St Maria Goretti Catholic Primary School, Preston

Inspection of St Maria Goretti Catholic Primary School, Preston Gamull Lane, Ribbleton, Preston, Lancashire PR2 6SJ

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Inspection dates: 31 January and 1 February 2024

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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 Good 31 January and 1 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and are proud to attend this school. The school enables pupils to become confident and successful individuals. Many of them call it a family. Pupils appreciate the staff who help them if they feel upset or worried.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well because staff have a consistent and caring approach to managing their behaviour. The school has prioritised teaching pupils how to manage their feelings and to make the right choices. The school rewards pupils’ good behaviour. Pupils know where the boundaries are. As a result, pupils are respectful and sensitive to each other’s needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ academic success. The school also nurtures pupils’ curiosity and concentration from a young age. Pupils subsequently achieve well in many subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a variety of clubs and trips, which broaden their experiences. Older pupils take up responsibilities in school. They show other pupils how to play and behave. Pupils are proud of the charity work with the local community.

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better?

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum which is enhanced with rich experiences. These experiences help to ignite pupils’ interests and broaden their horizons.

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better?

In many subjects, the school has designed a curriculum which builds logically from the two-year-old provision in the early years to Year 6. Pupils achieve well in these subjects. However, in a few subjects, this is not the case. In these subjects, teachers do not have sufficient clarity on what to teach in each year group. As a result, pupils do not build on what they have learned previously and do not progress as well through the curriculum. Teachers check regularly on what pupils have learned. They use this information to plug any gaps in pupils’ learning.

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better?

The school identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) early. Staff are well trained to meet the needs of these pupils. For example, teachers in the early years, including those who teach two-year-olds, access external support and specific training to help them to support children effectively. Pupils with SEND across the school enjoy lessons. They build positive relationships and achieve well.

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better?

The school has prioritised the teaching of reading. Teachers develop children’s ability to listen to and recognise sounds in the early years. They learn familiar songs, routines and rhymes. All teaching staff benefit from repeated training. As a result, the approach to the teaching of phonics is consistent and effective. This means that pupils become confident and fluent readers. 31 January and 1 February 2024

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Pupils demonstrate a love of reading. They use a range of extended vocabulary. They talked knowledgeably about their favourite books. Pupils can debate with insight about their preferred authors. Pupils enjoy using the well-resourced library.

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Pupils enjoy the rewards that they receive for being good role models, such as receiving golden tickets. Pupils behave well. They stay focused on learning. They demonstrate kindness, good manners and respect to others.

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The school has effective strategies in place to manage poor attendance. Patterns in absence are recognised. Specific classes, groups or families receive additional support when required. Where pupils’ attendance is low, the school works effectively to recognise pupils’ anxieties and sensitively addresses any concerns so that pupils’ absence reduces over time.

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The school has ensured that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils stated adamantly that all people are equal. Pupils take part in many charity events. They boasted about the number of clubs and sport competitions that they enjoy. Older pupils take their responsibilities for children in the early years seriously.

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The school has an expectation for continual improvement and for all teaching staff to learn and develop together. The school is considerate of staff’s work-life balance, for example by bringing changes in gradually over time. It has created a supportive professional community. Staff are proud to work at this school.

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Governors’ presence in school helps them to be supportive, for example by attending curriculum training with staff. This has helped them to prioritise their support for the quality of education on offer.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teachers do not have enough guidance on what should be taught in each year group. This hinders them from designing learning that helps pupils to build on what they already know. In these subjects, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school should develop its curriculum thinking further in these subjects so that pupils are well prepared for future learning.

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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. 31 January and 1 February 2024

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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’ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 31 January and 1 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Christine Wilson

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school offers provision for two-year-old children in the early years.  The school is a voluntary-aided Catholic primary school within the Diocese of Lancaster. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in June 2023. The school is awaiting confirmation from the diocese about its next section 48 inspection.

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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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of the school’s educational provision.

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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. 31 January and 1 February 2024

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 Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders and members of staff. They also spoke with members of the governing body, the school improvement partner and a representative of the diocese and local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. Inspectors spoke with staff who lead these subject areas. They visited lessons and spoke with teachers. Inspectors spoke with pupils about their learning and viewed examples of their work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils reading to trusted adults.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during playtimes and while in lessons.

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 Inspectors spoke to parents and carers to gather their views about the school. They also spoke with staff.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil online surveys.

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Inspection team

Trish Merritt, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sandra Hamilton Ofsted Inspector 31 January and 1 February 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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