St Mary's Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 22 November 2022

Pupils are taught to care about themselves and each other. They show respect and kindness to their peers and to staff. Pupils play together well. Older pupils support younger pupils at playtimes by organising games. They help younger pupils learn how to take turns and celebrate each other's achievements. Pupils say that bullying is rare. If they 'fall out' with their friends, staff listen and help them to develop their friendships. One parent's comment, typical of many, described the staff as being a 'supportive, kind and caring team'. Pupils take part in a wide range of enrichment activities. They appreciate the opportunity to attend after-school clubs, such as dance and football. Pupils keep fit by completing the daily mile. Educational trips help them experience life outside of school. Pupils' talents, interests and citizenship skills are nurtured well. For example, the chaplaincy team organise fundraising events for charity. Pupils are proud to represent their school at sporting events. Pupils are always keen to read with Alfie, the reading dog. They enjoy learning and attend school regularly. This positive attitude to school life begins in the early years.

What the school should improve

• Leaders have identified the essential knowledge they want pupils to know and remember. However, teachers have not implemented this consistently across some foundation subject curriculums. This means pupils do not always remember important concepts so are unable to build on prior learning and make connections between concepts taught. Subject leaders need to support staff to teach effectively the essential knowledge pupils must know and remember across foundation subject curriculums.

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