St Mary's Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy

Inspection of St Mary’s Catholic Primary School - a Catholic voluntary academy Highfield Road, Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 7DB

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Helen Davenport. This school is part of the Nicholas Postgate Catholic 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), Hugh Hegarty, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Karen Siedle.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected St Mary’s Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Malton, to be outstanding for overall effectiveness before it opened as an academy. 10 and 11 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Mary’s is a caring, nurturing school, where happy children enjoy learning. Pupils’ attitudes towards learning are very positive. Their behaviour in class and during social times is calm and sensible. As a result, friendships and learning flourish.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school helps pupils to develop their awareness of the world. Pupils care about their community. They support local causes. This includes raising money for charities and influencing traffic management near the school. Pupils enjoy making a positive difference to the school and the community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum from early years through to the end of Year 6 focuses on meeting the needs of pupils. The school makes sure all pupils can access a wide and balanced curriculum. This helps pupils to develop their knowledge in the different subjects. Staff and families have high ambitions for pupils, including for them to do well in school and to be caring, well-rounded members of the local community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are encouraged to express themselves in speech. They thoughtfully use words to share how they feel, talk about their work and discuss opinions. For example, in art, pupils confidently talk about the unique styles that artists use in creating their artwork.

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

The school sparks a desire to learn in pupils from Nursery until the end of Year 6. Caring staff with strong curriculum knowledge give pupils a thirst for knowledge.

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

The school has refined and developed the content in each of its curriculum subjects over time. The school has thoughtfully identified what pupils need to learn and remember across subjects. Pupils can recall prior learning well. For example, they apply their geographical knowledge of the location of the equator effectively in science lessons. Some changes in the school’s curriculum have occurred more recently and are not fully embedded. The full impact of these changes is still unfolding and not fully reflected in pupils’ learning.

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

Children in the early years benefit from superb provision. Staff use the environment and resources very well to help children learn and develop. Children love to perform. For example, they enjoy playing outside on a stage and designing and building spaces for role play. Staff engage in meaningful conversations with children with great skill. They give children time, space and encouragement to share their views. Pupils develop a wide vocabulary. They use words such as ‘transformation’ and ‘development’ to explain how tadpoles change into frogs.

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

Reading in school is an integral part of everyday life. Pupils value reading and talk with enthusiasm about the different books they enjoy. The two school libraries are places that draw the pupils in and allow them to access a wide variety of high-quality fiction and non- fiction texts. Teachers run regular sessions for pupils who are at the earliest stages of reading. They provide extra for pupils who need it. The support pupils receive for their 10 and 11 June 2025

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reading has a positive impact. Teacher’s map reading and vocabulary carefully across the curriculum to extend pupils’ learning. Staff create book corners in classrooms with carefully chosen texts linked to the subjects that pupils study.

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Staff assist pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to achieve positive progress in learning the curriculum. The school is inclusive. Knowing a child involves knowing their educational and social needs at St Mary’s. Staff act quickly to identify pupils’ needs and mobilise effective support. Clear communication between leaders and staff at the school helps many pupils with SEND to get appropriate support.

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Pupils’ behaviour is positive. Pupils value their time at school and attend well. In class, staff ensure that the vast majority of pupils pay attention and work without distraction. However, some strategies for pupil engagement are less embedded with some pupils needing further direction to draw their attention back to learning.

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Pupils benefit from an exceptional programme to enhance their personal development. The school develops pupils’ moral awareness and social skills through a carefully chosen range of activities, trips and clubs. Well-considered displays and carefully chosen texts encourage pupils to reflect upon important themes. The curriculum helps pupils to understand many of the important issues they will face in modern Britain. Pupils know how to stay safe. They can describe fundamental British values and apply them to their lives. They also welcome the differences between people.

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The governors, trustees and trust leaders work well together. They support and challenge each other, always putting the pupils’ interests first.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some aspects of the curriculum have undergone recent change and are not as fully implemented as other areas. Where this is the case, pupils’ learning is not as deep as it could be. The school should work with staff to embed curriculum changes so that this work further deepens pupils’ learning.

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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. 10 and 11 June 2025

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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). 10 and 11 June 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Nicholas Postgate Catholic Academy Trust.  St Mary’s Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy converted to become an academy school in July 2019. When the predecessor school, St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Malton, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding for overall effectiveness.  The school is a Roman Catholic school and is part of the Diocese of Middlesbrough.  The school’s last inspection under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 for schools of a religious character took place in June 2022.  The school does not currently use 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. 10 and 11 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.  The lead inspector met with the deputy CEO, chair of the trustees and members of the local governing body.  Inspectors met with senior and middle leaders, including those responsible for safeguarding, personal development, careers, attendance and behaviour.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at a range of information regarding behaviour. Inspectors observed the behaviour of pupils at social times.  Inspectors spoke with pupils and staff formally and informally throughout the

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inspection. Responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff, pupils and parents and carers were considered by the inspection team.  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

Richard Jones, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Georgina Chinaka His Majesty’s Inspector 10 and 11 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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