St Mary's Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 July 2024

St Mary's Catholic Primary School is an inclusive and caring school. The school has high aspirations for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, to achieve their best possible outcomes. Pupils respond well to the school's high expectations and enjoy their learning. They benefit from a range of carefully planned experiences, such as the opportunity to visit the Royal Opera House. Pupils value learning how to keep themselves safe and benefit from weekly visits from the local police community support officer. Pupils can talk to any of the adults at school if anything is worrying them. Pupils are proud to be part of their school's diverse community. They like learning about different cultures, languages and faiths. One pupil said that, 'The best thing about my school is that we all treat each other equally, no matter how we look or what we believe.' Pupils really enjoy taking on extra responsibilities. These include being a school councillor or one of the school's 'peace makers'. Pupils are proud of their roles and the impact that they have on both the school and wider community. As one pupil explained, 'I enjoy helping to set up charity events and organising money and food donations for people who need it.'

What the school should improve

• Teachers currently use a range of different ways to check how well pupils remember what they have been taught. The frequency of these checks, and how teachers use the information they gather, varies. As a result, pupils' knowledge and understanding are not always secure. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment consistently and systematically to check pupils' understanding and inform their teaching.
• The quality of curriculum monitoring is not consistent across all subjects. In some areas, the arrangements for checking that the curriculum intent is implemented and having the desired impact are not secure. As a result, the school does not have a fully accurate overview of curriculum strengths and weaknesses. This limits opportunities for pupils to develop increasingly secure knowledge and skills in all areas. The school should ensure that there is consistent and accurate oversight of the curriculum, so that pupils know and remember more in all areas as they progress through the school.

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