Our Lady Queen of Martyrs Catholic Primary School - a Catholic Voluntary Academy

Overview

This inspection found a school where “pupils thrive” within a “nurturing environment” that is “at the heart of the local community.” The report highlights an “ambitious” curriculum underpinned by the school’s Catholic mission, resulting in pupils who demonstrate high levels of self-control and respect. While the quality of education and leadership are judged as good, the school excels in behaviour and personal development.

Strengths

• Pupils exhibit “high levels of self-control” and work with “sustained focus,” creating a “sense of calm” throughout the school.
• The curriculum is “well-sequenced” and ambitious, particularly in mathematics where there is a “strong focus on vocabulary, problem-solving and reasoning.”
• Personal development is outstanding, with pupils showing a “deep understanding of fundamental British values” and acting as “active citizens.”
• Early years provision offers a “balance between direct teacher input and well-planned play,” helping children grow in independence.
• Safeguarding arrangements are “effective,” with an open culture that puts pupils’ interests first.

Areas to improve

• In some foundation subjects, “teaching choices about how to deliver the key knowledge... are not precise enough,” causing confusion and hindering pupils’ ability to recall information.
• The new handwriting curriculum is at an “early stage of development,” leading to embedded inaccuracies in letter formation for older pupils that require urgent remediation.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”