St Margaret Mary’s RC Primary School Manchester

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school. Pupils' progress has improved significantly over the past three years and their attainment by the end of Year 6 is above average and, on occasions, well above. This demonstrates outstanding achievement given children's starting points on entry to the Nursery class.

In the outstanding Early Years Foundation Stage, children are already adept at working independently and finding things out for themselves. Across the rest of the school, pupils read and write with confidence and accuracy. In mathematics, they have mastered a range of methods to complement their already impressive calculation skills.

Teaching is outstanding in all key ...stages. Teachers plan work and activities in class which get the best out of their pupils. Pupils learn rapidly and with enjoyment.

Those who sometimes find the work difficult are supported exceptionally well by the excellent team of support assistants. In all classes, there are excellent relationships between pupils and between pupils and the adults who work with them. Staff are now working hard to ensure that the sharing of good and exemplary classroom practice is further embedded across the school.

In the words of pupils, 'We are very proud of our school because we always get chances to show what we can do.' Pupils are very keen to learn, behave outstandingly well and feel safe and secure in school. They have the highest regard for their classmates and for their teachers and support assistants.

They take on a variety of responsibilities: older pupils help younger ones with their reading and handwriting and also accompany children in the Early Years Foundation Stage to lunch. All parents who responded to the on-line questionnaire believe their children are safe and happy in school. The executive headteacher has the highest ambitions for the school.

Her outstanding leadership ensures that all staff share her very clear view of how successful the school can be. The impact of procedures to check the quality of teaching and of performance in all areas of school life shows that the well-being of each individual pupil is central to the school's work. It recognises, for example, that pupils do not always have enough opportunities to use new technology as an aid to learning.

Governors support the school outstandingly well but also hold it to account with the utmost rigour.

Information about this school

This is a larger than average sized primary school. Pupil numbers have increased by almost 20% since the previous inspection.

The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' progress and attainment. The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families, or looked after by the local authority, is broadly average. The majority of pupils are White British and there are few pupils with English as an additional language.

The percentage of pupils supported at school action is below average; the percentage supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below that usually found. The school holds The Manchester Healthy Schools award and also the Artsmark. It is an active member of the Manchester University Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) initiative, which is designed to promote pupils' personal development and self-esteem.

The school also runs a breakfast club, which provides before-school support activities for pupils who sometimes find the work difficult. There have been several staff changes since the previous inspection and a new leadership structure, including phase leaders, has been introduced. The executive headteacher, who is also headteacher of another local school, remains in post.

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