Ofsted conducted a monitoring inspection of St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School in Stockport on November 1 and 2, 2023. This inspection was the first since the school was placed in special measures following a graded inspection in January 2022. The purpose of the monitoring inspection was to assess the progress made by the school since the last inspection, rather than to provide an overall effectiveness grade.
The findings indicate that St Mary’s remains inadequate and continues to require special measures. Leaders have not made sufficient progress in improving the school. The school is not permitted to appoint early career teachers before the next monitoring inspection. Urgent actions are needed, including a comprehensive review of the curriculum from early years to Year 6 to ensure it is ambitious and logically sequenced. Additionally, the teaching of phonics must be improved to help Reception class children catch up effectively.
Since the last inspection, there have been significant changes in governance. A joint executive board was established in September 2022 to enhance the governing body’s effectiveness, and new governors have been appointed. An executive headteacher was appointed on October 31, 2023, but the school currently lacks a deputy headteacher. The governing body has struggled to accept the previous inspection findings, which has hindered progress. This reluctance has resulted in a slow start to the school’s improvement journey, negatively impacting pupils who continue to receive a poor quality of education.
Concerns regarding the school’s financial viability have delayed its progress toward academisation. The school’s capacity to improve remains reliant on external support. Although there have been some positive developments, such as a review of the curriculum that now covers all national curriculum subjects, the overall progress has been slow. Key weaknesses in curriculum development persist, with insufficient attention given to the knowledge pupils need to learn and the order in which it should be taught. This lack of coherence between early years and key stage one is preventing pupils from building on their knowledge effectively.
The teaching of reading has not improved adequately. Early years children struggle with phonics, and older pupils often receive reading materials that are too challenging, hindering their reading proficiency and confidence. This weakness in reading also affects their spelling and writing skills across various subjects. Consequently, pupils, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, are not achieving as well as they should.
While the school is making strides in improving attendance, engagement with learning remains a challenge. Some staff do not maintain high expectations for pupil behavior, leading to instances of low-level disruption that affect the learning environment. Limited efforts have been made to enhance pupils’ personal development, with recent initiatives not sufficiently preparing them for life in modern Britain.
Governance has shown signs of improvement, with recent changes allowing for greater challenge to school leaders. However, these changes are too recent to have had a significant impact. The school has received external support for staff training, but this has not yet translated into effective curriculum design and delivery.
In summary, St Mary’s Roman Catholic Primary School continues to face significant challenges in its journey toward improvement. The lack of progress in key areas such as curriculum development, reading instruction, and pupil engagement highlights the urgent need for effective leadership and governance to ensure that pupils receive the quality of education they deserve.
