learned so that they can problem solve successfully, and therefore demonstrate their conceptual understanding.

• Sometimes, the behaviour of a few pupils does not meet the school's high expectations. This means that low-level incidents can occur during playtimes. The school should reinforce its expectations and ensure that pupils consistently meet the standards set by the school's behaviour policy.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in July 2015.