St Margaret Mary RC Junior and Infant School

Inspection of St Margaret Mary RC Junior and Infant School Perry Common Road, Erdington, Birmingham, West Midlands B23 7AB

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 25 and 26 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff ‘live, love and learn’ together at St Margaret Mary, where every child is welcomed and nurtured. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils’ achievement. Pupils are fully involved in school life and achieve well, whatever barriers some may face. They are happy, enjoy coming to school each morning and attend well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is calm and orderly. Pupils behave well because they know exactly what staff expect of them. They know when and how to seek help. Pupils trust staff to take them seriously and to sort out any problems if they arise. This helps them to feel safe and cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school puts pupils’ personal development at the front and centre of its work. This promotes pupils’ understanding of their local, national and global community. Pupils enjoy taking part in a range of clubs and activities, which include a school choir. They develop a strong sense of responsibility through taking on leadership roles in the school council and parliament. Pupils say these roles give them a strong sense of responsibility.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious. The school ensures that the curriculum reflects the experiences and cultures of the local community. In each subject, leaders have identified the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. Furthermore, the early years curriculum is sequenced to give children a good start to their education. It connects to the key stage 1 curriculum and sets pupils up to succeed.

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

In the main, staff deliver the curriculum effectively so that pupils learn well. They select resources carefully so that pupils develop their understanding. Pupils have opportunities to recall their learning and practise what they know. Teachers check what pupils know and understand. They adapt learning so that pupils can catch up. However, in some subjects, teachers do not consistently identify pupils’ mistakes and spot when they are stuck. This means that pupils sometimes move on to new learning before they are ready. This hampers the progress that some make across the curriculum.

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

Reading is front and centre of the curriculum. The school’s aim that every child is a reader and that all staff are teachers of reading is realised. Pupils read and listen to a wide range of texts across genres. They particularly enjoy listening to adults read to them as part of the ‘reading diet’. The school has put in place a phonics programme that builds pupils’ knowledge well over time. Staff swiftly identify anyone falling behind and put in place effective support. The school works effectively with parents and carers to help them to support their child to read at home.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. The needs of pupils are identified early so that a range of strategies can be put in place to meet their needs. Effective training makes sure that teachers adapt learning for pupils with SEND, which enables them to learn well alongside their peers. 25 and 26 March 2025

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Children in the early years and across the school are well behaved. They are keen to learn and usually focus well in lessons. Staff support pupils successfully if they struggle with their behaviour. The school’s systems and procedures around attendance are highly effective. Concerns are picked up and addressed at an early stage. As a result, attendance is high.

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The personal development of pupils is well considered. Pupils have a strong understanding of being healthy, both physically and mentally. They develop a good understanding of relationship equalities and fundamental British values. Pupils are clear about the importance of treating everyone at school fairly and with respect. They know how to keep themselves safe, including online. The school provides opportunities for pupils to enrich their learning through a range of trips. For example, pupils explain how a visit to a chocolate factory helps them to develop their understanding of fair trade.

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Governors are well informed and forward thinking. This means that their work is very effective. They are committed to providing the right balance of challenge and support. The school provides staff with training that helps them to deliver the curriculum. However, leadership in some subjects is at an early stage of development. This means that the support that they provide is not yet having a consistent impact on children’s learning.

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The school prioritises staff’s well-being and considers their workload carefully. Staff feel listened to, valued and trusted.

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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 do not use assessment well enough to recognise what pupils can do and understand. This means that pupils either move on to new learning before they are ready or do not have the opportunities to deepen their understanding further. The school needs to ensure that teachers use assessment effectively across all subjects and use this information to inform future learning.  Leadership in some subjects is at an early stage of development. Leaders do not have a sufficiently clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in their subjects and in what they need to do to support staff to implement the curriculum more effectively. The school must ensure that it develops expertise in subject leadership so that teachers are supported to implement the curriculum effectively. 25 and 26 March 2025

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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). 25 and 26 March 2025

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School details

Chair of governing body Father Simon Ellis

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 March 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This Roman Catholic school is part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. The last section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character took place in March 2022.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 25 and 26 March 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, computing and design technology. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors had formal meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, subject leaders, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, the designated safeguarding lead and the leader responsible for early years.  The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority and the archdiocese.

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 Inspectors met with members of staff and spoke to pupils formally and informally at various points in the inspection to gather general information about school life. They took account of responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the online staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors spoke informally with parents on arrival to school.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s extra-curricular activities, enrichment programme and personal development programme with leaders.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans, records of governance and documentation relating to attendance and pupils’ behaviour.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Su Plant, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Darren King Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 March 2025

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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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