St Mary's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Mary's Catholic Primary School Leamington Road, Broadway, Worcestershire, WR12 7DZ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The executive headteacher of this school is Jacqueline Smith. They are responsible for this school and one other. This school is part of the Our Lady of the Magnificat multi-academy company, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Tom Leverage, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Yvonne Brennan.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected St Mary's Catholic Primary School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged St Mary's Catholic Primary School to be outstanding, before it opened as an academy. 19–20 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend St Mary's Catholic Primary School. They describe the school as ‘a small but friendly place where everyone knows one another well’. Pupils who are new say this helps them to settle in quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. All pupils understand and meet these expectations extremely well. This starts in the early years where children follow the routines that are in place and display positive learning behaviours. Pupils across the school show high levels of respect and care towards one another. Learning is not disrupted. There is a calm and purposeful atmosphere across the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the caring and respectful relationships that they have with staff. They know that adults are there for them if they need to share any worries or concerns. As a result, pupils of all ages feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of clubs and activities such as cricket, gardening and visits to London. They make a significant contribution to the life of the school through their roles as house captains, ‘mini vinnies’, school and eco councillors. Pupils say these roles make them feel proud and enable them to help others.

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better?

The school has high expectations for what all pupils can achieve. An ambitious curriculum is designed and sequenced well. In history, for example, the curriculum makes clear the important knowledge that pupils need to learn and when. Children, for example, in the Reception Year develop their understanding of past and present well when talking about how trains have changed over time. Older pupils use their knowledge of ancient Greece when considering how the Olympic games have evolved over time.

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better?

Reading is a priority for the school. Pupils read and listen to a wide range of texts. They say that this helps them to develop their vocabulary and imagination. Children in the early years learn and remember new sounds well. If pupils fall behind, they receive the help and support they need to help them to catch up quickly. As pupils move through the school, they read with increasing accuracy and fluency.

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better?

In mathematics, the training that teachers receive provides them with the expertise they need to teach the subject well. Teachers present new information clearly and adapt learning well. Pupils build their mathematical knowledge effectively over time because of this. Children in the early years confidently use their knowledge of number when talking about repeating patterns. Older pupils use their prior understanding of time when completing more complex tasks about timetables.

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better?

Despite this, in other areas of the curriculum, teachers’ pedagogical knowledge is less secure. Where this is the case, they do not adapt learning well enough to meet 19–20 June 2024

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the needs of all pupils. This means that some pupils have gaps in their knowledge or do not build a depth of understanding over time. This hampers the progress that some pupils make.

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The school has strengthened its systems to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It uses the advice it receives from external agencies well, particularly for those pupils with speech and language difficulties. Despite this, some individual support plans are not precise enough. The small steps that pupils with SEND need to make are not identified consistently. This means that some pupils with SEND do not receive the support they need to enable them to progress through the curriculum as well as their peers.

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Pupil’s behaviour in lessons and during social times is exemplary. They are extremely polite and well mannered. Older pupils confidently share their mature views about national and world events.

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Pupils and parents understand the importance of regular attendance. The school has effective systems in place to support the small number of pupils whose attendance is a concern. As a result, pupils’ attendance is high.

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The school’s development of pupils’ character is a strength. Pupils have many opportunities to take part in community events. For example, they sing at a local care home or participate in memorial events. Pupils develop their understanding of British values such as respect and democracy well. They know why equality is important in the world they live in and how harmful discrimination can be. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Local governors and trustees share the school’s ambition. They provide effective support and challenge to the school. Governors fulfil their statutory duties effectively. Staff appreciate the opportunities they have to collaborate with other schools which supports their workload and develops their expertise.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers are still developing the pedagogical knowledge they need to teach the curriculum well. As a result, learning is not adapted well enough to meet pupils’ needs. Where this is the case, pupils, including those with SEND, do not develop their knowledge well enough across the curriculum. The school needs to ensure that teachers develop the necessary pedagogical knowledge they need so that all groups of pupils progress through the curriculum well. 19–20 June 2024

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 Some individual support plans for pupils with SEND are not precise enough. This means that these pupils do not receive the help and support they need to learn the curriculum well. The school should ensure that support plans are sufficiently detailed and implemented effectively to better meet the needs of all pupils with SEND.

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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' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (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). 19–20 June 2024

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School details

Headteacher Jacqueline Smith (Executive headteacher) Website www.smb.magnificat.org.uk

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 St Mary's Catholic Primary School is part of Our Lady of the Magnificat multi- academy company. It converted to become an academy school in April 2017. When its predecessor school, St Mary's Catholic Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.  The school is part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. The last section 48 inspection took place in March 2023, where the school was judged to be good.  The executive headteacher has been in post since April 2022.  There is a before- and an after-school club, which is managed by the governing body.  There have been changes to the governing body since the last inspection. Since September 2023, the local governing body has been shared between the school and one other.  The school does not use any alternative providers. 19–20 June 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) 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 a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, staff, pupils and representatives from the local governing body. The lead inspector also met with senior representatives from the trust and held a telephone conversation with a representative from the archdiocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, looked at samples of pupils’ work and spoke to pupils about their learning.

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Information about this inspection

 The lead inspector spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  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’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspector spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Ben Jordan, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Clair McNeill Ofsted Inspector 19–20 June 2024

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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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