St Mary's RC Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School Canterbury Road, London NW6 5ST

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Outcome

St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy coming to learn every day. They respond well to the high expectations set by staff. They show great respect for each other and adults, behaving well in class, and at playtimes and lunchtimes. I saw many children working and socialising happily together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils welcome activities beyond lessons. They spoke with excitement about their day out to the science museum, which supported their work about space and the solar system. Pupils value the play areas and the play equipment. Children have enjoyed building an eco-area. They were proud to show me the herb garden’s raised beds that they had made with real wood. Pupils also love to assist and take on leadership roles, for example as reading buddies, eco leaders and lunchtime monitors. Pupils told me that they feel safe in school. They like to learn about looking after themselves and staying safe. Pupils said that they know to go to a teacher or adult in school if they need help. They value their teachers and support staff because they are caring. Parents and carers that I spoke with said their children are well looked after by the school.

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

Leaders want children to do well in all subjects. They have planned what they want pupils to learn, term by term, in each subject. Activities are planned in a clear order for pupils to build up their knowledge and skills. For example, subject planning for mathematics and science is thorough and well sequenced. Teachers receive guidance on what to teach and when. Children develop skills and knowledge with numbers and scientific topics during early years. Careful thought is given to planning topics so that pupils recall and develop what they have learned previously. For example, in science, pupils learn about light and reflection in Year 3. This builds up to learning about prisms in Year 6. Classrooms have plenty of displays and 10–11 December 2019

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resources that support pupils’ learning in mathematics and science. Leaders also ensure there is a well-organised approach to how children learn to read right from their start in Nursery and onwards through the school. Pupils enjoy reading in the well-resourced library. Younger children appreciate older pupils hearing them read at lunchtime in this area. Leaders expect that all children will read at home every day. Families are supported and involved well with this work. Where leaders’ plans are working best, teachers have received training to develop their subject knowledge. For example, all staff have received training on how to teach pupils to read. They know to check that pupils choose reading books that help them to practise the sounds they have learned. Pupils who fall behind are given timely support to help them keep up. Teachers also receive specialist training in mathematics. This has helped them to

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use assessments well to identify any gaps in pupils’ learning before moving on to more complex ideas. However, where leaders’ plans are not fully in place, teachers do not develop pupils’ understanding of more complex words, for example in introducing pupils to technical terms in science, or checking that pupils understand the words in their books before planning what they will read next. Beyond the classroom, pupils have different experiences that support their learning. Pupils play an active role in charity work. An example of this is ‘The Mini-Vinnies’. This is a group of pupils who support a charity that tackles poverty. Pupils enjoy the range of after-school clubs, including those for different sports. They also spoke about visits to the zoo, the theatre and the park. These opportunities are linked to subjects. For example, pupils in Year 6 valued watching the play ‘Macbeth’ at the theatre as it helped with their

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work in English lessons. Pupils’ behaviour inside and outside the classroom is of a high standard. There are rarely any interruptions to learning due to low-level disruption. Pupils work well together because they are keen to learn and want to succeed. They take pride in their work and present it well. The school is inclusive. There are high expectations for all, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school identifies children with specific difficulties early on. Pupils with SEND learn well in the classroom, receiving support and help to learn alongside their classmates. The headteacher and senior leaders support staff well. They work effectively with staff to find ways of reducing workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors make sure that pupils are kept safe in school. Leaders ensure that staff receive regular training. Safeguarding records are kept up to date. Staff know what to do when they have a concern about pupils’ well-being. Leaders work effectively with a range of outside agencies. They are aware of specific safeguarding concerns in the local area. There is an open culture of knowing and caring for all pupils. 10–11 December 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum planning is effective where leaders give clear guidance about what subject knowledge to teach. Leaders should continue to develop staff’s subject knowledge so that they are confident to teach all subjects well and boost pupils’ use of complex vocabulary and technical language.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 10–11 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110485 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Alloysius Frederick

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22–23 March 2016

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Information about this school

 St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School is a voluntary-aided primary school with a Catholic ethos. The school admits two forms of entry; however, in some years, there is only one class.  The school’s previous inspection was in 2016, when the school was judged to be good.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with school leaders, teachers, and the chair of the governing body and two other governors. I spoke to a representative of the local authority.  I completed deep dives in the following subjects: English (particularly early reading and reading at key stage 2), science and mathematics. This included discussions with subject leaders about how the curriculum is designed and delivered. I also visited lessons and spoke with pupils in some of these classes about their learning. I looked at pupils’ books in these classes.  I met with pupils and listened to some read. I spoke with pupils and staff during social times.  I spoke with the designated safeguarding lead and to members of the governing body 10–11 December 2019

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to check the culture of safeguarding. I looked at a wide range of records and documentation concerning safeguarding and pupils’ welfare. I looked at the school’s single central record of leaders’ checks on staff. I considered the 11 responses of parents to Ofsted’s survey (Parent View) and the staff responses.

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Inspection team

Dr Janice Howkins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10–11 December 2019

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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