Our Lady and St Patrick's Catholic Primary School, Maryport

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 April 2025

Pupils are happy at this vibrant and nurturing school. They know that staff care for them and will support them when needed. This is reflected in the school's strong ethos. Pupils enjoy seeing their friends and their teachers each day. They understand and accept that people have many differences. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement. Pupils achieve well, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They are keen to showcase their learning. The school celebrates pupils' successes with a variety of assemblies, certificates, prizes and 'VIP' awards. Pupils enjoy a range of interesting activities at lunchtimes, such as active sports and clay modelling. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. Pupils typically conduct themselves well during lessons and around the school. They know how staff expect them to behave. The school offers plentiful opportunities that pupils might not otherwise experience. For example, they visit museums, theatres and places further afield, such as castles and cities. After-school clubs include sports, cooking, singing and football. Pupils take part in sports tournaments with other schools. They also learn to play musical instruments. These rich activities help to enhance pupils' social awareness and their academic learning.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, particularly where curriculums have been more recently established, staff have not had the time to fully address any shortfalls in pupils' prior learning. Because of this, some pupils have some gaps in the knowledge that they need to build future learning on. In these subjects, the school should ensure that these gaps are identified and addressed promptly, so that pupils can build future learning on a secure body of knowledge.
• The school's approach to supporting the accuracy of pupils' writing has not been as focused as it could be. Some pupils make regular mistakes in their written work. These errors are not consistently picked up on or remedied. The school should ensure that there is a consistent approach to the development of pupils' written fluency and accuracy.

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