Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 April 2023

The school's mantra of 'Christ at the centre, children at the heart' is securely lived out at this school. Children are wholly at the centre of all the school's work. Staff foster positive relationships with parents, carers and the wider community through, for example, offering food parcels and assistance with travel to school. This directly benefits the pupils. Leaders have the highest of ambition for all pupils, both in their learning and behaviour. The school rules of 'ready, respectful, safe' are securely embedded. A new behaviour policy is having a positive impact. Pupils demonstrate an enthusiasm for being in school, which is evident in their commitment to consistently meet adults' expectations. Pupils are safe, happy and enjoy coming to school. They are caring, considerate and supportive of one another. Pupils know that bullying will not be tolerated. They know that there are trusted adults in school who they can talk to if they have any worries. Children in the early years benefit from positive relationships with adults, which enables them to thrive and flourish as they begin their educational journey. There is a range of opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests. Educational visits are used to enhance pupils' knowledge and skills, for example a residential visit to the Youth Village and a visit to the Great North Museum: Hancock to learn more about the ancient Egyptians.

What the school should improve

• A new curriculum has recently been introduced for some foundation subjects. As such, the transition from one curriculum design to another has led to some gaps in pupils' knowledge. Leaders must ensure that measures are put in place to fill these gaps and then fully embed the new curriculum.
• The early years outdoor learning environment is not sufficiently developed to reflect the early years curriculum. This means that some of the children's needs, such as independent exploration of the natural world and development of gross motor skills, are not fully met. Leaders should ensure that the outdoor environment is developed further so that the early years curriculum can be fully delivered.

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