St Michael and All Angels Catholic Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 6 May 2026

Since the last inspection, the school has experienced significant turbulence in staffing and leadership. Frequent changes have disrupted routines and slowed improvement. Leaders have taken positive steps, but improvements are not consistent across the school. Pupils experience a welcoming and caring school community. Positive relationships are evident between adults and those who attend. At the start of the day, staff greet everyone warmly. They help pupils to feel safe and valued as part of the school. The school’s ethos naturally shapes daily life through reflection time, assemblies, and the everyday actions of pupils and staff. Pupils enjoy positive social times that strengthen relationships. Throughout the day, they feel valued as individuals. In classrooms, many pupils settle quickly and try hard with their work. They often show pride when expectations are clear and routines are secure. However, pupils’ learning experiences vary between classes and subjects. Many pupils complete tasks but struggle to recall earlier learning. At times, activities focus on completing tasks rather than building understanding. Pupils sometimes move on before securing essential knowledge. Basic skills are not always corrected carefully or consistently. This slows pupils’ progress and limits confidence in their work. Pupils move around the school with confidence. Many appreciate the calm and respectful atmosphere that adults promote. They know who to go to for help. They trust that staff will listen to them and take their concerns seriously. Pupils recognise the importance of attending school. Nevertheless, some do not attend as regularly as they should. This means they miss important learning and experiences. Beyond lessons, pupils enjoy friendships and lively playtimes. They take pride in roles such as school councillors and playground leaders. Pupils value trips and visitors, like residential visits and library outings. They also enjoy clubs, such as sports and creative activities after school. These experiences help pupils feel part of the school community. They build confidence and strengthen pupils’ sense of belonging.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure greater consistency in the delivery of the curriculum so that activities are carefully matched to the intended learning, enabling pupils to learn, remember and apply the knowledge and skills they are taught.
• Leaders should support staff to use assessment more precisely so that they identify and address gaps in pupils’ understanding, take account of pupils’ starting points, and adapt teaching effectively so that learning builds securely over time.
• Leaders should support staff to raise expectations of pupils’ foundational skills, particularly in writing, so that pupils develop accuracy, fluency and pride in their work.
• Leaders should use attendance information to identify patterns and trends, especially for vulnerable groups, and ensure that strategies are evaluated rigorously so that they lead to sustained improvements over time.
• In the early years, leaders should improve the quality of adult-child interactions and ensure that provision supports children to develop secure foundations across all areas of learning.
• Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that improvement strategies are sufficiently precise in addressing weaknesses in teaching. They should monitor the impact of their actions rigorously so that improvements are embedded quickly and consistently across the school.

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