St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Great Eccleston

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Great Eccleston St Mary's Road, Great Eccleston, Preston, Lancashire PR3 0ZJ

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Outcome

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

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Outcome

The head of this school is Jennifer Birch. This school is part of The Blessed Edward Bamber Multi-Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Helen O’Neill, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Elizabeth Kelly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well known and celebrated at this inclusive, close-knit school. Pupils say that the school is a fun and exciting place to be. They arrive cheerfully each day and enjoy their time in this thriving hub of the community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit greatly from the warm, caring interactions that they have with each other and with adults in school. Older and younger pupils play joyfully together at breaktimes. Throughout the school, pupils welcome visitors with kind words and ready smiles.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate their learning. They are attentive in lessons. Many pupils meet the school’s high expectations for their academic and wider achievement. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school places great emphasis on helping to prepare pupils for life beyond the academic. Pupils learn important life skills such as teamwork and independence through residential visits in key stage 2. Pupils throughout the school learn about staying safe, both online and in their local community. The school enhances this learning through activities and trips. For example, pupils learn how to ride bikes safely on the road and visit a Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) station to learn about water safety. 1 July 2025

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has undergone a period of flux in school leadership and staffing. Trustees and governors, together with the school, have ensured that pupils’ well-being and achievement remains at the forefront of their actions. Pupils and their families have benefited from this conscious decision. The school is well-placed to continue to drive effective practice.

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

Reading is central to the curriculum. From the very start of their time in school, children in the Reception Year begin to learn to read, through the school’s chosen phonics programme. Well-trained staff ensure that pupils keep up with the pace of the programme. Any pupils who find learning to read difficult are quickly spotted and offered additional support. This means that by the time pupils finish Year 2, most can read with fluency and confidence. Older pupils can choose from the wide range of books that the school has carefully selected. These include texts to showcase people from different backgrounds, which help to develop pupils’ understanding of diversity. Pupils enjoy taking part in activities which help to encourage their love of reading, such as celebrating World Book Day and running book swap fairs.

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

The school has recently revised some aspects of its curriculum to accommodate the mixed-age classes. For the most part, the curriculum is clearly mapped out so that staff know what content to deliver and the order in which to do so. However, in a small number of subjects, including the writing curriculum, the school has not set out the small steps of knowledge that pupils will learn. This means that, in these subjects, some pupils do not build as secure a body of knowledge as the school intends.

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

Pupils learn well and, by the time that they leave Year 6, most are ready for the next stage of their education. Staff choose appropriate activities which help pupils to practise and apply their learning. Pupils can speak about their learning and, where subject-specific vocabulary is introduced, they use this to deepen their understanding. Staff evaluate how much pupils know and remember by carrying out checks on pupils’ learning. Typically, they use this information to resolve any misunderstandings that pupils may have. Occasionally, some mistakes in pupils’ spelling, grammar and handwriting go unaddressed. Consequently, some pupils carry gaps in their foundational knowledge which continue over time.

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

Pupils with SEND are supported well. The school follows clear approaches to quickly identify and provide support for any pupils who may need it. Staff have received training on how to adapt learning to enable pupils with SEND to access the full curriculum.

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

Throughout the school, pupils, and children in the early years, are confident and polite. Pupils are proud to attend. There is a strong sense of community across the school. Pupils take part in activities to support their locality, such as singing for community members and litter picking. The school helps pupils to learn about becoming active citizens who are prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils relish being able to take on leadership roles and positions of responsibility, such as house captains, school councillors, and the prestigious role of ringing the school bell to announce session timings. 1 July 2025

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Staff are proud to be part of the school team. They appreciate the consideration that is given to their well-being, particularly in support of managing their workload. This positivity permeates the school, making it a happy and productive place to be.

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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, the curriculum does not set out the precise knowledge that pupils should learn and when this should happen. Occasionally, this prevents some pupils from developing a deep and rich body of subject knowledge. The school should refine its curriculum thinking in these subjects so that staff are clear about the important knowledge that pupils should know and remember and when this should be taught.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, errors in pupils’ work go unaddressed, notably in spellings and in their grammar and handwriting. This impedes pupils’ application of their foundational knowledge in writing across the full breadth of curriculum subjects. The school should ensure that staff have the appropriate knowledge and guidance to consistently identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge to improve the accuracy of pupils’ written work.

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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. 1 July 2025

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Great Eccleston, to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2011.

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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). 1 July 2025

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School details

Website www.st-marysgreateccleston.lancs.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This school is part of The Blessed Edward Bamber Multi-Academy Trust.  St Mary’s Catholic Primary School converted to become an academy school in September 2022. When its predecessor school of the same name was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  This a Roman Catholic school, which is part of the Diocese of Lancaster.  The school’s most recent section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in May 2023. Its next section 48 inspection is not due before the academic year starting in September 2028.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection. 1 July 2025

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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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and reviewed curriculum documentation.  The lead inspector observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher and other leaders in school and from the trust.  The lead inspector held meetings with the CEO and spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority and a representative from the Diocese of Lancaster.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. No staff responded to

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Information about this inspection

Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors met with leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors spoke with pupils during meetings and throughout the school day, including at break and lunch times. No pupils responded to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  Inspectors looked at a range of policies and documentation relating to pupils’ attendance, welfare and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also spoke with some parents and carers during the inspection.  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 safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Sheena Clark, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Gaynor Rennie Ofsted Inspector 1 July 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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