St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School
Catchment Area, Reviews and Key Information

Primary
PUPILS
115
AGES
5 - 11
GENDER
Mixed
TYPE
Voluntary aided school
SCHOOL GUIDE RATING
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Can I Get My Child Into This School?

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This pupil heat map shows where pupils currently attending the school live.
The concentration of pupils shows likelihood of admission based on distance criteria

Source: All attending pupils National School Census Data, ONS
0300 123 6707

This School Guide heat map has been plotted using official pupil data taken from the last School Census collected by the Department for Education. It is a visualisation of where pupils lived at the time of the annual School Census.

Our heat maps use groups of postcodes, not individual postcodes, and have naturally soft edges. All pupils are included in the mapping (i.e. children with siblings already at the school, high priority pupils and selective and/or religious admissions) but we may have removed statistical ‘outliers’ with more remote postcodes that do not reflect majority admissions.

For some schools, the heat map may be a useful indicator of the catchment area but our heat maps are not the same as catchment area maps. Catchment area maps, published by the school or local authority, are based on geographical admissions criteria and show actual cut-off distances and pre-defined catchment areas for a single admission year.

This information is provided as a guide only. The criteria in which schools use to allocate places in the event that they are oversubscribed can and do vary between schools and over time. These criteria can include distance from the school and sometimes specific catchment areas but can also include, amongst others, priority for siblings, children of a particular faith or specific feeder schools. Living in an area where children have previously attended a school does not guarantee admission to the school in future years. Always check with the school’s own admission authority for the current admission arrangements.

3 steps to help parents gather catchment information for a school:

  1. Look at our school catchment area guide for more information on heat maps. They give a useful indicator of the general areas that admit pupils to the school. This visualisation is based on all attending pupils present at the time of the annual School Census.
  2. Use the link to the Local Authority Contact (above) to find catchment area information based on a single admission year. This is very important if you are considering applying to a school.
  3. On each school page, use the link to visit the school website and find information on individual school admissions criteria. Geographical criteria are only applied after pupils have been admitted on higher priority criteria such as Looked After Children, SEN, siblings, etc.

How Does The School Perform?

Good
NATIONAL AVG. 2.09
Ofsted Inspection
(07/03/2023)
Full Report - All Reports
69%
NATIONAL AVG. 60%
% pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics



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Progress Compared With All Other Schools

UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Average (About 67% of schools in England) Above Average (About 6% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 9% of schools in England) UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 10% of schools in England) Below Average (About 9% of schools in England) Average (About 67% of schools in England) Above Average (About 6% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 8% of schools in England) UNLOCK Well Below Average (About 10% of schools in England) Below Average (About 11% of schools in England) Average (About 59% of schools in England) Above Average (About 11% of schools in England) Well Above Average (About 9% of schools in England)
Devonshire Drive
Clayton-le-Moors
Accrington
BB5 5RJ
01254231277

School Description

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You assumed the associate headteacher role, from January for three days each week, in very sad circumstances. You joined a school in which pupils, staff and parents were grieving the loss of a much-loved headteacher. Since then, you have worked very closely with the deputy headteacher, appointed in the previous year. The deputy headteacher is the acting headteacher for the two days you spend in your own school. This arrangement has worked very well. First and foremost, you and the deputy headteacher provided support for pupils and staff during a very difficult period. This support continues. Parents are fulsome in their praise for the way you, the deputy headteacher and staff cared for and helped their children deal with the situation. One commented, ‘This was done in the most amazing, honest and child-friendly way. Children were helped to look back on the good times and not to hold any emotion in.’ Within this extraordinary context, you and the deputy headteacher ensured that the school continued to thrive. The day-to-day business of learning lost no momentum and together you have implemented some notable improvements. Pupils and parents are highly appreciative of the new library, changes to the early years outdoor provision and the new laptop computers. Parents also commented favourably on improved communication via the school’s updated website and the new use of social media to keep them informed of what their children are learning from day to day. Less noticeable to parents and pupils, but crucially important to the school’s effectiveness, are the improvements that have been made to some core systems and processes. These include safeguarding, teachers’ assessment of pupils and accountability for their progress, school self-evaluation and development planning. The strength of teamwork between you and the deputy headteacher in making these improvements, and the sensitivity with which they have been implemented, is commendable. The wholly positive response from staff to the online survey is testament to this. You have been an excellent coach in developing the deputy headteacher’s leadership skills during your time as associate headteacher. Your deputy headteacher has been an exceptional role model for teaching and has successfully led improvements to reading and writing since he was appointed. He has welcomed the opportunities that governors have provided for him to lead the school alongside you and has demonstrated his worth. Pupils thrive and achieve well in this school, including those who are disadvantaged. Pupils work hard, enjoy learning and behave extremely well. They say that they feel safe. Pupils benefit immensely from good teaching and caring and trusting relationships with staff. Pupils know this and act in the same kind and considerate way with each other. This was evident in lessons and in the playground and summed up perfectly by one pupil’s comment, ‘We are gentle with each other.’ Parents recognise the value the school adds to their children’s all-round education and are overwhelmingly positive in their praise for the school. At the last inspection, the school was asked to improve pupils’ achievement in writing, including handwriting, and develop a more systematic approach to teaching grammar, punctuation and spelling. Most of these issues have been tackled. The most recent end of key stage 2 statutory assessments of Year 6 pupils’ writing showed that pupils’ progress was significantly above that of pupils nationally with the same starting points. Pupils’ attainment in writing was also significantly above average and boys and girls did equally well. Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities also achieved well. Improvements in writing are evident across the school. Grammar, punctuation and spelling are now taught consistently well. From a below-average position historically, most Year 6 pupils achieved the expected standard in this area in the 2016 tests, although spelling was not as strong. The school anticipates further improvements in this year’s tests. Improvements to handwriting have not been as rapid, particularly in key stage 1 and lower key stage 2. However, improvements are now evident. Early years provision provides children with activities that develop muscle control and coordination, which are needed for good handwriting. Safeguarding is effective. A key line of enquiry for my visit was to find out how the school keeps pupils safe. The school’s child protection policy indicated that staff safeguarding training was out of date. You corrected this administrative error and confirmed that all staff have received safeguarding training in line with government requirements, including training to protect pupils from the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. Staff demonstrate a secure understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. They are clear about what to do if they have concerns about a child’s safety or if a child shared concerns with them. All safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Procedures for vetting the suitability of staff and volunteers to work with children are rigorous. Safeguarding records are detailed and held securely. You work closely with professional agencies and, where necessary, you persist in ensuring that children receive the support you consider they need to keep them safe. Pupils’ attendance is above average and persistent absence is low. In the very rare instances of persistent absence, this is followed up rigorously with a keen eye on ensuring pupils’ safety and well-being. A strong feature of the school’s provision to keep pupils safe is the support they are given to cope with and understand issues occurring in the world around them. The school’s response to the recent terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena reflected an informed and sensitive approach to the subject of extremism. The impact was very evident when older pupils expressed their feelings in letters they would like extremists to read. One such began, ‘If you feel angry, don’t hurt people’s hearts.’ Inspection findings A key line of enquiry for the inspection related to pupils’ achievement in reading and writing during key stage 2. This was because the 2016 Year 6 test and assessment results for these subjects were markedly different from those of pupils nationally. Achievement in writing was significantly above average, but achievement in reading was significantly below. Your deputy headteacher, who is also the leader of English, explained the intense focus given to improving writing across the school last year. This included providing specific opportunities for pupils to write in subjects other than English, and to incorporate these into each half-termly topic. As a result, pupils’ progress began to accelerate and external verification was sought to confirm the accuracy of the high standards attained by Year 6 pupils in the 2016 assessments. Assessments of current pupils show that the improvements realised last year are being sustained. You identified gaps in some pupils’ learning when you investigated the reasons for pupils’ weaker performance in the 2016 key stage 2 reading tests. Training for teachers and support staff has ensured that the teaching of reading meets the increased demands of the new national curriculum. Teaching focuses on widening pupils’ vocabulary, increasing comprehension, improving pupils’ stamina in reading independently and, above all, on developing pupils’ love of reading. The decisive action has paid off. Pupils who read to me spoke confidently about their reading preferences. They named favourite authors, explained their styles and commented on how they used words and phrases for effect, for example to create suspense. Pupils read expressively and had an informed understanding of the skills that good readers use. In explaining ‘inference’, for example, pupils said, ‘It’s like being a detective looking for clues in the words.’ and ‘It makes you think more about what the author really means.’ The school’s assessment information shows that achievement in reading has improved.

St Mary's Roman Catholic Primary School Parent Reviews



unlock % Parents Recommend This School
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>85, "agree"=>10, "disagree"=>5, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 20 responses up to 08-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>90, "agree"=>5, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>5, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 20 responses up to 08-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>65, "agree"=>30, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>5, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 20 responses up to 08-03-2023
My Child Has Not Been Bullied Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"my_child_has_not_been_bullied"=>75, "strongly_agree"=>5, "agree"=>15, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>5, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 20 responses up to 08-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>65, "agree"=>20, "disagree"=>15, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 20 responses up to 08-03-2023
I Have Not Raised Any Concerns Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"i_have_not_raised_any_concerns"=>10, "strongly_agree"=>60, "agree"=>20, "disagree"=>5, "strongly_disagree"=>5, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 20 responses up to 08-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>67, "agree"=>0, "disagree"=>33, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 10 responses up to 08-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>80, "agree"=>15, "disagree"=>5, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 20 responses up to 08-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>75, "agree"=>20, "disagree"=>5, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 20 responses up to 08-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>80, "agree"=>15, "disagree"=>5, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 20 responses up to 08-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>75, "agree"=>25, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 20 responses up to 08-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>70, "agree"=>30, "disagree"=>0, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 20 responses up to 08-03-2023
Strongly Agree Agree Disagree Strongly Disagree Don't Know {"strongly_agree"=>65, "agree"=>30, "disagree"=>5, "strongly_disagree"=>0, "dont_know"=>0} UNLOCK Figures based on 20 responses up to 08-03-2023
Yes No {"yes"=>95, "no"=>5} UNLOCK Figures based on 20 responses up to 08-03-2023

Responses taken from Ofsted Parent View

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