St Willibrord's RC Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Willibrord’s RC Primary School Vale Street, Clayton, Manchester, Greater Manchester M11 4WR

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 November 2022

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Outcome

St Willibrord’s RC Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including children in the early years, flourish at this welcoming school. They love to come to school each day. Pupils feel safe and happy. They value the support that staff provide, particularly with regard to their emotional health and well-being. Children and pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (specially resourced provision) also benefit from the warm and nurturing relationships fostered by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want the best for pupils at this school. They have high aspirations for them, both in terms of their learning and behaviour. Pupils proudly rise to leaders’ high aspirations for them. Leaders deal with bullying well. They respond swiftly and effectively to any concerns or worries raised by pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show care and consideration towards each other. They embody the school’s values and ethos. Pupils behave well in lessons. They enjoy spending time together playing and chatting with their friends at breaktimes. Children and pupils in the specially resourced provision also show strong interest in their learning. They persevere when they find tasks difficult.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), play an active part in school life. They enjoy helping to make improvements to the school. For example, pupils spoke fondly about their roles as members of the St Willibrord’s Action team. They wear their leadership lanyards with pride.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers who shared their views with the inspector at the start of the school day said that they feel a valued part of the school community. 15 and 16 November 2022

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

Leaders and staff have collaborated to develop an engaging curriculum, which meets pupils’ needs, including those with SEND, well. Leaders have thought carefully about the key knowledge and the order in which it should be learned. They have considered when pupils will revisit key concepts to support them to remember learning in the longer term.

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

Teachers benefit from helpful support and guidance on how to deliver curriculums as leaders intend. As a result, they deliver curriculums well in most subjects. However, in some subjects, the changes that leaders have made to their curriculums have only recently been introduced. This means that leaders have not had the opportunity to measure the impact of these changes on pupils’ ability to recall their learning in these subjects over time.

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

In some subjects, particularly in English and mathematics, teachers check effectively that pupils have understood and remembered key content. As a result, pupils learn well. In those subjects where recent changes have been made to the curriculums, assessment strategies are less well developed. This makes it harder for teachers to accurately pinpoint how successfully pupils have understood and retained important knowledge and skills over time.

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

Reading is central to the school’s curriculum. The youngest children in the Nursery class enjoy listening to stories and sharing books. During breaktimes, pupils enjoy sharing reading books with their classmates.

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

Staff teach reading consistently well. Children in the Reception class begin to learn the connections between sounds and letters as soon as they start school. Pupils who are just starting to learn to read use the sounds they have been taught to read new words confidently. Staff carefully check that children and pupils are progressing well with learning their sounds. They provide high-quality support for any pupils who struggle so that they quickly catch up with their classmates.

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

Pupils have very positive attitudes to reading. The oldest pupils read fluently and with good expression. They enjoy their roles as reading champions, where they support younger children with their reading.

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

Leaders and teachers utilise the considerable expertise of staff in school as well as engaging effectively with external agencies, to identify pupils’ particular needs swiftly and accurately. Leaders and staff work well together to make sure that pupils with SEND, including those in the specially resourced provision, receive the right support in a timely manner. Pupils with SEND enjoy learning and playing alongside their classmates.

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

Pupils can usually learn without disruption. Pupils listen and respond well to teachers’ instructions. Pupils respect each other. They show tolerance and understanding of different faiths and cultures. 15 and 16 November 2022

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Pupils enjoy representing the school in various sporting and musical activities. These include playing the ukulele, singing in the school choir and competing against other local schools as members of the football team.

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Governors check how well certain subjects, such as reading and mathematics, have been developed and enhanced by leaders. They have less oversight of the effectiveness of some other curriculum areas. Staff appreciate the steps that leaders and governors take to manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders leave no stone unturned in ensuring that pupils are well cared for and looked after. Leaders and staff know their families well. Staff quickly spot any pupils who may be at risk of harm or neglect. They report their concerns in a timely way. Leaders work closely with safeguarding agencies and other partners to ensure pupils and their families get the help and support they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe. This includes learning about the dangers of illegal drugs and knife crime. They are taught not to give out their passwords or personal details when using the internet.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not had the opportunity to measure the impact of recent changes. Governors and leaders should make sure that they check how well these subjects are being implemented. This is so that they can be assured that pupils, including children in the early years, know more and remember more over time.  In the subjects that have recently undergone some refinements, assessment strategies are less well developed. This means that teachers cannot be certain that pupils have understood and retained important knowledge. Leaders should make sure that assessment methods are used consistently well so that teachers can check that pupils’ learning is secure. 15 and 16 November 2022

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded 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.

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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. 15 and 16 November 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.st-willibrords.manchester.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

 The school is a voluntary-aided Roman Catholic school which is part of the Diocese of Manchester. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in January 2018.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. The specially resourced provision caters for pupils ranging from Reception-age children to pupils in Year 6. Pupils’ primary needs are mainly autism spectrum disorder or speech, language and communication needs. All pupils who attend the specially resourced provision have education, health and care plans.  Leaders do not currently make use of alternative provision for pupils.  Leaders provide a breakfast club.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school. 15 and 16 November 2022

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector met with leaders, discussed curriculums, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and reviewed samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also observed pupils from Years 1 to Year 3 reading to a familiar adult.  The inspector also considered several other subjects on the school’s curriculum. She talked to the leaders who lead these subjects.  The inspector held discussions with the headteacher, other leaders and staff.  The inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body. The inspector also spoke with representatives of the local authority and the diocese.  The inspector spoke with different groups of pupils to gather their views of the school, including their behaviour and learning. The inspector also observed pupils’ behaviour

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during lessons and at playtimes.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. She spoke to several parents at the start of the school day. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  The inspector met with those responsible for safeguarding at the school. She scrutinised a range of documentation in relation to safeguarding. The inspector also spoke with governors, staff, parents and pupils about safeguarding.  The inspector considered a range of documentation provided by school leaders and staff. This included the school development plan, minutes of governing body meetings, headteacher reports and the leaders’ self-evaluation document.

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Inspection team

Louise McArdle, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 15 and 16 November 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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