St Mary’s Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The recently appointed headteacher has energetically set about making improvements to the school. Systems for checking pupils' achievement have improved.

Teachers are now clear about how much progress their pupils are making and how effective their teaching is. Leaders offer valuable advice on improving the quality of teaching. They have clear plans for making sure that their advice is followed up.

Backed by senior and middle leaders, the headteacher is ambitious to make the school outstanding. Her plans are purposeful and clear. Leaders are well supported by the loyal staff, who share their vision for school improvement.

Govern...ors know the school well and provide good support and challenge to leaders and managers. Parents rightly say that communications between school and home have improved. Pupils' behaviour throughout the school is good.

Pupils are polite and get on well with one another. Pupils are kept completely safe. The school strongly promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

As a result, they think of others and respect their values. Teaching is consistently good throughout the school and leads to pupils making good progress in their learning. Teaching successfully meets the needs of groups within the school.

As a result, the most able pupils and those with a range of additional needs do well in their learning. Disadvantaged pupils do as well or better than other pupils. This is also true of pupils who speak English as an additional language.

Pupils learn effectively throughout the school. By the time they leave Year 6 their attainment is above average in reading, writing and mathematics. They make good progress from starting points that are typically below those expected for their age.

The early years provision is good overall. Children learn particularly well in the Nursery class because : the activities are stimulating and the play areas are inviting. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Marking of topic books does not consistently provide pupils with advice on how to improve the quality of their work.

Some work in these books is not up to the best that pupils can do. The play equipment and activities provided for children in the Reception class are not always stimulating enough to help them learn rapidly and with full enjoyment.

Information about this school

St Mary's is a little smaller than the average-sized primary school.

The headteacher started in September 2014. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes attend full time. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium is above average.

This is additional government funding used to support pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic heritages is higher than average. Pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds with no one group predominating.

The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is higher than average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs varies from year to year and overall is currently a little lower than average. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress.