St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Isleworth

Inspection of a good school: St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Isleworth South Street, Isleworth TW7 7EE

p.1

Outcome

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

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They said that they are grateful to be a part of the ‘St Mary’s family’. They feel happy and safe. Pupils are excited by the many activities on offer, both in and out of the classroom. They interact with adults and other pupils with warmth and confidence.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations of pupils. They help pupils to differentiate between right and wrong. Across the school, pupils are supported to make the correct choices in their behaviour. Their polite, kind, and respectful behaviour towards adults and each other is the norm. Bullying is unusual, but if it happens staff spot it and sort things out swiftly.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are ambitious for pupils. Pupils relish the challenge they receive from teachers. Across the school, pupils use the ‘4Bs’, for example ‘buddies’ and ‘brain’, to help them when they face difficulties in lessons. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders create many opportunities for pupils to develop their leadership skills. Each year, Year 5 pupils assume the responsibility of running the sports day for the early years. The elected school council representatives also consult with pupils and the catering staff when making suggestions for the lunch menu.

p.1

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

Leaders have put in place a well-thought-out curriculum. It is carefully ordered and ambitious. Leaders worked with subject experts to ensure that the curriculum prepares pupils well for the next stage in their education. The curriculum they have designed provides ambitious end points for pupils. For example, in geography, pupils in the early years are beginning to use maps to study their local area. They have looked at pictures of services and facilities like hospitals and leisure centres and located them on a map. In Year 5, pupils engaged in in-depth discussions about different ways of making London a 28 and 29 June 2022

p.1

2

sustainable city. In doing so, they built on what they already know about human and physical geography.

p.2

2

Teachers introduce learning in a clear way. They use the training they have received to ensure that pupils know and remember more of the subject content. New concepts are introduced in small, manageable chunks. Teachers consider how much information pupils can process and retain. They make sure that pupils build on prior learning. As a result, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are learning the curriculum well. However, on a small number of occasions, pupils’ misconceptions are not identified and addressed effectively by staff.

p.2

2

Pupils participate actively in lessons. They collaborate well with others. Disruptions to learning are rare.

p.2

2

Typically, any gaps in pupils’ learning are identified and addressed through well-chosen assessments. In mathematics, for example, leaders found gaps in pupils’ fluency in arithmetic and calculation skills because of the COVID-19 disruptions. They prioritised this in the curriculum and addressed these gaps at the very beginning of the year. Pupils across the school are now rapidly getting back on track in this area of mathematics.

p.2

2

Similarly, staff use assessments to identify individual pupils who might require additional adaptations to learn the planned curriculum. They work well with parents and external professionals, including other early years setting, to identify pupils with SEND as early as possible.

p.2

2

Leaders prioritise the teaching of early reading. They regularly check how well staff teach pupils to read. Staff in every year group recently refreshed their training on the school’s phonics programme. Because of this, the phonics programme is followed consistently across the school. Pupils get to practise their phonics by reading to adults regularly. Staff also ensure that pupils recap the sounds that they have learned previously. Children in the early years are encouraged to practise their sounds throughout the day. However, on occasion, some younger pupils find the books they are given too difficult. Although pupils readily persevere, this makes it harder for them to develop their reading fluency.

p.2

2

Pupils have developed a genuine love of reading. For most pupils, a visit to the library is one of the highlights of the day. They know many authors. Pupils often recommend books to one another.

p.2

2

Pupils get a varied set of experiences outside of lessons. These are planned to promote all aspects of pupils’ wider development, including their social skills. Pupils participate in a daily mile run and they take pride in their sporting achievements. There is a wide range of after-school clubs on offer and uptake is high.

p.2

2

Staff appreciate that leaders are approachable. They feel they are supported well to ensure that their workload remains manageable. As a result of a workload review, for example, leaders have streamlined the way they expect teachers to mark pupils’ work in books. 28 and 29 June 2022

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

A staff member accurately captured the culture of safeguarding in this school: ‘Everyone at St Mary’s Primary School has safeguarding on their minds, all the time.’ Staff are clear about their safeguarding responsibilities. They know the warning signs that a pupil is at risk of neglect or abuse. Procedures for managing concerns are clear.

p.3

Safeguarding

Checks on the suitability of staff are rigorous. Leaders and governors ensure that the principles of safer recruitment are strictly followed.

p.3

Safeguarding

Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe at home, at school, or when online. They learn about e-safety, stranger danger, road safety, and privacy, among other aspects of safety.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, sometimes pupils’ mistakes are not identified and addressed in a timely manner. This means that misconceptions continue. Teachers should ensure that pupils’ misconceptions are identified and addressed so that pupils’ understanding is secure.  Occasionally, some of the younger pupils receive books which are too hard for them to read. This reduces the development of pupils’ reading fluency. Leaders need to make sure that teachers consistently give these pupils books which are suitable to develop reading fluency and confidence.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2012. 28 and 29 June 2022

p.3

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

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 .

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 28 and 29 June 2022

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10212447 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 7 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Leaders do not use any alternative providers.

p.5

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 leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held discussions with the headteacher and other members of the leadership team.  The inspector also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, geography, and mathematics. For each deep dive, he spoke with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Other subjects were considered as part of this inspection.  In inspecting safeguarding, the inspector carried out a scrutiny of the school’s single central record of pre-employment checks, and other records. The inspector considered 28 and 29 June 2022

p.5

6

the views of pupils, parents and staff through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Edison David, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 June 2022

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7