Ofsted praises pupils at good rated Newmarket primary school St Louis Catholic Academy

Pupils at a Newmarket primary school have been praised by government inspectors who said they embodied its ethos of learning to love and loving to learn.

St Louis Catholic Academy was rated outstanding for the personal development of its pupils and good in all the other categories by the team of three Ofsted inspectors, led by Rowena Simmons, who carried out a two-day inspection of the school last month.

“Pupils love coming to school,” said Ms Simmons, “They enjoy their lessons and most achieve well.”

She said the Fordham Road school was committed to inspiring its learners to excel and its recently revised curriculum was ambitious for all its 321 pupils.

“The school ensures this curriculum is taught effectively and helps pupils to be well prepared for their future lives,” said the report, which also noted that the school had successfully focused on improving children’s reading skills from the nursery, where they learned sounds accurately through songs, games and rhymes, to reception where skilled teachers ensured they pronounced sounds correctly.

“This firm foundation in reading provides a strong platform for children’s further learning,” said Ms Simmons.

And she highlighted how pupils’ learning across other subjects was both exciting and interactive.

“They held a remote call with a Peruvian geologist in a rainforest recently ,” she said, “and they have frequent, built-in opportunities to engage in debate and discussion.”

The report suggested the school needed to ensure staff were well-trained to assess, plan and address the needs of all its pupils, with special needs some of whose needs were not being met reliably.

But its provision for all its pupils’ personal development was said to be exceptional, with it taking every possible opportunity to enhance their cultural awareness, with that focus threading through the whole curriculum emphasising the themes of love, respect and tolerance.

Headteacher Sue Blakeley, who is leaving the school next month, said: “I am absolutely thrilled the school has been recognised for the outstanding personal development provided to all of all our children from nursery to Year 6.

“The staff team and governors, supported by our trust, make every day count for learning and we see the results in the confident and happy children.

“They race in through the gates every morning because they love our school.”