St Mary's Catholic Primary School ,Chiswick

Inspection of a good school: St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Chiswick Duke Road, Chiswick, London, W4 2DF

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Inspection dates: 9 and 10 November 2021

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at St. Mary’s. They talk with pride about their school. They are particularly proud of the school’s ‘green wall’ and its opening by the London Mayor. They are knowledgeable regarding its role in reducing pollution, and why this is important.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe. They say that they feel safe because there are always staff around who care about them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well behaved. They are keen to learn and enthusiastic in lessons. They try hard, whether on their own or with friends. Bullying happens rarely. Pupils say this is because it is not tolerated. They say if it does occur, it is always dealt with quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum is well planned, sequenced and ambitious in reading and mathematics. As a result, pupils make good progress. In wider curriculum subjects, however, this is not the case. Leaders have not identified the subject knowledge pupils need to build up as they move through the school. Learning, therefore, is fragmented and does not build on what pupils have learned before.

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

Leaders are ambitious that all pupils will become confident, fluent readers. Children begin learning phonics from their first days in Reception. A new scheme has been introduced to support the delivery of phonics in class. This is well embedded and the teaching of reading across key stage 1 is consistently good. Teachers are well trained. Regular assessments identify gaps in learning and appropriate support is put in place to close those gaps. For those pupils at the earliest stages of learning to read, work is still needed to ensure that their reading books are matched more closely to the sounds they know. This is in order to ensure greater success 9 and 10 November 2021

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and build pupils’ independent fluency more quickly. Pupils across the school enjoy reading and respond enthusiastically when read to.

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Leaders have made changes to the way mathematics is taught. Staff have received training and continue to be supported to ensure consistency. The mathematics curriculum is well planned. It meets the requirements of the national curriculum. Key knowledge has been identified and is clearly sequenced from early years through to year 6. This ensures that pupils build on prior knowledge and make progress. In early years, children are provided with a wide variety of opportunities to explore and learn about number in real life contexts. This constant experience ensures that knowledge is secure and children are well prepared for learning in Year 1. Pupils talk confidently about their learning in mathematics. They can identify the knowledge and strategies that have helped them to make progress.

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The wider curriculum is not well thought through. In art, history, geography, music, science and computing, leaders have not identified the key knowledge they want pupils to learn. Pupils are learning facts and skills linked to a series of topics in each year group. These are not sequenced as pupils move through the school and do not, therefore, build on pupils’ prior learning. As a result, knowledge is not being consistently embedded over time.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. They study the same curriculum as their peers and receive appropriate support to access their learning. Interventions ensure pupils get the support they need. Leaders and staff make every effort to ensure that these sessions do not replace other learning.

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Expectations for behaviour are clear. As a result, pupils behave well both in class and on the playground. The majority of pupils and parents who responded to the online survey, stated that behaviour was well managed.

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Pupils enjoy the range of clubs and activities that are on offer. As COVID-19 (coronavirus) restrictions have been removed, clubs and trips have been reinstated and planned in again to enhance the curriculum. Leaders are committed to pupils’ well-being and promote an ethos of respect. Pupils learn about different types of families, and that all must be valued. One younger pupil stated, ‘it is not the outside that matters, but what is on the inside, there is love in everyone’.

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Staff feel valued and supported by school leaders. They say that leaders try to manage workload and will try to support where they can. Nearly all staff who responded to the staff survey felt the school is well led.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained. They raise any concerns they have quickly with the appropriate adult. Leaders work well with the local authority to ensure pupils who need help get the right support.

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Safeguarding

Early intervention has been prioritised. Play therapy is available in school as part of this support, to ensure issues are addressed and pupils get the help they need. 9 and 10 November 2021

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The personal, social and health education curriculum supports pupils learning about keeping safe. Consequently, they can identify ways to keep safe online. Leaders are mindful of the risks pupils may face outside school when making decisions about what pupils need to learn. Key learning required is implemented through lessons, assemblies and workshops.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Reading and mathematics are well planned and sequenced. This is not the case for the wider curriculum. For each subject, leaders must first identify the key knowledge they want pupils to learn and ensure it is well sequenced from early years up to year 6. This will ensure pupils know and remember more over time and deepen their understanding.

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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 the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2016.

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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 .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 9 and 10 November 2021

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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. 9 and 10 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200102 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website https://www.stmaryschiswick.org.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 September 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  The school runs breakfast and after-school provision.  The schools last Section 48 inspection was in February 2017.

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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 her evaluation.  The inspector met with the headteacher, assistant headteachers, other members of the senior leadership team and members of staff. They also spoke with a representative of both the local authority and the diocese. They also met with seven governors, including the chair of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 9 and 10 November 2021

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 The inspector also considered the curriculum for geography, computing, music, science and art.  The inspector considered early mathematics in the Nursery and Reception classes.  The inspector looked at a range of documents, including leaders’ priorities for improvement.  The inspector reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising records and through discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were gathered through discussions and Ofsted’s surveys were considered.

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Inspection team

Samantha Ingram, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector 9 and 10 November 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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