Montreal CofE Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 February 2025

Pupils are polite and kind-hearted. They forge strong friendships with each other. Pupils develop a respectful confidence which is shown through the positive interactions that they have with staff. They benefit from the nurturing environment provided by the school. Children in the early years settle quickly. Pupils are happy. The school has high aspirations for pupils' achievement. However, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school has not ensured that pupils benefit sufficiently well from the school's academic curriculum. Pupils enjoy taking part in a range of clubs such as sports, dance, board games and bingo. The school provides pupils with opportunities to take on responsibilities. For example, leading class assemblies and acting as buddies for younger children. Children in the early years celebrate festivals from around the world, such as Chinese New Year. The school ensures that pupils access a number of trips, including outdoor adventurous activities. These experiences help pupils to become resilient and independent young people. Pupils live up to the high expectations that the school has for their behaviour and attendance. They value the awards and recognition that they receive from the school as 'stars of the week' and 'golden champions'.

What the school should improve

• At times, staff design activities that do not help pupils to develop a secure knowledge of the subjects that they study. This prevents some pupils from achieving as well as they could. The school should ensure that it supports staff to design learning activities that prepare pupils well for each step in their education.
• Staff do not routinely check what pupils have learned and remembered. As a result, errors and misconceptions go unnoticed and persist over time. The school should ensure that staff check pupils' understanding and address any misconceptions, enabling them to secure key knowledge and tackle more complex learning.
• The school's expectations for pupils' early writing are not sufficiently ambitious. This means that pupils have not developed the appropriate foundations that they need for their written communication by the time they leave Year 2. This hinders pupils' writing fluency and communication as they move through the curriculum. The school should ensure that there is an increased emphasis on building pupils' writing skills so that pupils are well-equipped to develop their learning across the curriculum.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)