Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School

Inspection of Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School Holbeach Gardens, Blackfen, Sidcup, Kent DA15 8QW

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 17 and 18 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very well supported to succeed at Our Lady of the Rosary Catholic Primary School. The clear strategic vision is embodied in the school’s motto of ‘faith, love and learning’. Pupils are safe and happy, knowing that staff will help them if they have any concerns. This is a highly inclusive school where every pupil is valued as a unique individual.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of all pupils. Pupils show strong attitudes to their learning, work hard and achieve well. From the early years onwards, children develop the knowledge and skills they need and show consistent enjoyment in their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is very effective. Pupils behave exceptionally well, demonstrating respect for one another and for staff. Younger children are supported well to settle into school life. They quickly understand the daily routines and expectations of them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish the many opportunities that the school gives them to develop leadership and responsibility, including being faith counsellors, play leaders and house captains. Pupils are taught the importance of being caring and compassionate young people. For instance, pupils regularly raise money for both local and global charities.

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

The school is sharply focused on making continuous improvements to the curriculum and the wider offer for pupils. The highly experienced governing body understands its role and knows the local community well. Leaders have high ambition for all pupils. Staff feel that their workload and well-being have been carefully considered. They benefit from high- quality training and professional development. Consequently, morale is high and there is a strong team spirit.

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

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum, which starts from the moment that children join the early years. The key knowledge and vocabulary they will learn is clearly set out in a logical order. The environment is carefully considered to give children access to the resources that they need to learn with growing independence. For example, there are many opportunities for children to practise mark making, which supports the development of early writing with increasing accuracy.

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

Staff quickly identify any additional needs that pupils may have. The school ensures that staff have the expertise to adapt learning appropriately to enable pupils with SEND to benefit from the curriculum. Pupils receive targeted support and access a range of external help, and as a result, achieve well.

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

Teachers’ use of careful questioning identifies what pupils have learned and remembered. Staff are experts in the delivery of the curriculum. Teachers encourage pupils to discuss their learning, which helps them build their confidence. They check pupils’ understanding 17 and 18 June 2025

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continuously and effectively. Teachers routinely recap learning, which helps pupils to retain important knowledge.

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The school has recently refined some aspects of its curriculum to ensure that pupils learn equally well across the breadth of subjects. In some instances, pupils’ progression through the curriculum is not as strong as the school intends. In these newly designed areas of the curriculum, some of the tasks provided do not support pupils to build effectively on their prior learning.

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There is a strong culture of reading across the school. Pupils become confident and fluent readers. This is because staff implement the phonics programme with precision. Pupils have opportunities to practise and apply what they have learned using books that are closely matched to their phonics knowledge. Staff make regular checks on pupils’ reading. Any pupils who fall behind benefit from effective support to catch up quickly. The school promotes a love of reading. The library spaces and book corners provide a rich range of texts from which pupils can choose.

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Behaviour in lessons is excellent. Pupils are respectful, polite and friendly. Lunchtimes are calm, with the playground an energetic, creative and welcoming environment. There are areas that offer a quieter place for those pupils who might find the playground overwhelming. The school takes a proactive stance in teaching pupils about bullying and discrimination. This contributes to an open culture where pupils feel secure and safe.

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Pupils are very well prepared for life in modern Britain. They have a deep knowledge of how different people live and why it is important to show respect to everyone. A wide variety of enrichment activities are available. Pupils take part in a range of clubs, including art, choir and musical theatre. There are many targeted opportunities for pupils to demonstrate and develop their sporting talents.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some areas of the curriculum, tasks and activities provided do not build well on pupils’ prior knowledge. Consequently, in these areas, pupils do not build up the depth of subject-specific knowledge and skills that the school intends. The school should ensure that staff choose activities that consistently reflect the ambition of the curriculum. 17 and 18 June 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). 17 and 18 June 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 January 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 Southwark. Its last section 48 inspection took place in March 2024. The next section 48 inspection will take place within the next five years.  The school has breakfast and after-school provision.  The school does not currently make use of 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. 17 and 18 June 2025

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 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of parents, 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 scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school

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and priorities for improvement as well as records related to attendance and behaviour.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, a selection of subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  Inspectors met with representatives from the governing body. They also spoke with the school improvement adviser and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors considered the views of pupils and staff, including through their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys. They also considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Robert Grice, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Barry Blakelock Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 June 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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