St Wilfrid's RC Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Wilfrid’s RC Primary School St Wilfrid’s Street, Hulme, Manchester M15 5BJ

p.1

Outcome

St Wilfrid’s RC Primary School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a section 5 inspection now.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The atmosphere at St Wilfrid’s school is calm, harmonious and purposeful. Leaders do all they can to make sure pupils are ready to learn. Staff and pupils constantly strive to meet the high aspirations that leaders have for them. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that they love coming to school because everyone is kind, considerate and helps them to do their best. Pupils rarely miss a day. Adults nurture every pupil in the school. Leaders celebrate pupils’ cultural differences at every opportunity. This deepens pupils’ learning and means they are very tolerant of others.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love to learn. They enjoy the exciting and interesting activities that teachers plan. Leaders make sure that all pupils excel. They ensure that pupils get extra help when they need it. Pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical knowledge is very strong. External data shows that pupils do far better in these subjects than other pupils do across the country.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel exceedingly safe at school. They said that bullying does not happen. Pupils support each other in keeping safe. They are proud of their work as ‘Amigos’ on the corridors or reminding parents to park safely.

p.1

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

The headteacher, alongside the senior leadership team, has secured rapid improvement since the previous inspection.

p.1

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

Pupils are clear that only their best effort is good enough. Adults help pupils to overcome any difficulties they have when learning something new. Pupils remain focused on their work and they persevere with tasks. This prepares them well to move on to their next stages of their learning.

p.1

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

Pupils achieve well in a range of subjects right across the school. This is because leaders 30–31 October 2019

p.1

2

have thought carefully about what to include in the curriculum. Subject leaders have developed detailed and effective curriculum plans. These plans set out precisely the steps in learning that pupils need to make in each subject. Teachers make excellent use of these plans. They provide activities that help pupils remember what they have learned.

p.2

2

Leaders make sure that no pupil is disadvantaged. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All pupils receive a rich and ambitious curriculum which is well supported by regular trips and visitors to the school.

p.2

2

Most middle leaders provide very strong curriculum leadership. However, a very small number of leaders need ongoing development so that they can make an equally strong contribution to pupils’ learning.

p.2

2

Leaders make sure that pupils read extremely well. Teachers ensure that pupils use what they have learned about phonics to work out how to read new words. Pupils read a wide range of quality novels or non-fiction books with accuracy and fluency. Older pupils love to read for pleasure, or to learn new things. Children begin to learn to read as soon as they start in the Nursery class. Children build on from this in the Reception class. These reading skills prepare them exceptionally well for the demands of key stage 1. Very few pupils fall behind in their reading in key stage 1. Those that do, catch up quickly through effective support from skilled staff. Staff also support parents well in helping their children to learn to read.

p.2

2

Similarly, teachers make sure that children develop strong mathematical knowledge. Children begin to develop this in the Nursery class through songs and practical activities. Reception children practise counting in games outside the classroom with great enthusiasm. As they move through the school, pupils use what they have learned before to help them learn new things. For example, Year 6 pupils explained to me that learning their times tables in Year 4 helped them carry out long division calculations easily.

p.2

2

In history, pupils develop secure historical knowledge and skills in key stage 2. By Year 5, they can use evidence to make suggestions about the lives of different groups of people from the past. Pupils’ work in other subjects is of the same very high standard.

p.2

2

Pupils and their parents value the many different experiences pupils have at school. Leaders ensure that pupils develop as ‘well-rounded’ individuals. Pupils take part in many exciting opportunities, such as taekwondo or other sports. Leaders help pupils to develop self-confidence. Pupils take part in competitive activities, such as ‘debate mate’. They show concern for others. They raise money for causes such as underprivileged children in other parts of the world. They carry out a range of leadership roles in the school.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a priority for the school. Leaders have a secure understanding of the significant challenges that some families may face. Adults take swift and appropriate action to make sure that pupils are kept safe. Staff share information effectively. This 30–31 October 2019

p.2

3

makes sure that support is in place for pupils and families who need it. Leaders develop positive relationships with families of vulnerable pupils. The family support worker also helps parents access support external to the school when they need it.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Most subject leaders are extremely confident and effective in checking that pupils are learning as well as they can in their subject areas. This is because they have strong subject knowledge, a deep understanding of their curriculum area and highly effective monitoring processes in place. A very small number of subject leaders are not as confident and rely on other colleagues to take the lead. Senior leaders need to ensure that all middle leaders are equally highly skilled by providing ongoing training, support and development.

p.3

Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

p.3

Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 10 to 11 December 2014.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil 30–31 October 2019

p.3

4

premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 30–31 October 2019

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10058044 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 10–11 December 2014

p.5

Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the acting headteacher has been appointed as the substantive headteacher.  The school was inspected under section 48 of the Education Act in May 2015.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 I spoke with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator and a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body.  I looked at a range of documentation for safeguarding, including: the school’s central record of staff and visitors; training records of staff; records of safeguarding; and samples of records of individual pupils.  I looked at reading, history and mathematics in depth. I talked to leaders of these subject areas. I visited lessons and looked at examples of children’s work. I also held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils.  I looked at pupils’ workbooks in other subject areas, such as: writing, art, science, history and geography.  I observed pupils’ behaviour at lunchtime. I watched them as they moved around the school and during the many sporting activities that take place in the hall throughout 30–31 October 2019

p.5

6

the day. I observed them arriving in the morning for clubs that took place before school. This included taekwondo and the breakfast club. I also saw them in one of the homework clubs that takes place after school.  I spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school and some of the responsibilities that they have. This included pupils who act as police community support officers, reminding parents not to park unsafely outside the school gates.  I was unable to look at the responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, as there were too few responses. However, I was able to read the three free-text responses from parents to find out their views of the school. I spoke to parents as they dropped off their children at school.

p.6

Inspection team

Claire Cropper, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 30–31 October 2019

p.6

7

(Ofsted) regulates and inspects to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

7

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 .

p.7

7

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

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7