St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Primary School Shrewsbury Road, Bayswater, London W2 5PR

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 October 2021

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Outcome

St. Mary of the Angels Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like coming to this school. They trust the staff in school, and this helps them to feel supported. They say that the adults always listen to them. As a result, they are confident to speak about any worries or problems they have. One pupil, reflecting the views of others, said that: ‘The teachers are always helping us. It is a very safe school; there are no places that feel unsafe.’ On the rare occasions when bullying happens, leaders deal with it effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know pupils well. They have high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour and expect them to work hard. In lessons, pupils concentrate on their work and focus. Children in Nursery and Reception settle in well. They play and learn happily together. In most subjects, all pupils learn and achieve well here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils can join in with a wealth of activities beyond the classroom. These include music tuition, outdoor learning and after-school sports and art clubs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents and carers speak highly of the school’s work. They value the wider support the school gave pupils and families during periods of remote education.

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

Leaders are ambitious for every pupil to become a confident and independent reader. At the start of the new school year, leaders prioritised staff’s training in reading. They also invested in new books which are matched to the sounds pupils are learning. Leaders’ actions are already making a difference. Children start to learn phonics quickly in Reception. Staff help pupils to keep up with the phonics programme by promptly giving them any extra help they need. Pupils enjoy reading and love their class story times. Occasionally, some of the older pupils who are still learning phonics do not have books which are as well matched to their knowledge. This means that sometimes they struggle to sound out the words. This stops some pupils from reading accurately and affects their confidence. Leaders know this and are taking credible steps to sort this out quickly. 19 and 20 October 2021

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Pupils learn effectively in most subjects. Leaders have planned a curriculum that is sequenced carefully. For example, in mathematics, pupils learn well over time. They build on their previous knowledge. Staff assess pupils for any gaps in their knowledge. They make sure that pupils’ previous learning is securely in place, so that they are ready to learn new concepts. Pupils have very positive attitudes to their learning in all subjects. For example, in mathematics, they discuss ideas confidently with each other, using key vocabulary they have learned. One pupil commented: ‘You have to explain why and how you figured the answer out. It can be hard, but I practise, and it gets easier and easier.’

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In most subjects, teachers make sure that pupils develop their knowledge securely over time. For example, in science, pupils build on their knowledge and learn more complex scientific ideas as they move through the curriculum. They deepen their learning through carefully planned practical work. However, in a few subjects, curriculum plans are not embedded fully. For instance, in history, teachers do not always make sure that pupils remember key knowledge. When this happens, pupils find it more difficult to understand what they are learning and connect new knowledge with what they have learned before.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective support. This helps them to follow the planned learning with their classmates. For example, staff plan in extra time before the main lesson for additional teaching. They make sure that pupils with communication difficulties have more time to learn with the resources they need. As a result, pupils with SEND access the full curriculum and achieve well.

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Leaders have developed a strong set of values with the school community. They have created an organised environment in which both pupils and staff are keen to learn. Pupils behave well. A few find it difficult to manage their emotions. They are well supported to learn ways of feeling calmer. This helps them to refocus on their learning.

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Pupils show care and consideration to each other. They take pride in the contribution they make to the local community. For example, they collaborated with local Jewish schools to put together ‘Vinnie Packs’. These packs of essential items were given to local homeless people.

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Staff said that leaders look after their well-being and organise effective professional training for them. They feel proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff are trained well and understand their role in keeping pupils safe. Staff report any concerns swiftly to safeguarding leaders. Leaders respond appropriately. They offer families extra help or guidance. Where necessary, they work effectively with external agencies to make sure that pupils are safe.

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Safeguarding

Leaders carry out all the statutory checks on visitors and people who work in the school. 19 and 20 October 2021

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Leaders make sure that parents understand the risks pupils may face when using electronic devices and mobile phones. Pupils learn about keeping themselves safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have made sure that curriculum planning sets out the sequence of pupils’ learning. Typically, and in most subjects, this helps pupils to know more and remember more over time. However, in a few subjects, such as history, these strengths are not as fully embedded. Leaders should ensure that teachers check if pupils know and remember the key content from previous lessons. This will help pupils to build on their prior learning in all subjects.  The school’s phonics programme is delivered consistently in early years and Years 1 and 2. In these year groups, teachers make sure that pupils read books that match their phonics knowledge. However, this is not always the case in other year groups. Occasionally, pupils read from books which do not precisely match their place in the phonics programme. Leaders should ensure that pupils who are learning to read in Years 3 to 6 always have books that match the phonics that they know.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 19 and 20 October 2021

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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. 19 and 20 October 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stmaryangels.co.uk/ Date of previous inspection 18 October 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 St. Mary of the Angels is a voluntary aided Catholic school. The last section 48 inspection took place in June 2017.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation.  The inspector held discussions with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and members of staff. He met with a representative of the local authority, a representative of the diocese and two governors, including the chair of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, history and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector visited a sample of lessons, looked at pupils’ work, met with subject leaders, looked at subject plans and spoke to pupils and teachers. The inspector observed pupils reading to staff. He also held discussions with the leaders for early years and science. 19 and 20 October 2021

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 The inspector discussed safeguarding arrangements with the headteacher and other staff. He reviewed the school’s single central record and a sample of the school’s safeguarding records.  The inspector looked at pupils’ behaviour around the school, during lessons and at lunch and breaktimes. He also met with pupils to hear their views on school life.  The inspector evaluated the 25 responses on Ofsted Parent View, along with 15 responses to the free-text facility. He spoke to parents at the start of the school day to gather their views about the school. The inspector also considered the 15 responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Julian Grenier, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 October 2021

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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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