“Inclusive and welcoming” school praised by Ofsted

Ofsted has praised a Newcastle primary for its “inclusive and welcoming” ethos, following an inspection in which the school retained its previous ‘Good’ rating.

​Children and staff at St Mary’s Catholic Primary in Forest Hall were also singled out in the report, which said: “Relationships are strong between adults and pupils. Pupils are proud of their school and said they would definitely recommend it to others. Parents and carers are extremely positive about how staff care for their children and nurture their potential.”

“The school has high aspirations of what all pupils can achieve and how they should behave,” it continued. “Pupils happily rise to meet their expectations.”

The active role of children in school life received honourable mention, with the inspector noting: “Pupils enjoy taking on additional responsibilities, including as members of the student council. They have a voice around improvements to the school. For example, pupils led a project around feeling safe and included where they helped their peers to develop a child-friendly version of the safeguarding policy and procedures.”

Teachers at St Mary’s, which is part of the Bishop Bewick Catholic Education Trust, were recognised as having “a good level of subject knowledge”, while staff questioned described “the positive, family feel of working at the school”, and appreciated “the high-quality professional development provided”. 

The “carefully considered” curriculum was another highlight, with reading and the school’s phonics programme identified as particular strengths.

“Reading is at the centre of the curriculum at St Mary’s,” stated the report. “The school selects high-quality texts for pupils to study as part of the English curriculum. It carefully considers how they link with other subject areas to deepen pupils’ knowledge and rich vocabulary.

“The school’s chosen phonics programme is delivered consistently well. As a result, pupils become fluent and confident readers. Pupils have frequent opportunities to practise new sounds and recap previously learned ones. Staff carefully track pupils’ progress through the phonics programme. They put in place any additional support that is needed. This ensures that pupils with any gaps in their reading knowledge catch up quickly.”

The inspector also found St Mary’s to be “committed to preparing pupils for life in modern Britain”, adding: “Pupils learn about the many traditions and cultures found in their local and wider communities.They talk about the way they support local charities and learn about the issues faced by refugees who have moved to the area.”

Headteacher Siobhan Foster was delighted with the findings.

“I am pleased that St Mary’s continues to be recognised as a good school, with the report highlighting the welcoming and inclusive nature of our school, and also the high aspirations we have for our pupils,” she said. “It is particularly pleasing that the strong, nurturing relationships between staff and pupils were also recognised.

“During the inspection, the inspector was very impressed with our children, who spoke so highly of their school, and, most importantly, said that they would recommend it to others!

“I would like to thank all the pupils, staff, parents, and governors who are an integral part of school life, and continue to work together to make St Mary’s such a strong community and fantastic school.”