St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Marnhull

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 May 2023

Pupils enjoy attending this inclusive school. They live out the school's deep-rooted values of respect, compassion, forgiveness, and tolerance. They say this is a place where 'we make lots of friends and everyone is accepting.' Leaders thoughtfully use pupils' experiences and interests to provide an effective curriculum. They use the features of the local area to make learning meaningful. As a result, pupils become interested and confident learners who achieve well. Parents rightly say that their children are safe and well cared for. They too feel supported by staff, who regularly communicate about their children and tell them how they can help with learning at home. Pupils say that although there has been some bullying in the past, this is not an issue now. They know that leaders watch this closely and provide support for pupils who fall out. Pupils recognise that everyone makes mistakes and that everyone holds different opinions and viewpoints. They place high importance on saying sorry and forgiving others when they get it wrong, recognising that 'guilt isn't nice'. Leaders provide opportunities that help pupils to develop a range of interests and a sense of responsibility. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about clubs that they attend, such as sports, drama and eco club. They help others in need by regularly fundraising for charity.

What the school should improve

• Pupils do not accurately or consistently apply their knowledge of spelling and punctuation. As a result, pupils' written work across the curriculum does not reflect their understanding of these features. Leaders need to ensure that teachers raise their expectations of pupils' writing across all subjects so that all pupils apply what they know consistently and accurately across the curriculum.
• The curriculum for personal development does not systematically teach pupils about the fundamental British values. Consequently, pupils do not develop a sufficient understanding of these. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum is explicitly and systematically designed to teach fundamental British values so that it matches pupils' deeper understanding of faith and belief and that they are better prepared for life in modern Britain.

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