St Mary’s Catholic Primary Academy is a friendly and inclusive school. Staff have created an environment that helps pupils to feel happy, safe and welcome. This is a school where children come first. Staff get to know every pupil well. This gives pupils a strong sense of belonging and a feeling of safety and security. Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend regularly. They are proud of their school and being part of the school community. Pupils behave well in lessons and do their best. The school has high expectations of all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, the school has not ensured that pupils develop the depth of knowledge in some subjects that they should over time. Pupils learn less well in some subjects than others. The school has started to take the necessary steps to strengthen the curriculum in these subjects. Pupils love the school grounds, where they learn and play. These spaces are a special feature of the school. Pupils enjoy learning about environmental issues in forest school. They benefit from leadership roles in school, such as school councillors, ‘Mini Vinnies’, sports leaders and ‘kingdom kids’. These responsibilities prepare pupils well to become active, caring citizens.