St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School, Langho

Overview

St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School is described as a “welcoming and inclusive” institution where pupils feel safe and valued. The report states that leaders have established an “ambitious curriculum” and that pupils achieve well in core subjects, with disadvantaged pupils performing particularly strongly compared to national averages.

Strengths

• Pupils achieve well in reading, writing, and mathematics, producing “high-quality work” and leaving well prepared for secondary school.
• Attendance is positive, with leaders successfully supporting disadvantaged pupils to attend regularly through “high expectations and well-established processes.”
• The school fosters an “orderly, safe and nurturing environment” where bullying is “seldom seen” and pupils demonstrate strong moral values and empathy.
• Staff provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, ensuring their needs are “quickly identified and addressed.”
• Early years provision helps children settle successfully, with staff using “interesting new words” and play to develop key skills and independence.

Areas to improve

• Leaders should ensure teachers promptly identify and address gaps in pupils’ writing knowledge and skills in key stage 1.
• Leaders should ensure teachers have the necessary subject knowledge to deliver all curriculum subjects as intended, particularly in a small number of areas where variability exists.

Safeguarding

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