St Mary of the Angels Catholic Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Mary of the Angels Catholic Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embody the school's vision and describe St Mary of the Angels as a happy school where they love learning. They enjoy their work and the opportunities for learning outside the classroom, including in local woodlands. Pupils benefit greatly from an extensive range of initiatives to support their emotional and mental health.

They value the relationships that they form with staff and each other.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. They take great pride and care with their work.

Pupils are su...pportive of each other in lessons and during break times. They benefit from routines, which contribute to a calm and purposeful learning environment.

The school sets high expectations for pupils' achievement.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), meet these expectations well in most subjects.

Pupils enjoy the clubs that they attend and the opportunities to represent the school in competitive sports. They enjoy holding responsibilities, such as play leaders and school councillors.

Pupils feel rightly that they are making a difference to the school. They understand concepts such as diversity and inclusion and help to make sure that everyone is welcome in their school. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has an ambitious curriculum. The teaching of fundamental knowledge and skills in English and mathematics is prioritised. Starting in the Reception Class, children quickly acquire strong phonics knowledge.

Where pupils need help to catch up with phonics, effective additional support is provided. This helps pupils to develop into confident and fluent readers.

Pupils develop a love of reading.

The school ensures that they are exposed to a wide range of high-quality texts. Pupils enjoy the books read to them by their teachers. They enthusiastically recommend books for others to read.

The school's work to promote oracy and vocabulary enables pupils to talk confidently about their learning.

Pupils enjoy the subjects they learn. They value the opportunities and activities that enhance their experiences, including residential visits.

In most subjects, pupils achieve well. However, in a few subjects, the organisation of the curriculum does not enable important knowledge to be revisited often enough. Where this is the case, pupils find it hard to recall some of the knowledge needed as the basis for new learning.

This slows the progress that they make in their learning.

Staff are well trained. The school supports them well to develop their expertise and to explore research about developments in the subjects that they lead.

Staff support each other to confidently deliver the subjects they teach. They use assessment information well to identify strengths in the curriculum and areas where adaptions are needed to help pupils to build their knowledge successfully. Teachers use questions skilfully to check what pupils know and to identify any misconceptions.

Arrangements for identifying any additional needs, including for those with SEND, are effective. The school works closely with parents and carers and outside agencies to get pupils the help that they need to learn well alongside their peers.

Staff work well with pupils from the school council to set high expectations for behaviour across the school.

Pupils understand what is expected of them. They conduct themselves exceptionally well around the school. Pupils work hard and are supportive of each other.

The school ensures that attendance and punctuality is a high priority. There is a relentless approach to secure improvements in this area of the school's work. The school works successfully with parents to help them overcome barriers.

This contributes positively to the high rates of attendance at the school.

The school's work to promote pupil's personal development is extensive. Pupils learn about and enjoy exploring the differences and commonalities between different faiths and cultures.

They make valuable contributions to the school's work to support others, for example, by making parcels for the homeless.

The school provides purposeful opportunities for pupils to learn about the wide range of careers and options that are available to them in their future lives. This includes experiences such as vocational learning at a local further education college and a visit to a local university.

Staff feel valued and motivated. They appreciate the support that they receive to manage their workload and well-being. Staff are committed to achieving the school's aims and promoting high aspirations for pupils at every opportunity.

Governors are fully involved in the life of the school and provide appropriate support and challenge. They have a deep knowledge of the school and the community it serves.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, the structure of the curriculum means that sometimes key knowledge is not revisited frequently enough. Where this is the case, pupils find it difficult to remember some of the knowledge that is needed as a basis for new learning. The school should ensure that important knowledge is revisited more frequently in these subjects so that pupils can build new learning on what they already know.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in September 2019.

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