St Wilfrid's CofE Junior and Infant School

St Wilfrid’s CofE Junior and Infant School Mable Street, Newton Heath, Manchester M40 1GB

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 Senior leaders and governors have put into place effective plans to ensure that the areas for improvement from the previous inspection have been addressed. As a result, the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils are good.  Governors are skilled and knowledgeable. They know the school well and have worked tirelessly to ensure that it continues to improve.  Pupils benefit from a stimulating and engaging curriculum. This helps to ensure that the vast majority of pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics across the school.  The attainment of pupils, including those who have special educational needs or disability and disadvantaged pupils, has improved each year for the last three years.  Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to deepen pupils’ understanding, develop their skills and promote a love of learning.  Pupils enjoy school and attend regularly. They are conscientious, polite and respectful towards each

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This is a good school

other and adults.  Staff morale is high. There is a strong team spirit in school and a determination to nurture pupils’ academic, social and personal development.  The school’s work to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is highly effective. Pupils have a secure understanding of British values, and a full appreciation of the culturally diverse nature of British society.  Most parents are very positive about all aspects of the school. They say that their children are safe, well looked after and making good progress.  The good leadership and management of the early years provision ensures that children in the Nursery and Reception classes get off to an excellent start, enjoy their learning and make good progress.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always ensure that pupils, especially the most able, are fully challenged to achieve their absolute best.  Opportunities are sometimes missed for pupils to apply their mathematical skills and knowledge to problem-solving activities across the curriculum.  Teachers are not always consistent in their approach to checking pupils’ grammar, punctuation and spelling.  The special educational needs coordinator is new to post. Senior leaders are enhancing this role in order to maintain the good achievement of pupils with special educational needs or disability.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, and, in so doing, raise levels of attainment across the school by: ensuring that teachers plan activities which challenge all pupils, especially the most able, to achieve to the absolute best of their ability making sure that pupils have every opportunity to deepen their mathematical understanding through applying their skills and knowledge to practical problem-solving activities across the curriculum ensuring that teachers take a consistent approach to checking pupils’ grammar, punctuation and spelling.  Improve the quality of leadership and management by: further enhancing the role of the special educational needs coordinator and providing more opportunities for her to learn from good and outstanding practice in other schools.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher and her senior team provide strong leadership. They have a good understanding of the local community and a strong relationship with the church. Together with a highly skilled and experienced governing body, senior leaders ensure that no pupil misses out on any aspect of school life because of their personal or family circumstances. This solid partnership, coupled with clear and effective improvement plans, has enabled the school to ‘raise its game’, set high aspirations for pupils and improve the quality of teaching.  While senior leaders are proud of their achievement so far, they do not rest on their laurels. For example, they know that there is more work to do to improve the quality of teaching and ensure that good, solid support is available for those teachers who are new to the profession.  Though new to post, the special educational needs coordinator has got off to a good start. Senior leaders

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

are currently exploring ways to further enhance this role and are providing opportunities for the post holder to learn from good and outstanding practice in other schools. Senior leaders’ prompt action is helping to maintain the good achievement of pupils with special educational needs or disability.  All teachers and teaching assistants are fully supportive of senior leaders in their ambitions. They are highly appreciative of the professional development and training available to them and of opportunities to learn from good practice within their local cluster of schools.  Leaders responsible for English, mathematics, special educational needs or disability, and subjects such as science and religious education play a very effective role in improving the quality of teaching. They do this through regularly observing teaching, closely monitoring pupils’ progress, and checking the quality of the advice and guidance that teachers give to pupils through their marking.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Senior leaders are determined that disadvantaged pupils should achieve as well as their peers. They have used the pupil premium funding (additional government funding) effectively to narrow gaps in reading, writing and mathematics, and to ensure that disadvantaged pupils make good progress throughout the school. Leaders are acutely aware that a small number of pupils did not make good enough progress in reading by the time they left school at the end of Year 6 in 2015. However, good teaching and support, improved attendance, and participation in the breakfast club are contributing to disadvantaged pupils’ accelerated progress in all subjects across the school.  Senior leaders have high expectations of pupils and have identified a number of ‘drivers’ which underpin the curriculum. These include respect, healthy living, high aspirations and igniting pupils’ sense of wonder and curiosity. Pupils enjoy learning about myths and legends and life in Roman Britain. Visits to libraries

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and museums, and visits from artists and theatre groups, are all helping to broaden pupils’ experiences and maintain their interest and engagement in learning.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a very high priority in the school. Pupils visit local churches, learn about the major world faiths and have a good understanding of the culturally diverse nature of British society. The whole school celebrates Black History Week. Pupils know of the lives and achievements of the world’s great leaders and of the sporting achievements of great British athletes. Excellent displays, flags and information about various European, African and Asian countries help to give pupils a sense of their status as ‘global citizens’.  Senior leaders’ work to promote British values is good. Pupils understand democratic principles. For example, they take seriously their written applications for the positions of team captains and confidently

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

present their arguments for various funding, including for playground equipment, to governors.  Highly effective and creative use of primary school sports funding helps to promote pupils’ health and welfare and increase participation in competitive sports. Sports coaches are employed to provide daily lunchtime activities for pupils as well as high-quality coaching for adults, equipping them with the skills to run after-school clubs and inter-school competitions. Pupils enjoy a range of sporting activities and are especially keen to engage in badminton, football, cycling, tag rugby, athletics and multi-skills training.  The views of parents, pupils and the diocese are very positive about the leadership of the school. This is a unified school which is moving in the right direction. Staff are correct in their assertion that the school makes a difference to pupils’ lives, providing them with security and ensuring that their educational

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

experiences are memorable. The school’s educational consultant and the local authority representative are both of the view that the school has ‘come a long way’. This is due to senior leaders’ receptiveness to external advice and support, which has helped to improve the quality of teaching and learning.  The governance of the school The school is in the process of electing a new Chair of the Governing Body. However, governance is exceptionally strong. All governors have a thorough understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and what it needs to do to further improve, and all make a valuable contribution to improving standards. Governors are knowledgeable and take full advantage of training available, both locally and nationally. Governors analyse information on pupils’ performance and know how well their achievement compares with that of pupils in other schools. They challenge the headteacher and senior leaders rigorously,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

requiring explanations if achievement is not as good as it should be. Governors know that the quality of teaching is good and improving because they receive regular reports from the headteacher and come into school to talk to pupils and see for themselves. Governors are fully aware that dedicated teaching support, good relations with parents and the school’s successful drive to improve attendance are all helping to improve standards for disadvantaged pupils and narrow gaps between them and their peers.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff and governors benefit from regular training, which ensures that they are up to date in relation to, for example, the ‘Prevent’ agenda and keeping children safe in education. They are acutely aware of their duties to protect vulnerable children and work well with a wide range of agencies to ensure that St Wilfrid’s is a safe place for pupils and children in the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Pupils benefit from good teaching, which enables them to make good progress. Pupils, and children in the early years, learn in stimulating and well-thought-out classrooms, which celebrate their work and provide opportunities for them to find things out for themselves.  Teachers have increasingly high expectations as to what pupils are capable of achieving. They plan lessons which are stimulating and memorable and ensure that teaching moves on with a sense of urgency and purpose. Work in pupils’ books shows that they have ample opportunities to write about their many educational visits, participate in plays and story-writing workshops, develop their music skills and learn French.  Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to plan different tasks and activities to meet the learning needs of the wide range of abilities that pupils in each year group have. Pupils with special educational needs or disability are especially well supported. Teaching assistants are careful to provide

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

support just when it is needed, while encouraging pupils to ‘have a go’ and think their answers through before writing them down.  Teachers have good subject knowledge in English and mathematics and ask searching questions that really get pupils thinking. Teachers rarely give pupils the answers; instead, they enhance pupils’ learning by ‘throwing’ their questions back at them. This was exemplified in a Year 6 mathematics lesson, where pupils were investigating the characteristics of different shapes. During a question and answer session, some pupils asked whether all rectangles were parallelograms. Pupils were soon to discover the answer to this question for themselves after the teacher suggested that they should work together, ‘think things through’ and ‘investigate the problem’.  Work in pupils’ books shows that teachers consolidate pupils’ prior learning well and always ensure that the objectives of activities in class are clear. This was shown in a Year 1 English class, where pupils were

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

preparing for a writing task. After a fruitful discussion to extend the range of adjectives that pupils could use in their writing, they were encouraged to look back at their previous written work and use their art work to stimulate an even wider range of vocabulary. As a result, pupils produced imaginative written work of good quality.  Senior leaders’ focus on ensuring that teachers take a consistent approach to assessing pupils’ work has been very effective. Teachers offer constructive advice to pupils on how they can improve their learning, not only in English and mathematics, but in subjects such as science, history, geography, art and religious education. Marking in mathematics is particularly effective, with good examples of pupils correcting calculation errors and trying out different methods to solve problems. However, occasionally teachers do not check to see if pupils have taken their advice and made the correct amendments to their spelling,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

grammar and punctuation errors. As a result, pupils sometimes repeat the same mistakes.  All staff are committed to developing pupils’ reading skills. This was exemplified in a Year 3 English class, where pupils were engaged in tasks which required them to pick out factual information from different texts. While the teacher worked with one group to develop their skills in drawing information from a text, other pupils were required to identify factual information from a book about plumbing. A third group was required to put their comprehension skills to the test, as they sought out information from various sources on the life of the writer Roald Dahl. All pupils made good progress because they were set challenging activities. However, inspectors observed a few occasions were tasks were not matched to pupils’ abilities as well as this. On such occasions progress was not as good, particularly for the most

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

able.  While the quality of mathematics teaching is rapidly improving, with highly effective ‘booster’ sessions for the most- and least-able pupils, opportunities to deepen pupils’ mathematical understanding through applying their skills and knowledge to practical problem-solving activities across the curriculum are sometimes missed.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Staff are very caring. They know pupils well and ensure that they are safe and well looked after. Pupils say that they always feel safe. They know that they can go to any member of staff if they have any concerns and are confident that help is always at hand should they need it.  The nurturing approach of staff, and work to promote pupils’ personal development, health and welfare, ensures that all pupils feel part of the school’s cohesive community.  The school considers and caters for all areas of pupils’ development, including the academic, social and emotional aspects. This helps to develop pupils’ resilience and prepares them well for both current and future challenges.  Pupils are well aware of the dangers of illegal drugs, smoking and alcohol, and the importance of healthy living. They attend the breakfast club in large numbers. Here, they catch up with their friends, eat fruit

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Personal development and welfare

and healthy cereals, and are well prepared for the day ahead.  Pupils who spoke to inspectors said that bullying is very rare. They have a good understanding of different types of discriminatory behaviour, including racism and homophobic bullying, and say that neither happen in school.  Pupils know how to stay safe while using the internet. They know what cyber bullying is, and how to avoid it, and know never to give out personal information while online. Various visitors, including police and community officers, representatives from the fire service and the school nurse, help pupils to understand various dangers and risks, as well as and safe and unsafe situations. Pupils know how to ride their bicycles safely and to always take care when crossing roads.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils, teachers, parents and governors are of the view that behaviour is good. The school’s behaviour logs show that behaviour is typically good over time.  Pupils are friendly and polite. They enjoy welcoming visitors into their school and like to talk about their learning. Pupils are well presented. They take pride in their work and respect the school premises.  Pupils behave sensibly at all times, including when moving around the school, during play and during lunch. Pupils are especially keen to participate in various sporting activities, delivered by specialist coaches every lunchtime.  Pupils’ behaviour in class is always good. They listen carefully to what their teachers have to say, consider the views of their classmates and follow instructions carefully, all of which creates a very positive climate for learning.  Staff are highly skilled at supporting pupils who sometimes find it difficult to manage their own behaviour.

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Behaviour

This helps to maintain the calm and purposeful nature of the school.  Pupils are punctual. The school’s highly successful work with families and the community has helped to boost pupils’ current attendance to well above average.  Pupils enjoy coming together for assemblies. Here, their attendance is celebrated and points are given to competing ‘houses’ for their hard work, positive attitude to learning and good manners.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy the many opportunities on offer for them to demonstrate that they are responsible citizens. They take up their responsibilities as ‘nursery nannies’, house captains and ‘fish friends’ (caring for the school fish) in earnest, and regularly volunteer to help their teachers.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Over the last three years, pupils’ attainment has steadily improved at the end of both Key Stages 1 and 2. At the end of Year 6 in 2015, pupils made good progress in writing and mathematics, while the progress of some ‘dipped’ in reading. School leaders were prepared for this and have compelling evidence to show that this low-attaining cohort was well supported and made good progress throughout the school from very low starting points.  The school’s own data indicate that pupils made good and sometimes outstanding progress in reading, writing and mathematics throughout Years 1 to 5. Inspection evidence, including work in pupils’ books, concurs with the school’s evaluation.  This year, pupils have got off to an exceptionally good start. The school’s new assessment systems are effective and firmly in place. Evidence from regular pupil progress meetings shows that pupils are making good progress and are on track to continue on the upward ‘attainment trajectory’ which was

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Outcomes for pupils are good

started after the previous inspection.  Pupils enjoy poetry and reading the work of various authors. Reading records show that pupils read regularly in class; their school planners indicate that they also often read at home. Less-able pupils, who read for inspectors, used their phonics (letters and the sounds they make) skills well to sound out and read unfamiliar words. Most-able pupils read clearly and confidently and with good intonation. The majority of pupils were secure in their phonics skills and knowledge at the national screening check at the end of Year 1 in 2015. All were secure at the check at the end of Year 2. Current pupils’ reading skills are developing well due to good phonics teaching.  The many opportunities that pupils have to practise and refine their writing skills support their good and sometimes outstanding progress in this subject. Pupils are proud of their written work, which is

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Outcomes for pupils are good

displayed in the school hall and in classrooms. Pupils have good creative writing skills and many opportunities to recount their various trips and visits. Their books show good examples of extended writing in subjects such as history and science.  Good mathematics teaching is helping to accelerate pupils’ progress in this subject. Teachers’ good subject knowledge helps to engage and excite pupils and develop their critical thinking skills. Work in pupils’ books shows that they present their work neatly and accurately and that they have good calculation skills. However, too few opportunities are available for them to apply these good skills to problem-solving activities across the curriculum.  Gaps between disadvantaged pupils and their peers are narrowing. For example, they made the same outstanding progress as their peers in Year 1 in reading, writing and mathematics, and matched their good progress in most other year groups. At the end of Year 6 in 2015, disadvantaged pupils’ attainment

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Outcomes for pupils are good

was, on average, about a term and a half behind their peers and a year behind other pupils nationally. Excellent support and good-quality teaching are helping to ensure that disadvantaged pupils’ attainment is improving in all subjects.  The school’s new special educational needs coordinator works well with a range of specialist partners and parents. Along with teachers and teaching assistants, she monitors the impact of the various small- group teaching and one-to-one reading, writing and mathematics sessions available to pupils who have special educational needs or disability. Good teaching and the good care and support that these pupils receive help to ensure their good progress throughout the school.  There were few pupils from minority ethnic groups in the Year 6 cohort in 2015. However, as with all groups, their progress is closely tracked. The school’s own data and assessment data show that these

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Outcomes for pupils are good

pupils make good and outstanding progress in all subjects and attain at least as well as their peers.  The most-able pupils make good progress. They usually engage in challenging work in class, regularly participate in ‘booster’ classes and attend homework club. However, a below-average proportion attained the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 in 2015 This year, the most-able pupils are performing much better. They are very conscientious in their studies and teachers’ expectations of them are high.

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Early years provision is good

 All aspects of the leadership and management of the early years provision are good. Teachers and teaching assistants have very high expectations of children. They are caring, trained well and make it a priority to ensure that children are safe, well looked after and happy.  The school’s comprehensive assessments of children shortly after they enter the Nursery class indicate that the skills and abilities of most are much weaker than those typically expected for their age. None the less, children get off to an excellent start in their learning. Adults’ close focus on developing children’s speaking, listening and communication skills pays dividends quickly. Inspectors spoke to almost all children in the Nursery and found them to be highly sociable and eager to communicate.  Children’s good progress continues in the Reception class, where they have access to exciting and stimulating indoor and outdoor learning and playing areas, and good opportunities to develop their skills

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Early years provision is good

in all areas of learning. As a result, an average proportion enters Year 1 with the necessary skills and abilities to support them in the next stage of their learning and development.  Children in the Nursery and Reception classes have regular opportunities to explore learning independently. Both boys and girls enjoy engaging in domestic chores, such as looking after babies and cooking in the home corner. They are adept at using both desktop computers and computer tablets, and demonstrate good keyboard and coordination skills. Children are keen to engage in construction activities, ‘messy play’, reading, writing, mark making and making animals using playdough. Children’s art work is beautifully displayed. All walls and ceilings are covered with exciting and stimulating materials and information which capture children’s interest.  The quality of teaching, including in phonics, is good. Adults insist that children listen carefully and

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Early years provision is good

participate fully in all learning and playing activities. They skilfully direct children to different areas of learning, such as counting, measuring and weighing, when necessary. However, due to the excitement and vigour of children’s independent activities, it is sometimes difficult for those learning phonics in the quiet area to fully grasp some of the sounds of the high-frequency words they learn during phonics sessions.  Children behave sensibly and safely at all times. This includes when playing outside on their wheeled toys and using climbing frames. Pupils are highly cooperative and enjoy learning and playing together. This was demonstrated when they worked together to assemble a series of crates to make a bridge. After testing to see if the bridge was safe to cross, they lined up in orderly fashion to cross it in single file.  Adults regularly assess how well children are performing. Information is then collated electronically and in

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Early years provision is good

children’s learning journeys. This information is then shared with parents, who are encouraged to record their children’s learning at home. This helps staff to build up an accurate picture of children’s progress and development.  Parents appreciate the ‘open-door’ policy in operation in the early years provision. They know that they can always stay and play with their children at the beginning of the school day. Parents are of the view that their children are safe and well looked after. Early years staff ensure that the same good safeguarding procedures in operation in Key Stages 1 and 2 are in operation in the Nursery and Reception classes.  Senior leaders are eager to ensure that the early years provision continually improves. They have made it a priority to further develop outdoor provision and continue to develop children’s knowledge and understanding of the world around them.

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School details

Unique reference number 105496 Local authority Manchester Inspection number 10002220 This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 250 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mark Chapman – Acting Chair Headteacher Ann Fox Telephone number 0161 6811385 Website www.stwilfridsceprimary.co.uk Email address head@st-wilfrids.manchester.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 26–27 November 2013

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium funding is more than double the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.  A below-average proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic groups, few speak English as an additional language.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Since the previous inspection, there have been a number of appointments, including two newly qualified teachers and three teaching assistants. Two new members have joined the governing body since the

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Information about this school

previous inspection. At the time of the inspection, the Vice Chair of the Governing Body was the Acting Chair of the Governing Body. Since the previous inspection, new classrooms have been built for pupils in Years 5 and 6. Outdoor provision for children in the early years has been refurbished.  A before-school club is based on the site. This is managed by the governing body.  Privately run, pre-school provision is available on the school site. This is subject to a separate inspection. A report for this is available on the Ofsted website.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed a range of lessons in all year groups, as well as the teaching of small groups of pupils and sessions aimed at helping pupils to learn to read.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and held discussions with pupils from across the school. Pupils’ work in books was scrutinised in class and separately with senior leaders.  Inspectors considered 14 responses to Parent View (Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents) and eight text responses. Inspectors met informally with parents at the beginning of the school day. The school’s own surveys of parents and pupils’ views were also taken into account, as well as responses to the inspection questionnaires completed by 31 members of staff.  A meeting was held with six governors, including the Acting Chair of the Governing Body. Meetings were held with school leaders responsible for mathematics, science, religious education, early years provision

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Information about this inspection

and provision for pupils with special educational needs or disability.  Meetings were held with the school’s education consultant and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors examined a range of documents. These included checks on the quality of teaching, development plans, safeguarding documentation, information about pupils’ progress, the school’s reviews of its own performance and various records of pupils’ attendance and behaviour.

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Inspection team

Lenford White, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Catherine Parkinson Ofsted Inspector John Daley Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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Inspection team

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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