St Mary's Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 September 2023

Pupils at St. Mary's Catholic Primary School behave with genuine respect for adults and each other. All pupils are nurtured and valued, making their school day enjoyable. Pupils say 'everyone is welcome' and are proud to be part of the school community. From the early years, pupils respond well to teachers' high expectations of what they can achieve. This means behaviour in class is consistently calm and learning is not disturbed. Pupils thoroughly enjoy working together to help and support each other. They listen attentively in lessons and contribute enthusiastically. Pupils are keen to succeed because their efforts and achievements are routinely celebrated. The school ensures that pupils learn the importance of supporting others in the local community. They make tangible contributions through charitable events, fundraising and designing artwork for the local area.

What the school should improve

• The opportunities for children to participate in clubs, trips and activities do not extensively enrich the personal development of all pupils. Leaders should ensure that they plan a wide and rich set of opportunities for pupils to learn more about themselves, others and the world around them. This will further help pupils to broaden their horizons and develop their own talents and interests.
• In some areas of the curriculum, learning relies more on children choosing activities rather than systematic teaching of the small steps of learning they need. This means children may miss some aspects of learning in these areas. The small steps of learning should be more precisely considered and taught across all areas, as they are in literacy and mathematics.

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