St Mary's Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 November 2023

This is a school with a family feel. Staff know the pupils really well. There is a strong sense of pastoral care, which parents and carers value immensely. The school has high expectations for every pupil and support them to be the best they can be. Leaders at all levels, supported by staff, are constantly striving to improve the quality of education that pupils experience. There is also a focus on developing the 'whole child' to prepare pupils for life after St Mary's. The school has established links with the local community, which gives pupils a sense of belonging in their local area. Pupils are exceptionally polite. They greet visitors with a smile and make them feel welcome. Pupils get along with each other. There is a calm atmosphere around the school and lots of laughter. In most instances, pupils listen well and focus on their work. On the playground, pupils enjoy playing with their friends, working out on the exercise equipment, or simply having a chat. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They value the information that the school shares with them about their children. In addition, they appreciate the visibility and caring nature of staff.

What the school should improve

• In some areas of learning, the early years curriculum does not set out the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that children will learn over time. Consequently, some learning activities do not fit into a well-ordered sequence of learning. The school should sequentially map out the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that children will learn in all areas of learning in the early years.
• In a small number of subjects, the school has not considered how the curriculum in Year 1 builds on what pupils have learned in the early years. This slows pupils' learning. The school should ensure that in all subjects, the curriculum in Year 1 builds on and links to what pupils have learned in the early years.
• The school is not using formative assessment consistently well to identify pupils' misconceptions and ensure that learning activities are matched to pupils' needs. As a result, misconceptions are not being routinely addressed and work set can be too easy or too difficult. The school should ensure that staff use formative assessment consistently well to identify pupil misconceptions and to inform the selection of learning activities.

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