Ofsted has praised St Mary’s Catholic Primary at Weston in Bath as a “caring school where everyone feels welcome”.
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In a report published this week following an inspection last month, the inspectors also say that pupils are happy and live out the school’s mission statement by being kind and helping each other.
From September 2024 schools are not given an overall effectiveness grade but the inspectors said that during their visit to the school at Penn Hill Road it was good in terms of quality of education, leadership and management, pupils’ behaviour and attitudes and their personal development.
The school’s last full inspection by Ofsted was nine years ago when it was rated as Good.
The latest report says the school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve, which motivates them to try hard. They are confident and enthusiastic to learn.
The inspectors say: “The school has reviewed some subjects within the curriculum, following a drop in outcomes for pupils in Key Stage 1. These new curriculums are well thought out and carefully sequenced.
“Staff know precisely what to teach. They build in opportunities for pupils to recall their knowledge.
“However, in some subjects, the school does not check if pupils have remembered essential knowledge. This means some pupils cannot recall what they have learned, so they do not build their knowledge securely.”
The school is said to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to learn the same curriculum as their peers.
There is a personal, social and health education curriculum that supports pupils to be safe and develop their character. Alongside this, the school plans wider opportunities to enrich pupils’ experiences including an arts week and in sports tournaments, where they achieve well.
A “sharp focus” is kept on attendance. When it falls, appropriate action is taken and the school works with families to improve it. As a result, attendance is improving.
Governors are said to be knowledgeable of the school’s strengths and development areas and staff value the school’s awareness of their well-being and the support they receive to carry out their roles effectively.
The school has 189 children on the roll and parents and carers say they value its small size and nurturing environment.
