St Margaret's Catholic Voluntary Academy

Overview

St Margaret’s Catholic Voluntary Academy continues to be a good school, offering a “small and caring school community” where pupils feel safe and well supported. Leaders have established high expectations for behaviour and a well-sequenced curriculum that effectively builds knowledge year on year, particularly in mathematics and reading. The school fosters strong personal development, with pupils demonstrating respect, empathy, and confidence in expressing their ideas.

Strengths

• Pupils thrive in a “happy and positive” environment where they “look out for each other” and trust adults to resolve friendship problems.
• The curriculum is “well-sequenced,” with careful consideration given to how learning builds in mixed-age classes, ensuring pupils retain knowledge effectively.
• Leaders prioritise reading, with teachers acting as “experts in the teaching of reading” who provide targeted support for those at risk of falling behind in phonics.
• Pupils develop strong personal qualities, including respect and teamwork, and are encouraged to be “positive advocates for the school.”
• Staff workload is managed effectively, with leaders ensuring responsibilities are “manageable” for staff in this small school setting.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must improve their oversight of provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), as targets and individual support are not defined clearly enough.
• Staff require better training and monitoring to ensure they understand which adjustments help SEND pupils succeed, preventing some from “not learning as well as they could.”

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with all staff receiving regular training and leaders acting “without delay” when concerns are raised to protect pupils.