St Mary’s Primary School, A Catholic Voluntary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

This is a good school. It has the overwhelming support of its parents and carers because : they appreciate the excellent level of care, guidance and support given to their children.

The partnership forged with parents and carers is a strength of the school. Pupils make good progress so that attainment is above average by the time they leave Year 6. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage receive excellent provision and make outstanding progress.

Pupils' personal development is an outstanding feature of the school. Their very positive behaviour and the harmonious relationships between pupils and with their teachers reflect pupils' excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural developmen...t. Pupils relish the opportunities they are given to take responsibility and they make an outstanding contribution to their school and to the wider community.

Pupils feel safe and know very well how to live safely. They have an excellent understanding of the importance of exercise and a balanced diet and take a very positive approach to living healthily. Potentially vulnerable pupils are catered for particularly well in this caring and inclusive school and, as a result, make good progress and participate fully in school life.

Pupils profit from the school's highly effective partnerships with support agencies and other bodies. Pupils benefit from teaching that is invariably good and some that is excellent. Typically, classrooms are characterised by pupils who are enthusiastic and teachers who expect and obtain good progress from their pupils.

Progress in Key Stage 1 is uneven, with pupils' writing not as well developed as other areas, and teachers' use of assessment information to match activities to pupils' precise needs is inconsistent. The headteacher makes an outstanding contribution. She gives an excellent lead in maintaining the strong values that guide the day-to-day life of the school and in driving all matters concerning further improvement.

Other staff with management responsibilities give wholehearted support. However, some middle managers do not have the necessary skills to monitor and evaluate precisely enough the progress pupils make in their subjects. The school has a good capacity to raise standards further and to sustain improvements.

For example, past weaknesses in the progress made by high attaining pupils in mathematics have been successfully tackled. The school knows its strengths and weaknesses well. Self-evaluation procedures are well established and effective in guiding the school's development.

The outstanding outcomes, particularly in pupils' personal development reflect the excellent value for money the school provides.

Information about the school

This is a broadly average sized primary school. There are few pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and none at an early stage in learning English.

The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below average. The school has Healthy School status, the Artsmark gold award and an Eco-Schools award.

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