St Clement's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Clement’s Catholic Primary School Fennells Mead, Chessington Road, Ewell, Epsom, Surrey KT17 1TX

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe, confident and happy. They are proud of their school. Pupils know and live the school’s values of ‘be kind, be ready, be truthful, be respectful and be our best’ thoroughly. A wide range of visiting speakers enrich the curriculum and help pupils to feel highly motivated and engaged. Pupils’ talents and interests are stretched through extensive sporting opportunities. These build strongly on pupils’ early experience of physical development, such as learning to use balance bikes in the Reception Year.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive through the roles and responsibilities that the school affords them. They are wonderful role models for each other. Older pupils are passionate about the positive difference they make to the life of the school and their community. Prefects, house captains, school councillors and prayer leaders all help the school’s mission of ‘growing together in love and learning’ to be realised. Pupils develop their character in an exemplary way and are well prepared for their next stage of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable. Staff apply the behaviour policy fairly and consistently. Staff have high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils meet these expectations readily. Almost all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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

Leaders say ‘reading is the pathway to the world’. They ensure that teaching reading is central to the school’s priorities. Staff deliver the phonics programme expertly, with strong subject knowledge. If any pupils fall behind in reading, they receive the support they 23 and 24 April 2025

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need to catch up with their peers quickly. Beginning in the Reception class, children enjoy engaging stories, rhymes and imaginative role-play activities that help them to develop a love of books. Children in the early years develop their knowledge and skills across all areas of learning securely. This helps them to be well prepared for Year 1 and beyond.

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The school has an ambitious curriculum. Staff have identified the precise knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn. The curriculum builds pupils’ knowledge in clear, logical steps. Pupils speak confidently and enthusiastically about their learning. For example, in history pupils explore key vocabulary, such as ‘ancient’ and ‘civilisation’, with insight, sharing their ideas avidly. Staff check what pupils understand in order to help them build on their prior knowledge successfully. However, in some subjects, staff are at an earlier stage of developing the expertise they need to implement the curriculum strongly. This means that, at times, information is not presented as clearly or revisited as effectively as it could be. As a result, a small number of pupils do not learn consistently as well as they could across the full curriculum.

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Pupils attend school regularly. The school intervenes quickly if pupils’ attendance begins to fall. It works closely and supportively with pupils and their families. The school uses attendance awards and thoughtful assemblies that help pupils to develop a strong sense of belonging. The school has very high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and conduct. From the beginning of the school day, pupils settle into routines quickly. Pupils in every class are quick to tackle their morning activities with focus and determination. Pupils with SEND have their needs identified quickly. Where necessary, the school works with external agencies and specialists to ensure that pupils with SEND get the support that they need. Across all year groups, pupils’ attitudes to learning are exceptionally positive.

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Pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils love the many music, arts and sporting activities available to them, including piano, taekwondo and gardening club. Pupils learn about their physical, mental and emotional development thoroughly, including how to stay safe when online. Pupils confidently understand how to keep their personal information safe.

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Governors understand their roles and responsibilities very well. They know the school’s strengths and priorities. At all levels, leadership exemplifies the school’s values and ethos. The open, caring culture helps staff to feel supported with their workload and well-being. This has helped to sustain high standards and to improve some aspects of the school’s provision over time. The school engages with parents and carers well. One parent summarised the thoughts of many others, describing their confidence in the school’s ability to ‘support our children to develop to be the best versions of themselves’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 23 and 24 April 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, some learning activities do not deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the curriculum as consistently and effectively as they could. As a result, a small proportion of pupils’ learning is not as effective as it could be. The school should support staff to develop the expertise needed to implement the curriculum as effectively as intended.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in April 2016.

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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. 23 and 24 April 2025

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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). 23 and 24 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a religious character. It is a Roman Catholic school in the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton. It was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in May 2019. The school’s next section 48 inspection will be within two school years.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school clubs.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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 his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other senior staff. 23 and 24 April 2025

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 The inspector met with the chair of governors, a representative from the local authority and 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.  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 extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interest first.  The inspector spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at breaktime and lunchtime.  The inspector met with groups of staff.  The inspector took account of the views expressed by parents and carers through Ofsted Parent View, including any free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Carl McCarthy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 23 and 24 April 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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