We Did It! 🎉**

We are incredibly proud to announce that Euxton St. Mary's Catholic Primary School has achieved a "Good" rating in all areas in our recent Ofsted inspection! 🏆

The inspectors noted that our pupils are very happy at our school, describing it as a kind and caring place to be. Our older pupils especially play a significant role in fostering this positive environment (I think we all spotted this on our recent sports day)

Thank you to our dedicated staff, wonderful pupils, and supportive community for making this achievement possible!

 

Inspection of St. Mary’s Catholic

Primary School Euxton

Wigan Road, Euxton, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 6JW

Inspection dates: 14 and 15 May 2024

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good

Behaviour and attitudes Good

Personal development Good

Leadership and management Good

Early years provision Good

Previous inspection grade Outstanding

 

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 12 years

ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected

the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine

inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections

under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current

inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point

since the last graded inspection.Inspection report: St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School Euxton

14 and 15 May 2024 2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy at this school. They told inspectors that the school is a kind

and caring place to be. Older pupils play their part in creating a positive environment

by serving as ‘buddies’ for children in the Reception Year. Pupils enjoy playing ball

games in the designated area, affectionately known as the ‘ball park’

, at play times.

Pupils behave sensibly and are kept safe at these social times.

The school provides plenty of additional opportunities for pupils to develop their

talents and interests. For example, there is a range of extra-curricular clubs that run

before and after school. These range from taekwondo and tennis clubs in the

mornings to reading, science and languages clubs at other points in the school day.

There is also a choir for key stage 2 pupils to further explore their interest in music.

The school is ambitious for what pupils, including those with special educational

needs and/or disabilities (SEND), should learn. The school’s published data for 2023

demonstrates that, in English and mathematics, pupils typically achieve highly by the

time they leave in Year 6.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do

better?

The school has recently overhauled much of its curriculum to ensure that it is

broader and more balanced. The school has outlined its expectations for what pupils

should learn by the end of each year in each subject. Typically, the school has

broken down these expectations into smaller, logical steps of curriculum content. It

has provided teachers with useful guidance on how to deliver this content. The

curriculum changes are starting to help teachers to deliver new learning in a more

effective, coherent way than before. That said, where the curriculum is not as well

embedded, some pupils have not acquired the same deep, rich body of knowledge

in these subjects as they have in others.

With some subject curriculums being new, the school is still refining some

curriculum content to better suit its individual context. This includes parts of the

early years curriculum. The school is still developing its thinking to adapt the

delivery of some curriculum subjects to suit the needs of pupils, including those with

SEND. In a few subjects, this means that the activities provided are not as effective

as they could be in helping pupils to learn all that they should.

The school has introduced new systems to help it evaluate the delivery and

effectiveness of new subject curriculums. In some subjects, this leads to the school

taking appropriate actions to address deficiencies in curriculum design and

implementation. However, in some other subjects, the school’s curriculum oversight

is not as secure. This means that remedial actions to address some issues are not as

swift as they could be.

The school uses appropriate questioning strategies during lessons to check how well

pupils understand new content. Assessment information is used particularly well toInspection report: St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School Euxton

14 and 15 May 2024 3

generate phonics activities that help pupils to address their individual knowledge

gaps.

The school ensures that children learn through its chosen phonics programme as

soon as they begin in the Reception Year. Well-trained staff deliver the programme

with fidelity. Pupils typically read books that are suited to their current stage of

reading. Where needed, pupils receive regular catch-up support. Almost all pupils

meet the phonics screening check in Year 1. They begin key stage 2 as fluent,

confident readers.

The school has sufficient systems in place to identify pupils with SEND early. In

some subjects, it makes suitable adaptations to help these pupils to access their

learning.

The school caters well for many aspects of pupils’ personal development. For

example, it invites artists and forensic scientists into school to bring pupils’ learning

to life. It arranges careers events for older pupils to consider their future aspirations.

The school teaches pupils how to look after their physical and mental health. That

said, the school does not cater for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

education as well as it could. Consequently, pupils do not develop a strong

awareness of the diverse range of backgrounds, cultures and beliefs of others.

Pupils have a positive attitude to their education. They engage well in lessons and

conduct themselves sensibly around the school. This includes children in the early

years. Pupils have high rates of attendance. Few pupils are persistently absent.

Staff were roundly positive about working at the school. Governors are mindful of

staff well-being. They conduct regular surveys to gather and respond to staff’s

views. Governors are passionate about the school and fulfil their duties effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

◼ The school is still developing its ability to adapt the delivery of the curriculum to

meet the needs of its pupils, including those with SEND. Consequently, pupils do

not develop a rich body of knowledge in some subjects. The school should

complete its curriculum refinements and ensure that staff are well equipped to

adapt the delivery of curriculum content to suit the needs of pupils.

◼ The school does not cater for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education

as well as it could. As such, pupils do not have a broad knowledge of people’s

different cultures, beliefs and backgrounds. The school should ensure that itInspection report: St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School Euxton

14 and 15 May 2024 4

promotes diversity well so that pupils can broaden their view of the world and

people’s differences.

◼ The school’s oversight of some subject curriculums is not as secure as it is in

others. Consequently, the school’s actions to address some issues in curriculum

design and delivery are not as swift as they are in other subjects. The school

should review its approaches to evaluating the effectiveness of its curriculum

design and delivery.

How can I feed back my views?

You can use Ofsted Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school,

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted

Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as

part of their inspection.

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a

school.

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational

needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need

of help and protection; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a

social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the

school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any

point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care)

and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route).Inspection report: St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School Euxton

14 and 15 May 2024 5

School details

Unique reference number 119676

Local authority Lancashire

Inspection number 10294331

Type of school Primary

School category Voluntary aided

Age range of pupils 4 to 11

Gender of pupils Mixed

Number of pupils on the school roll 208

Appropriate authority The governing body

Chair of governing body David Tootell

Headteacher Sue Noblet

Website www.euxton-st-marys.lancs.sch.uk

Date of previous inspection 5 November 2020, under section 8 of the

Education Act 2005

Information about this school

◼ There have been several changes in headteacher since the last inspection. The

current headteacher was appointed in September 2021. A new SEND coordinator

took up position in January 2023.

◼ Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.

◼ The school is a voluntary aided Catholic primary school. The most recent section

48 inspection of the school’s religious character took place across February and

March 2024. The school is awaiting confirmation from the archdiocese about its

next section 48 inspection.

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education

Act 2005.

◼ Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s

education provision.Inspection report: St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School Euxton

14 and 15 May 2024 6

◼ This was the second routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19

pandemic began. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic

with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

◼ Inspectors conducted deep dives in these subjects: art and design, early reading

and mathematics. They met with subject leaders and teachers. They visited

lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked with groups of pupils

about their learning. The lead inspector observed pupils read to a familiar adult.

◼ Inspectors also considered the curriculum, spoke with pupils about their learning

and evaluated their work in some other subjects.

◼ The lead inspector spoke with a group of governors. Inspectors also talked to

staff about their workload and well-being.

◼ The inspectors spoke with a representative of the local authority and the

archdiocese.

◼ Inspectors met with the leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour

and pupils’ personal development.

◼ Inspectors spoke with pupils about their wider experience of school.

◼ Inspectors looked at a range of policies and documents related to pupils’ welfare

and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.

◼ To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single

central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive

culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

◼ Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. There

were no responses to the pupil survey.

◼ Inspectors met with parents at the start of the school day and took account of

the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.

Inspection team

David Spruce, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

Cleo Cunningham Ofsted Inspector

Olivia Barnes Ofsted InspectorInspection report: St. Mary’s Catholic Primary School Euxton

14 and 15 May 2024 7

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