St Mary's Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 January 2023

Pupils are happy and enjoy coming to school. Parent, staff and pupil questionnaire responses endorse that pupils feel safe. This is because pupils are well cared for by staff. Leaders' ambition to ensure that all pupils achieve well is realised. Children get off to a strong start in learning to read, write and count in the early years. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), attain at a high level in English and mathematics in all year groups. This is because these subjects are planned and delivered effectively. However, what pupils learn in some other subjects and areas of learning is less well-sequenced and developed. Pupils behave well. They are polite and well-mannered, and they work hard. They have a firm understanding and appreciation of differences. Pupils show respect and tolerance towards others from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. Although the school community has changed over time, everyone is treated equally and made to feel welcome. Pupils know the difference between bullying and isolated incidents of unkind behaviour. They know why bullying is wrong and the importance of reporting it. Leaders act swiftly to address any early issues to prevent potential bullying from escalating.

What the school should improve

• Leaders have not ensured that the curriculum is coherently sequenced in some areas of learning and in some foundation subjects. As a result, pupils' learning is sometimes disjointed and not embedded. Leaders should ensure that there is clear progression of skills and knowledge in these subjects so that pupils achieve as well as they do in English and mathematics.
• Leaders, including governors, have not reviewed their own effectiveness as well as they could. This has reduced their ability to identify, and rectify, weaknesses in some areas of the curriculum and maintain the momentum of school improvement. Leaders should ensure that they are proactive in validating their work, for example through seeking opportunities to collaborate with other professionals, or learn from advancements in curriculum thinking in order to further improve pupil achievement in all subject areas.

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