School report

St Marys Catholic Primary School

Ampthill Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight, PO33 1LJ

Inspection dates

67 November 2014
Previous inspection:

Good

This inspection:

Good

Leadership and management

Good

Behaviour and safety of pupils

Good

Quality of teaching

Good

Achievement of pupils

Good

Early years provision

Good

Overall effectiveness

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.
The school is improving. This is because senior
leaders, by uniting the staff in support of their
aims and vision, have made sure that the quality
of teaching is consistently good. They have also
ensured that teachers checks on the standard of
pupils work is now accurate.
Pupils attainment in English and mathematics has
risen steadily over the last few years, and is now
above average.
Pupils make good progress in a range of subjects
throughout the school.
Teachers subject knowledge is good. This enables
them to explain tasks and topics clearly and
accurately to pupils. Teachers establish good
working relationships with them.

Pupils behave well in class and around the school.

They respond quickly to teachers instructions and
show respect to them and towards each other.
The schools work to keep pupils safe is
outstanding. Pupils say they feel completely safe in
school and their parents agree.
Leaders have adapted the curriculum successfully.
It includes a variety of topics and events which
stimulate pupils interest and promote their spiritual,
moral, social and cultural development well.
Governors know how well pupils, including
disadvantaged and disabled pupils and those with
special educational needs, are achieving and what
leaders are doing to improve teaching.
Children in the Reception class make a good start to
their formal education and achieve well.

It is not yet an outstanding school because

Achievement is not outstanding because pupils do Teachers do not always give pupils sufficiently
not make rapid and sustained progress from their
precise comments on their work or opportunities to
starting points.
act on their advice.
Teachers do not always set work at the right level. Not all schools leaders are contributing to
improving teaching and pupils achievement.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 10 lessons or part-lessons, taught by 10 teachers, two of
which were observed jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors observed all the classes in the school at least
once. They also made shorter visits to a number of other lessons and activities. Inspectors attended an
assembly, examined samples of pupils written work together with a senior leader, and listened to pupils
read.
Inspectors held discussions with groups of pupils, the Chair and two other members of the Governing
Body, as well as with staff. The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative from
the local authority. Inspectors also held informal discussions with a number of parents.
The inspectors observed the schools work and looked at a range of documents, including the schools
information on pupils attainment and progress, and records of attendance. They examined safeguarding
procedures and records of the schools own lesson observations, as well as the schools self-evaluation,
performance management and planning documents.
In planning and carrying out the inspection, inspectors took account of 50 responses to the Ofsted online
survey, Parent View. They also considered five messages from parents, and 23 questionnaires completed
by members of the teaching and support staff.

Inspection team
Robin Gaff, Lead inspector

Additional Inspector

Veronica Young

Additional Inspector

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Full report
Information about this school

This school is smaller than the averaged-sized primary school.

Most pupils are from White British backgrounds.
Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage full time in the Reception class.
About one in eight pupils is eligible for the pupil premium. This is additional government funding provided
for disadvantaged children who are looked after or known to be eligible for free school meals. This
proportion is below the national average.
There is a below average proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.
An above average proportion of pupils join or leave the school at other than the usual times.
The school meets the governments current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for
pupils attainment and progress in English and mathematics.
The school is part of a federation together with St Thomas of Canterbury Catholic Primary School in
Carisbrooke. The two schools share a single governing body and are led by an executive headteacher.
The school runs a breakfast and after-school club each school day for its own pupils.
There is an independent pre-school on the school site. This is subject to separate inspection
arrangements.
Since the schools last inspection, there have been several changes in staffing. These include the executive
headteacher, who was appointed to her post in September 2013. A number of other members of staff
have been appointed in recent years to positions of responsibility within the school and across the
federation.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

Enable pupils to make rapid and sustained progress throughout the school by ensuring that teachers
always:
give pupils work that is set at the right level
provide pupils with detailed written advice about how to improve their work, and regular opportunities
for them to respond to their comments.
Make sure that leaders who have specific responsibility for areas of the schools work play a full part in
improving the quality of teaching and pupils achievement.

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Inspection judgements
The leadership and management

are good

The executive headteacher and her senior colleagues have an accurate view of the schools performance
and are determined to do what it takes to improve the school further. Staff fully support the senior teams
ambition to make the school outstanding and are keen to develop their own practice.
Senior leaders have ensured that the quality of teaching is consistently good. This has been achieved
through regular observing teaching and keeping a close eye on pupils work. Leaders have not shied away
from tackling underperformance and teachers receive additional training and support if they need it. Any
pay increases are explicitly linked to teachers progress in reaching their targets, which are in turn closely
related to raising pupils achievement.
Leaders have also ensured that the schools systems for assessing pupils attainment and progress,
especially at Key Stage 1, are now robust. This means that staff can quickly identify pupils who are at risk
of falling behind and swiftly give them the support they need to enable them to catch up.
Staff who are responsible for particular areas of the schools work, (sometimes known as middle leaders)
some of whom are relatively new to their posts, are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about their roles.
They are not all as yet, however, contributing fully to the improvement of teaching and learning by, for
example, observing lessons or examining pupils work in detail. This is why leadership and management
are not outstanding.
Leaders have made good use of additional government funding to improve pupils achievement and
enhance their well-being. They have used the extra money for disadvantaged pupils to good effect by
giving them increased support in and outside of the classroom. They have also ensured that no one is
prevented from taking part in school trips for financial reasons.
Sport premium funding has been used effectively, including to provide training for teachers to improve
their levels of skill and confidence in teaching physical education. Pupils participation in physical activity
has increased, as has their awareness of its contribution to healthy lifestyles.
The school has embraced the new primary curriculum. Leaders have used it as a springboard to increase,
in particular, pupils opportunities to write about topics that interest them. It has also enabled the school
to promote even more effectively pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
Pupils benefit from a good variety of activities, events and after-school clubs. They especially enjoyed
being young archaeologists as a visiting speaker helped them to prepare to take part in the excavation of
a Roman site. Pupils learn about different faiths and traditions, which helps them to prepare for life in
modern Britain. Pupils enjoy attending the breakfast and after-school club, where the school provides
them with a safe and stimulating environment for learning and play.
The local authority has supported the school well, for example by helping leaders to improve the quality of
teaching in mathematics.
The federation has had a positive impact on the school. It has, for instance, enabled teachers to share
their expertise in different subject areas with one another.
Most of the parents who responded to the Parent View survey or communicated their views directly to
inspectors, were supportive of the school and its leaders. A very large majority believe that the school
makes sure its pupils are well behaved.
The governance of the school:
Governors visit the school frequently and share their findings with one another and with senior leaders.
They have a good knowledge of how well pupils are performing academically compared with those in
other schools. They ensure equal opportunities wherever possible. They are prepared to hold leaders to
account for closing any gaps in pupils learning. Governors know what leaders are doing to ensure that
teaching is consistently good by setting staff challenging, but realistic, targets. They also understand
and support what is being done to reward good teaching and to tackle the causes of weaker practice.
They also understand the links between teachers pay and pupils achievement. Governors make sure
that the schools budget is well managed and well used, and understand the impact its use is having on
pupils achievement and their personal development. They ensure that the schools arrangements for
safeguarding pupils are robust and comply with national regulations.

Inspection report: St Marys Catholic Primary School, 67 November 2014

The behaviour and safety of pupils

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are good

Behaviour
The behaviour of pupils is good.
Pupils are eager to learn and come to school ready to do so. They say that behaviour in class is typically
good and that teachers deal quickly and effectively with any instances of poor behaviour.
Pupils behave sensibly and responsibly around the school, in the playground and during assemblies. They
are considerate of one another, and are polite and helpful to adults, including visitors. Pupils from
different backgrounds relate well to one another and there is no evidence of any discrimination.
Pupils good presentation of their work shows the pride they take in it. Pupils also take good care of the
school environment, and there is no litter to be seen.
Pupils understand about different types of bullying. They say that they have few concerns about it
because it is rare. They say that staff quickly nip it in the bud if it does occur and help them to overcome
any disputes and disagreements.
Behaviour is not outstanding because, occasionally, pupils effort and attention lapse when classroom
activities are not planned well enough to maintain their interest.
Safety
The schools work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.
None of the pupils, or parents or members of staff whom inspectors spoke to or who responded to the
Parent View and staff surveys, raised any concerns about pupils safety.
Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe, for example when using the
internet or playground equipment.
Pupils attendance has improved significantly in recent years and is now above the national average.
Child protection procedures, including those that are specific to early years, fully meet government
requirements.

The quality of teaching

is good

Teachers, including in the Reception class, make their expectations clear to pupils and establish good
routines with regard to both work and behaviour.
Teachers have a good grasp of the different subjects they teach, including reading, writing and
mathematics. As a result, they are able to give their pupils accurate information and demonstrate
successfully the skills which they intend pupils to learn. These include phonics (the links between letters
and sounds) in reading, solving mathematical problems and using punctuation correctly in writing.
Teachers make good use of questioning to check that pupils have understood tasks, and use pupils
answers skilfully to extend their knowledge. When they see that pupils are struggling to complete a task
or have finished sooner than planned, they adapt activities accordingly.
Most tasks are well adapted to pupils needs and succeed in engaging and maintaining their interest and
enthusiasm. Teachers use different strategies in order to do this, some of which are innovative and lead,
on occasion, to pupils making outstanding progress.
Teachers make sure that, usually, tasks are neither too easy nor too difficult. When asked about this,
pupils said that, mostly, the level of difficulty of their work was just right. Occasionally, however,
activities are not set at the right level, which slows the progress that some pupils can make. This is why
teaching is not outstanding.
Teachers mark pupils work at sufficiently regular intervals. They often give pupils detailed, helpful advice
about how they can make their work even better, but this is not always the case. Sometimes, teachers
comments are too brief or too imprecise to enable pupils to know what they need to do to improve.
Teachers do not always make sure that pupils have benefited from their comments by, for example,
correcting their own work after it has been marked.

Inspection report: St Marys Catholic Primary School, 67 November 2014

The achievement of pupils

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is good

Pupils from different backgrounds, those who join the school at other than the normal time and those
who are learning English as an additional language achieve well. Pupils levels of attainment ensure that
they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.
Pupils attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2, as shown by their
performance in national tests at the end of Year 6, has risen significantly in recent years. Standards are
now above the national average and have risen at a faster rate than found nationally. Pupils attainment
by the end of Key Stage 1 has also risen and is above average. It is well above average in writing.
By the time they leave the school, pupils make good progress from their starting points in both English
and mathematics. This is not supported by progress information reported in national performance tables.
However, this is because the schools checks on pupils attainment in Key Stage 1, on which these figures
are based, were inaccurate. This situation has now been rectified.
Current pupils work, including in both Years 2 and 6, as well as the schools own reliable records of
checks on pupils attainment and progress, confirms that they are achieving well. Leaders have
recognised that pupils, especially boys, were making less progress than they could have done and have
introduced measures which have resulted in considerable improvement. Boys and girls now write
accurately and perceptively, in a range of styles and for different purposes, including reports, letters and
poems.
Pupils say they enjoy reading and are keen to talk about the books they have read. They read fluently
and accurately, showing that they have a secure grasp of phonics, and with a good sense of meaning.
Pupils gain a good understanding of how to solve mathematical problems and learn the basic skills, such
as using multiplication tables, which enable them to do so.
When progress is slower, this is usually because teachers have not adapted activities sufficiently well to
pupils different interests and abilities.
The most able pupils make good progress in English, mathematics and in a range of other subjects,
including history and French. This is because teachers have high expectations of them and give them
tasks which suit their abilities. For example, in an English session, the teacher realised that the most able
pupils had finished the task they had been given more quickly than expected. He then provided them
with an extra challenge by giving them additional work, which enabled them to extend their knowledge
and skills.
The learning and progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are similar to that
of other pupils in the school. They achieve well because teachers and teaching assistants work in
partnership. This ensures that these pupils are able to cope well with tasks which are specially adapted to
suit their needs. This demonstrates the schools effective promotion of equality of opportunity.
The school makes good use of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils, for example by providing
them with one-to-one teaching in areas where they need particular help. This enables these pupils to
make good progress and to close any gaps between their attainment and that of other pupils.
In 2014, the results of disadvantaged pupils in national tests in English and mathematics at the end of
Year 6 indicated that these pupils were more than a year behind other pupils in the school. The results
also showed that the pupils were just over two terms behind all pupils nationally. However, these results
were not typical of the standards usually reached by this group of pupils. In previous years, their
attainment had been ahead of or similar to that of other pupils. This is also the case for disadvantaged
pupils currently at the school.

The early years provision

is good

Children join the Reception class with differing levels of skills and knowledge. They make good progress
in all areas of their learning and development, and as a result, they are well prepared to start Key Stage
1. This is because they benefit from consistently good teaching.
Parents who spoke or wrote to the inspectors were extremely complimentary about the speed with which
their children had settled in at school. Parents were particularly impressed with how quickly their children
became independent and their progress in learning to read. As one parent said of her child, In a few
short weeks, he has gone from having a basic knowledge of the alphabet to being able to read us short
stories.
Adults give children good opportunities for learning, both in the classroom and in the outdoor area, where
they learn to play safely and respect each others space. Indoors, children develop their basic writing
skills as, for example, they label their own paintings and drawings. Staff observe children carefully at

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work and at play. They adapt activities well to suit childrens needs and interests. Safety routines are well
established and effective.
Children behave well. For instance, at the end of the school day they listened intently to one another as
they spoke to the class about what they had done, and responded quickly to the teachers instructions.
This showed that they are learning good habits and that adults are promoting their moral and social
development well.
Leaders have a very good understanding of what makes for good early years provision, and of what they
need to do to make it even better. They recognise, for example, that not all children in the past have
achieved their potential, because barriers to learning for individuals have not been picked up early
enough.

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What inspection judgements mean

School
Grade

Judgement

Description

Grade 1

Outstanding

An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that

provide exceptionally well for all its pupils needs. This ensures that pupils
are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or
employment.

Grade 2

Good

A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all
its pupils needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their
education, training or employment.

Grade 3

Requires
improvement

A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not
inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months
from the date of this inspection.

Grade 4

Inadequate

A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires

significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to
be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by
Ofsted inspectors.
A school that requires special measures is one where the school is failing
to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the schools
leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have
the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This
school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

Inspection report: St Marys Catholic Primary School, 67 November 2014

School details
Unique reference number

118195

Local authority

Isle of Wight

Inspection number

449120

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

Type of school

Primary

School category

Voluntary aided

Age range of pupils

411

Gender of pupils

Mixed

Number of pupils on the school roll

209

Appropriate authority

The governing body

Chair

Katrina Rigby

Executive headteacher

Janet Tuck

Date of previous school inspection

2223 June 2011

Telephone number

01983 562000

Fax number

01983 810681

Email address

admin.stmarys@lineone.net

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Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the
guidance raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsteds website:
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123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk.
You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your childs school. Ofsted
will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to
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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about
schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link
on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to
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for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.
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