Bury St Edmunds school St Edmund's Catholic Primary School is still 'good' according to Ofsted

A school where pupils feel safe and valued is celebrating a positive Ofsted report that says it continues to be ‘good’.

St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School in Westgate Street, Bury St Edmunds, retained its rating by the education watchdog when it was inspected over November 8 and 9, 2022.

The report said pupils are proud of their school, they listen respectfully in lessons, they are respectful and tolerant of differences and leaders have created a ‘well-considered and carefully-ordered’ curriculum.

Executive head Maria Kemble said: “We are very pleased with the outcome, and I am especially proud of the hard work of the staff which has been recognised in the report.

“I am also delighted that the respect pupils show for one another is highlighted as a strength. We recognise the aspects that need to be developed further and these are already being worked on by staff.”

St Edmund’s, which has 460 pupils on the roll, was previously inspected in 2017 when it was judged to be good by the regulator.

The latest report said: “Pupils at St Edmund’s Catholic Primary School feel safe and are proud of their school. They say that people are kind and work together. If they have a worry, they can tell an adult who will help.

“They feel valued because their voice brings about changes in their school, for example voting on what equipment to buy for playground games and the naming of school pets.”

Pupils can take part in a wide range of clubs and there are trips and visitors that broaden children’s learning experiences.

Students with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are quickly and accurately identified and, as a result, appropriate support is able to be carefully planned and put in place, the report said.

There are high expectations for behaviour and staff apply the behaviour policy consistently, which ‘contributes towards the calm, positive learning environments’.

To improve, Ofsted said the school should focus on checking how effectively pupils have retained knowledge and skills in the longer term across the wider curriculum and ensuring the new phonics programme is fully and consistently implemented across the whole school.