St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Ulverston

Overview

The report describes a school where leaders have established a "welcoming and supportive environment" with "high expectations" for all pupils. It highlights that the school provides a "broad curriculum" that is "appropriately ambitious and engaging," resulting in pupils who are "extremely well prepared to become mature and responsible members of the school and wider community."

Strengths

• The early years curriculum is "well structured" with a "central focus on developing children’s communication and language," ensuring children are "prepared extremely well for their next steps."
• Inclusion is rated at a "Strong standard," with leaders identifying needs "at the earliest opportunity" and using strategies to "reduce barriers to their learning" so pupils "participate fully."
• Personal development is "highly-effective," helping pupils gain a "deep knowledge of their own and other faiths" and a "highly developed sense of right and wrong."
• Pupils "achieve well" in reading, writing, and mathematics, with attainment typically "close to, and sometimes above, the national average."
• Attendance rates are "consistently above the national average," with a "significant reduction in the rate of persistent absence."

Areas to improve

• Leaders should ensure staff "consistently and effectively address basic errors in pupils’ handwriting, spelling and punctuation so that these do not persist."
• Leaders should ensure teachers apply "consistent expectations of behaviour in lessons so that pupils remain focused and do not distract others from their learning."

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders having "established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed."