St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, South Moor

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement The actions of leaders, including subject leaders and governors have not ensured consistency in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the key stages. As a result, pupils' progress across a range of subjects is variable. The headteacher has high aspirations for all pupils, however, these are not evident in the practice across the school.

Not all staff have high enough expectations of what pupils can do and achieve. Senior leaders have not embedded a whole-school approach to the teaching, learning and assessment of reading. Some pupils have too few opportunities to read in school.

Reading tasks and boo...ks are not well matched to pupils' phonic knowledge and skills. This means that too many pupils make slow progress in reading. Pupils feel safe in school and are confident that they are well looked after by staff.

Senior leaders' record-keeping, however, is not sharp. Some records lack detail and chronology, making it difficult to identify leaders' actions and outcomes for pupils. Too often, teachers plan work that does not accurately meet the needs of pupils.

As a result, pupils' attitudes to learning are not consistently positive. Not all pupils make good progress in their learning and some pupils drift off-task. Teachers do not use available teaching and learning time effectively.

Pupils too often have to wait for additional support or challenge. The quality of teaching and learning in early years is variable. Children are not challenged well enough in their learning, and do not make consistently good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

The school has the following strengths The headteacher has secured a positive ethos underpinned by the school's Christian values. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and caring. Pupils conduct themselves sensibly within school.

They are polite, friendly and sociable. Leaders use the sports premium funding well to enhance pupils' physical education.

Information about this school

St Mary's is a Roman Catholic school and is part of the Diocese of Hexham and Newcastle.

The school was inspected under section 48 in September 2016. The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. The vast majority of pupils are White British.

The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and receive support from the pupil premium funding is higher than the national average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average. The school has a breakfast club and provides a variety of after-school clubs.