St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, Wrightington

Inspection of a good school: St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Wrightington Mossy Lea Road, Wrightington, Wigan, Lancashire WN6 9RE

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Outcome

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Wrightington continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending the nurturing environment that staff and leaders have created at St Joseph’s Primary School. Pupils are friendly and get along well together. Year 6 buddies enjoy looking after their younger peers in the Reception class. Pupils told inspectors that they feel happy and safe in school. They said that name-calling and bullying are rare. Should these issues arise, staff deal with them quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want pupils to follow the school motto of ‘live life to the full’. To this end, leaders provide pupils with many different opportunities to widen their experiences. Pupils can choose from an extensive range of after-school activities, including sports, singing and computing. Older pupils recently learned how to perform CPR and operate a defibrillator. They also benefit from going on different trips and visits. Pupils spoke with enthusiasm about their trip to London, to the zoo and to a residential activity centre.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and achievements. Pupils’ behaviour is positive. Parents and carers, staff and governors share this view. Pupils work hard in class to achieve their goals. They achieve well in a range of subjects. Pupils are motivated by the different rewards on offer, including the star of the week certificates.

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

Leaders have created a curriculum that is broad and ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils told inspectors that they find the curriculum engaging and fun. Teachers prepare pupils well to move on to their next stage of education.

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

Leaders have thought carefully about the essential knowledge that they want pupils to learn. Curriculum leaders have ensured that this knowledge builds from the early years. This enables children to build on what they already know as they enter Year 1. In lessons, staff check what pupils have learned and are able to address any misconceptions quickly. 22 March 2022

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In most subjects, pupils achieve well. They can talk confidently about what they have learned. For instance, Year 4 pupils spoke knowledgeably to inspectors about their learning in science. They could clearly explain the difference between incisors and molars, omnivores and carnivores.

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Pupils remember less in a small number of subjects. This is because, previously, leaders did not make clear the key knowledge and skills that pupils needed to learn. Leaders have recently taken action to revise these curriculum areas. Teachers now understand what pupils need to know and remember. However, these curriculum changes are at an early stage of being implemented.

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Staff have been trained to identify pupils with SEND quickly. They are skilled in supporting pupils with SEND. This ensures that pupils with SEND can access the same opportunities as their peers.

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Leaders place great emphasis on the teaching of reading. Pupils across the school spoke enthusiastically about the books that they have read and that their teachers have read to them. In the early years, staff read carefully chosen texts to help children develop their love of reading. They use books that closely match the sounds that pupils are learning. Those pupils who struggle with reading are given additional opportunities to help them catch up.

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Children are taught phonics as soon as they enter the Reception class. Leaders have very recently introduced a new phonics curriculum. Staff have had limited training so far. This leads to some variability in how well the phonics curriculum is delivered. As a result, some pupils in key stage 1 do not gain the body of phonics knowledge as quickly as they could.

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Pupils are polite and courteous. They pay close attention to their teachers in class. Learning is rarely disrupted. Pupils believe that everybody should be treated equally. They understand the importance of democracy in society. Older pupils talked about the injustice of women’s right to vote only being granted just over 100 years ago.

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Governors know the school’s areas of strength and know what needs to improve. They support and challenge leaders to achieve their goals. Governors and leaders are mindful of the well-being and workload of staff. Staff feel well supported and are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that staff have received appropriate training that enables them to safeguard the pupils in school. Staff have a clear understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities. They know the importance of quickly reporting any concerns that they may have, no matter how small. Leaders’ records detail the timely actions taken to safeguard pupils. This includes the involvement of outside agencies where necessary. 22 March 2022

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Leaders use the curriculum to help pupils learn how to stay safe. Pupils learn about the dangers of speaking to strangers and learn how to keep themselves safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, pupils struggle to recall their previous learning. The revised curriculum is too new to have made a difference to what pupils know and remember of their learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers are supported fully to implement the revised curriculum so that gaps in pupils’ learning are addressed and pupils build on what they already know and can do.  Leaders have very recently introduced a new phonics curriculum. Staff have received limited training so far. This leads to some variability in how effectively this curriculum is delivered. Leaders should ensure that staff are suitably trained to deliver the phonics curriculum with expertise and confidence so that pupils build their phonics knowledge in line with the curriculum intent.

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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 evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 December 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.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 22 March 2022

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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. 22 March 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.st-josephs-wrightington.lancs.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a voluntary-aided Catholic primary school. The school had its most recent section 48 inspection in February 2018.  A new chair of governors has been appointed since the last inspection.  School leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.  The governing body manages the before- and after-school provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and two members of the governing body. An inspector also spoke with a representative of the Archdiocese of Liverpool.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, science and geography. This involved visiting lessons with subject leaders, discussing the subject curriculums, 22 March 2022

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talking to pupils and teachers and looking at pupils’ work. An inspector also observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at playtimes, lunchtime and during lessons. Pupils also talked to the inspectors about their views of their school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and spoke to parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors also considered responses to the pupil and staff questionnaires.  Inspectors checked leaders’ safeguarding procedures. They viewed a range of safeguarding documentation and looked at how incidents are managed and recorded.

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Inspection team

John Tomlinson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Joan Williamson Ofsted Inspector 22 March 2022

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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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