St Mary's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Mary's Catholic Primary School Bessemer Road East, Swindon, Wiltshire SN2 1PE

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024

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Outcome

St Mary's Catholic Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Louise Brown. This school is a single-academy trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Suzanne Tewkesbury.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a warm, welcoming and inclusive school. Pupils describe it as a place that ‘feels like home’. They understand how the school’s values help them to be trusting, kind and understanding of others. The school has high expectations of all pupils. Pupils work hard and achieve highly, including in national assessments.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. This starts in Nursery. Children respond well to the routines that are in place and show increasing levels of independence. Across the school, pupils are exceptionally polite and well mannered. They routinely follow the school rules and understand how this helps them to be respectful and ready to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy warm and supportive relationships with adults. The school knows its pupils well. As a result, pupils trust adults to listen and help them with any worries or concerns they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the wide range of clubs on offer to them such as art, sewing and football. They are proud to represent the school in sporting competitions. Pupils have many opportunities to develop their leadership skills which include house captains, e-safety champions and buddies. They say these roles make them feel trusted and give them the confidence to try new things.

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The school has designed an ambitious curriculum. It makes clear the precise knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn from the early years to Year 6. In most subjects, pupils build their knowledge and skills well. In mathematics, for example, children in the early years confidently recall simple number facts. Older pupils use their previous knowledge of fractions to solve more complex worded problems. The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff use their training well to adapt learning for these pupils. Pupils with SEND benefit from the support they receive. For example, they use their mathematical understanding to confidently explain deliberate errors in calculations involving decimals.

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The school prioritises reading. Pupils read a range of texts with increasing fluency and expression. They talk confidently about how reading gives them inspiration for their own stories and helps them to learn new words. Children begin to learn to read as soon as they start school. In Nursery, there is a strong focus on developing children’s communication and language. Staff routinely introduce children to new words. Children respond well to this, using words such as ‘stripy’ to describe different objects. As they move through the school, pupils learn and remember new sounds well. If pupils fall behind, they receive the help and support they need to catch up quickly.

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Pupils learn well in most wider curriculum subjects. In history, for example, teachers design activities so that pupils build their knowledge of ancient Greece. They use questioning effectively to check and probe pupils’ understanding. Pupils use words such as ‘civilisation’ and ‘tyranny’ to describe features of ancient Greek life. However, in some other subjects, teachers do not check pupils’ learning well enough. Subsequent learning does not routinely build on what pupils already know. This prevents some pupils from deepening their understanding over time.

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Pupils behave exceptionally well during social times. They play well together and enjoy the activities on offer to them, such as the agility trail. In lessons, pupils focus and show positive attitudes towards their learning. They show high levels of respect when they move around the school.

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The school places a high importance on pupil attendance. It monitors attendance robustly and applies school procedures consistently. Where attendance is a concern, the school works closely with parents and provides effective support. Pupils attend school regularly because of this.

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The school provides an excellent range of opportunities that enhance pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn about the importance of treating everyone equally. A visit to the Houses of Parliament or school elections helps pupils to develop their understanding of democracy. Character development is a real strength. Pupils cook food for a local homeless shelter. They take part in projects that focus on sustainability. Pupils are well prepared for life beyond school.

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The governing body and trustees are ambitious for what the school can achieve. They accurately understand the school’s strengths and areas for development. Governors use their expertise well to provide appropriate support and challenge. Staff enjoy working at 19 and 20 November 2024

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the school. They value the team spirit that exists. Staff appreciate the training they receive which gives them the confidence and expertise they need to teach the curriculum well.

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Parents and carers speak highly about many aspects of the school’s work, including the community feel that exists and the support the school offers for pupils with SEND.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some wider curriculum subjects, staff do not check pupils’ prior learning well enough. As a result, new learning does not build securely on what pupils already know. This prevents some pupils from building a depth of knowledge over time. The school needs to ensure that staff check what pupils know and remember and then use this to inform future learning.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2019. 19 and 20 November 2024

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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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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 and 20 November 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up their post in September 2022.  The school is a Roman Catholic school, within the Diocese of Clifton. The last section 48 inspection took place in June 2022. The next section 48 inspection will take place up to five years after this time.  The school has provision for three- and four-year-olds.  There is a before- and an after-school club, which the governing body manages.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector 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. 19 and 20 November 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, subject leaders and the inclusion manager. He also met with groups of staff and pupils, the chair of trustees and representatives from the governing body.  The inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative from the diocese.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspector spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspector considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. He also took into consideration the online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Ben Jordan, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 19 and 20 November 2024

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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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