St Wilfrids Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School Golborne Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire WN4 8SJ

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 September 2021

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Outcome

St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being part of this welcoming and supportive school community. Pupils said they are supported to make friends easily. The strong relationships they have with staff help pupils to feel happy and safe. They know that if they report any worries, adults will do their best to help them. Pupils say that bullying hardly ever happens, but staff sort it out quickly when it does.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to the high expectations that adults have of them. They behave well in lessons and around the school. Pupils are confident learners who are willing to work hard. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well because they are given the extra support they need to thrive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending clubs such as netball and boccia. Pupils appreciate the nurturing support that they receive in their ‘Hygge Room’. They explain how having the chance to talk about their feelings helps them to feel positive and to do better in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils are given responsibilities as school councillors and house captains. They are proud to support charities such as WaterAid. Pupils play an active part in the local community, for example by building relationships with the residents of a local care home.

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

Leaders and governors have designed an ambitious curriculum using the national curriculum as the starting point. Leaders routinely adapt curriculum plans to make them relevant to pupils. Leaders’ effective curriculum planning of most areas enables pupils to make links between subjects. This allows pupils to deepen their understanding and gives them a rich curriculum experience.

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

Subject leaders work closely and effectively with staff in the early years to make sure that the curriculum in the Nursery and the Reception Years prepares pupils for Year 1. Leaders 14 and 15 September 2021

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and staff place an appropriate focus on communication and language in the early years. Children in the Nursery and Reception Year listen attentively and learn well.

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Ensuring that pupils become fluent readers is an ongoing priority for leaders. Older pupils have a wide knowledge of different authors. They are enthusiastic about the books that teachers read to them. This helps pupils to develop well-honed comprehension skills.

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Children begin to learn sounds from the Reception Year with daily phonics lessons. Staff make sure the books that pupils are given to practise their reading are at the correct level. This helps pupils to develop their confidence in reading. Almost all pupils can read accurately and fluently by the end of Year 2. However, there is some unevenness in how staff approach the teaching of phonics. This is because not all staff have received the training that they need to deliver the new phonics programme that has been recently put into place.

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Leaders have planned the mathematics curriculum carefully. Staff understand how to ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well. Pupils have regular opportunities to recap on previous learning before new concepts are introduced. Teachers explain new ideas clearly, using a range of thoughtfully selected resources. Teachers encourage pupils to explain their thinking using mathematical vocabulary.

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Pupils are enthusiastic about their work across the curriculum. In history, for example, pupils can remember the significant dates and events from the topics that they have studied. Pupils develop a secure understanding of important concepts such as ‘empire’. For instance, pupils can explain why the Romans wanted to invade Britain. However, in a very small number of other subjects, leaders have not fully identified the most important knowledge that pupils should learn. As a result, leaders and teachers are unable to keep track of pupils’ learning as closely as they should.

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The special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator provides guidance for teachers on how to adapt the curriculum to enable pupils with SEND to achieve well. Leaders have invested in staff training to help pupils with SEND. This includes a pastoral support assistant whose role is to support pupils’ emotional and mental health needs. The atmosphere in the school is calm and productive and learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour.

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Leaders plan an appropriate range of opportunities for pupils to enrich their learning, such as residential visits and a range of clubs. Pupils learn about different religions, such as Islam, and that there are different types of families. They understand the importance of respect for all.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They said that leaders and governors are considerate of their workload and place importance on their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 14 and 15 September 2021

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All staff have regular safeguarding training so that they can identify potential safeguarding risks. The designated safeguarding lead has established strong links with local agencies to access support for vulnerable pupils and families. Leaders also have an effective offer of support in school for pupils who need it.

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Leaders have reviewed their systems for managing pupil absence, including how they access the services of an educational welfare officer. This has resulted in a noticeable improvement in the attendance of specific groups.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are some inconsistencies in how the new phonics programme is delivered. This is hindering some pupils from making the most of their phonics sessions. Leaders should ensure that all staff who teach early reading receive the training that they need so that there is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics.  In a very small number of subjects, leaders have not defined the precise knowledge that they want pupils to learn. As a result, teachers are unable to check closely enough how well pupils know and remember the important curriculum content. Leaders should ensure that curriculum plans identify the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn in these subjects.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

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.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 14 and 15 September 2021

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If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil 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. 14 and 15 September 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10199804 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.ashtonsaintwilfrids.wigan.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 June 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School is a voluntary aided school. It is part of the Archdiocese of Liverpool. The last section 48 inspection took place in November 2017. Due to the impact of the pandemic, the next section 48 inspection has been delayed.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This is the first routine inspection that the school has received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken this into account in their evaluation.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher and other members of staff. They also spoke with pupils about their work and their school. The inspector met online with members of the governing body. They also had a discussion on the telephone with a representative of the local authority and with a representative of the Archdiocese of Liverpool.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation about safeguarding, including the employment checks undertaken when staff are appointed. 14 and 15 September 2021

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 The inspector considered the 45 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. The inspector also considered the 32 responses from Ofsted’s online staff survey and the 52 responses from Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  The inspector carried out deep dives into reading, history and mathematics. This involved: discussions with subject leaders, teachers and pupils; visits to lessons; reviewing pupils’ work; and listening to pupils read.

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Inspection team

Janette Walker, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 14 and 15 September 2021

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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.

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