St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Margaret Clitherow Catholic Primary School Polhearne Way, Brixham, Devon TQ5 0EE

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 13 and 14 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They describe it as, ‘a small community where everyone knows each other.’ Pupils learn the values of tolerance and respect, which are reflected in their behaviour. They believe that everyone should be treated fairly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations. They have designed a broad curriculum that stimulates pupils’ interests. As a result, pupils have positive attitudes to learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy. They value their close relationships with staff. Pupils are keen to share their achievements from outside of school with teachers. Pupils know they can speak to any adult to ask for support if they need to. They are confident that staff will listen.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know what it means to be an active citizen in society. They vote for the charity they want to support. Pupils are proud of the community work they do and have gained a local authority civic award. Pupils take pride in the roles they have in school. For example, the older pupils act as play leaders to support younger pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents appreciate leaders’ support and how staff help build their children’s resilience.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading. Children learn to love reading from the time they begin school. Teachers read to children daily. Children listen to stories with concentration. They repeat familiar phrases with enthusiasm and expression. Older pupils are excited about the books they read. They read books linked to the content they are learning in class. Pupils read books from a range of different authors.

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better?

Phonics is a strength of the school. Leaders know each pupil well. They check pupils’ progress in reading regularly to ensure pupils do not fall behind. Leaders put support in place for those pupils who need it. When pupils mispronounce words, teachers are quick to correct them to avoid any misconceptions.

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better?

The wider curriculum uses the pupils’ local area as a starting point to learn new knowledge. Pupils then build their knowledge and develop a wider understanding of the world. Teachers use assessment to check if pupils know and understand more over time. However, in some subjects, assessment is not used effectively to adapt teaching. This means that the curriculum, in some subjects, does not help pupils to move onto more complex learning quickly.

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better?

The mathematics curriculum is well planned and sequenced. Pupils are well supported by staff to use mathematical concepts. Pupils enjoy discussing and problem-solving with their friends. In the early years, children can talk through 13 and 14 June 2023

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mathematical problems. They use numbers that are displayed around the classroom to recall their learning.

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Leaders have designed the early years environment to reflect and stimulate children’s interests. Staff use a range of activities effectively to help children to learn. Staff model clear expectations and interactions. Children copy these successfully. Consequently, they are calm and focused. They play well together.

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Leaders are ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers make the necessary adaptations for pupils with SEND to ensure they learn with success. Where there is individual adult support for pupils, staff make sure activities help pupils to learn well. They ensure the needs of pupils with SEND are met. As a result, pupils with SEND thrive and engage well in their learning.

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Pupils appreciate that they can vote for extra-curricular activities that develop their talents and interests. This means pupils experience a wide range of clubs, including cooking, football and ‘zorbing.’

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Older pupils enjoy being role models to younger pupils. They recognise that their behaviour sets an example to the other pupils in the school. Pupils are tolerant of differences. They know the importance of showing mutual respect to different faiths and beliefs.

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Leaders have put in place processes to improve the attendance of some pupils. They have built close relationships with families and provide support to those who need it. However, attendance is below leaders’ expectations. This means the minority of pupils with regular absence find it difficult to build knowledge well.

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Leaders have created a partnership with another local school in the trust. This collaboration has helped staff with their workload through the sharing of curriculum planning. Staff feel supported by leaders and governors. Governors work with the trust to challenge and support school leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders promote a strong safeguarding culture. Pupils feel safe. They know they can share any concerns with staff.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that adults are safe to work with children. Staff know how to identify and report safeguarding concerns. Staff receive regular safeguarding training. Leaders are quick to identify safeguarding issues to keep pupils safe and to inform families of their concerns.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn to stay safe online and in the community. They know not to share personal information. They also know that some apps come with age restrictions. 13 and 14 June 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not use assessment effectively to adapt teaching in some subjects. This means, at times, pupils do not move onto more complex learning when they are ready. Leaders need to ensure assessment is used effectively so that pupils learn well.  While leaders have acted to improve the attendance of pupils, a minority of pupils do not attend well. As a result, they have some gaps in their learning and do not build new learning successfully. Leaders need to be persistent in their work with pupils and families to further improve attendance.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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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. 13 and 14 June 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268243 Type of school Primary

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School details

Website www.margaret-clitherow- primary.torbay.sch.uk Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 June 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Plymouth Cast Multi-Academy Trust.  This is a Roman Catholic school. The last section 48 inspection took place in May 2019.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is higher than the national average.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met the designated safeguarding lead, checked the single central record of adults working in the school and looked at safeguarding records. 13 and 14 June 2023

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 The inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  The inspector gathered parents’ views by considering the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and by talking to parents before and after school. The inspector also evaluated responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

James Gentile, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tom Page Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 June 2023

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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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