St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Swanage

St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Swanage

Address: Northbrook Road, Swanage, Dorset, BH19 1QE Unique reference number (URN): 140780

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The personal development curriculum supports pupils very effectively. Pupils recall their knowledge and understanding of key concepts such as difference, tolerance and understanding. They develop their understanding of differences across the world. They recall their learning about the challenges for some people living in Uganda and the hardships associated with poverty. Content enables pupils to reflect wisely, learn eagerly, behave with integrity and cooperate consistently well with others.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders use assemblies to provide rich opportunities for pupils to build their understanding of matters from the wider world. These experiences contribute strongly to pupils’ ability to reflect and to understand cultural differences from the experience of other children globally. The content helps pupils to develop a strong moral code on which to base decisions about their actions. The communal social experience promotes the school’s values through positive, collective community messages. Pupils have a detailed understanding of treating everyone fairly. This contributes to pupils' understanding of healthy relationships.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils proudly take on leadership roles, including house captains, chaplaincy and sports leadership. Opportunities provide them with an active voice and the chance to make a positive difference to the school and local community. Pupils become familiar with the terms ‘rule of law’ and 'democracy’. They use this knowledge when voting for leadership roles.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Alongside the taught curriculum, visits to local beaches, musical and sports performances enrich pupils’ experiences. Their views inform the wide range of clubs available. Leaders track and support full participation in any activity. Residential experiences for older pupils build their confidence to tackle unfamiliar challenges. Pupils are well prepared for the next phase of education.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities, including cricket, athletics and art club. They are rightly proud of their sporting successes at local and regional sporting competitions, including in netball, football and athletics. Pupils feel welcome, valued and respected and have a deep sense of belonging within the school community.

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Achievement Expected standard

Published outcomes over time show that by Year 6, pupils reach standards well above the national averages in reading and mathematics. In writing they achieve above other pupils nationally. Historically, standards in the Year 1 phonics check were below the national figures. In 2026, these rose markedly, representing leaders’ determined efforts to address this issue.

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Achievement Expected standard

Typically, disadvantaged pupils reach standards well above their peers nationally in reading and above in mathematics. However, a smaller proportion of pupils than that seen nationally go on to reach the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined.

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Achievement Expected standard

Across the curriculum, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, make secure progress. In history, they learn about changes over time when studying the impact of different art movements, technology or sporting developments. In geography, they develop an understanding of mountain landforms and tectonic formation. They confidently compare, group and classify everyday materials in science.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders work tirelessly to improve attendance and reduce persistent absence. Staff know that this is everyone’s responsibility. Office staff identify patterns, maintain a watch list and pass concerns to pastoral and senior leaders. Staff communicate with families closely and involve external agencies where appropriate. Leaders are aware of the barriers to attendance, such as dental or GP appointments being offered during the school day. They work with health partners to agree more flexible schedules. They know that when other schools have non-pupil days, the attendance for pupils who have siblings drops. They have made changes to the St Mary’s school calendar to mitigate against this in the future. Leaders provide minibus support for any pupil unable to travel to school.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

The school establishes calm, consistent routines throughout the school day. Pupils organise themselves efficiently, and classes settle quickly to purposeful activities. Staff provide positive support discreetly when pupils need any encouragement. This creates an orderly environment without unnecessary fuss or heightened anxiety. Rare incidents of bullying are managed effectively.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Across the school, pupils behave politely, work productively, and show respect for adults and one another. Classrooms are calm and productive, and pupils sustain their attention. Positive relationships support pupils’ willingness to learn, and staff respond sensitively to anxiety and attachment needs. The school recorded no suspensions during the previous 2 years.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders provide a broad and ambitious curriculum. Content gives a strong priority to the key knowledge pupils need in reading, writing and mathematics. Reading sits at the centre of the curriculum. Younger pupils develop the early knowledge of letters and the sounds they make to successfully master the phonics code. Teachers follow the phonics programme carefully and reinforce specific sounds through targeted intervention.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The English curriculum is impactful. Teachers connect reading, writing and wider curriculum content intelligently. Pupils study varied genres. They learn how text purpose, structure and organisation shape writing. Older pupils encounter demanding concepts such as migration, discrimination, colonialism and enslavement through carefully selected texts. This work broadens pupils’ knowledge beyond their immediate context and prepares them for life in modern Britain.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers generally present learning in a logical sequence. In Reception and Year 1, staff break down early reading and letter formation into manageable chunks. In Years 2 to 4, teachers skilfully use oral rehearsal and talk partners to develop pupils' understanding of inference and prediction. In Years 5 and 6, pupils experience increasingly complex work in mathematics, history, science and religious education. Work in pupils’ books shows that most pupils are working at an appropriate level for their age. However, some variation exists in pupils’ knowledge and understanding across wider subjects.

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Early years Expected standard

Children’s knowledge, skills and understanding of early reading, writing and mathematics are built securely. Staff routinely check that errors in letter formation and early writing are tackled quickly. They develop children’s language effectively when they share, respond, expand and talk about their mathematical thinking. Staff adapt their approaches and model spoken language clearly. Children are attentive and successful during whole-class or targeted group work.

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Early years Expected standard

The early years curriculum is balanced and well sequenced. Activities are planned so children can learn seamlessly between the indoor and outdoor areas. Children sustain their learning and deepen their interests. Staff routinely extend children’s ideas and vocabulary and ensure all areas of learning across the curriculum are covered. Staff checks on children’s learning and development are accurate. They adapt activities based on this information. For example, staff recognise when children’s fine motor skills need development and put in place useful additional activities.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff use high-quality texts to link learning and develop children’s understanding. They select books that enhance children’s knowledge of rhythm and rhyme and expand their vocabulary. Role play is used to repeat and rehearse real-life scenarios. Children build secure relationships with adults and learn how to socialise with their friends. They are well prepared for Year 1.

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Inclusion Expected standard

St Mary’s is a highly caring and inclusive school. Leaders and staff know their pupils and families extremely well. They provide sensitive academic, social and emotional support. Early support and intervention are the hallmarks of the school’s work. Staff use adapted teaching, pastoral support and specialist advice to help pupils participate in school life and flourish.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff maintain high expectations of all pupils. They support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively in the classroom. Leaders work positively with families. They draw effectively on local authority support and external professionals. Trusted relationships with families exist, with effective management and support of day-to-day concerns for pupils experiencing anxiety.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school’s use of additional funding is effective. Targeted support for disadvantaged pupils’ oral language and vocabulary skills is powerful. Teachers know pupils’ starting points and generally adapt teaching well. They use word banks, prompts, specific adult support and personalised interventions where necessary. However, leaders are yet to formalise support for pupils with identified social, emotional and mental health needs. For a small number of pupils for whom English is an additional language, their language development is not precisely checked. This means the support provided may not be matching their needs carefully enough.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders use their knowledge and experience to understand the school’s community deeply. They take professional decisions in the best interests of pupils. A clear and ambitious vision creates a stable, trusting and caring ethos. Leaders support staff wellbeing and draw effectively on the expertise of a well-established team. Leaders each have different yet relevant knowledge and skills, which they use to ensure comprehensive oversight of the school’s work.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure reading, phonics, curriculum development and adaptive teaching are a continuous focus. Improved phonics outcomes and pupils’ achievement over time show the impact of their work. The monitoring of teaching and the curriculum is generally accurate but at times lacks sharpness and precision. Leaders' self-evaluation does not fully distinguish clearly between effective practice, intended practice and demonstrated impact. This hampers even better improvements to specific aspects of the school’s work.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff support leaders fully. They appreciate the guidance and help they receive in managing their workload. Staff share the school’s values. Many staff have longstanding connections with the school. Consequently, staff retention is high. Some subject and middle leaders are keen to increase their contribution to school improvement and would like to do more.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The local governing body makes a positive contribution to school developments and has supportive relationships with parents. Governors receive relevant information from the school, which enables them to provide challenge and support. Trust oversight is detailed and well informed. A range of different internal and external information is used for ‘checks and balances’ to ensure a robust understanding of the school’s performance.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

St Mary’s is a safe, nurturing and highly inclusive school. Adults know pupils extremely well. They respond quickly to their personal circumstances and support their academic needs. Consequently, pupils feel confident and well cared for. They enjoy school and develop a lasting sense of belonging. Pupils make a difference to their community, for example when performing in the Purbeck arts and sports festivals. They represent their school with pride.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils behave thoughtfully. They display kindness and patience towards each other and staff. Playtimes and lunchtimes are calm and well managed, and pupils play and talk happily together. Bullying is extremely rare but is dealt with quickly if it ever happens.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Children in early years, as well as pupils who join the school in later years, start school successfully. Staff hold a deep understanding of the challenges affecting their learning and wellbeing. They swiftly identify barriers and take immediate action to reduce them. The school engages with parents and carers right from the outset, establishing trust and a shared understanding so pupils receive the correct help and support they need to succeed. Pupils enjoy learning an ambitious and interesting curriculum. For example, they study the Battle of Britain and understand the importance of the Amazon rainforest. They know the importance of the Nile and Mississippi rivers to commerce for those whose trade relies upon the waterways. Content is typically taught effectively so that pupils’ knowledge and understanding deepen over time. Leaders use their curriculum knowledge to adapt content for pupils’ differing needs as they move through the school. Therefore, the school’s provision

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

in reading, writing and mathematics ensures that pupils typically reach the standards expected of them by the time they leave. Achievement in reading and mathematics is often even better. By the end of Year 6, pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to develop approaches with key partners to sustain consistently good attendance and low levels of persistent absence. Leaders at all levels should ensure school improvement plans, training and monitoring focus directly on teaching and curriculum developments so all pupils can consistently achieve well. Leaders should ensure that middle and subject leaders can contribute fully to school improvements.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Plymouth Catholic and Anglican 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), Zoe Batten, and overseen by a board of directors, chaired by John Andrews.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator and a group of staff to consider their views. The lead inspector held discussions with the CEO and director of education from the trust and with members of the trust board and local hub board.

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About this inspection

Inspectors visited all classrooms to look at pupils' work and the curriculum, and to speak with pupils about their learning and wider school activities.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with some parents at the start of the school day. They considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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About this inspection

Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Team inspectors:

Adam Matthews, Ofsted Inspector Lydia Pride, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 8 September 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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What does this mean?

The school is registered as having a Catholic religious character. It is in the Diocese of Plymouth. Its last section 48 inspection was on 5 and 6 November 2025.

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What does this mean?

The school does not use any alternative provision.

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What does this mean?

Headteacher: Alan Frame The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2024/25 (final) 65% 62% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 61% 60% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2023/24 (final) 79% 74% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (final) 77% 72% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2022/23 (final) 79% 73% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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average

2022/23 (final) 44% 44% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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average

2022/23 (final) 56% 58% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2022/23 (final) 56% 59% Close to average

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 6.6% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 16.7% 14.6% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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