St Wilfrid's CofE Junior and Infant School

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

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 September 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 19 and 20 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are embraced in the warmth of this school. They know that they are cared for and valued. Pupils said that the school is very respectful and welcoming. This makes them feel happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Around school, pupils’ behaviour is calm and sensible. Most pupils concentrate on their lessons and know not to disturb others. Pupils are keen to learn. In the early years, children are settled and able to stay focused on their learning. Children and pupils follow the school rules by listening carefully and learning to take turns. They speak kindly and respectfully to each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Many pupils reach these expectations and, as a result, are ready for the next stage of their education. The school makes sure that pupils receive the support they need, academically, socially and emotionally.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take on various responsibilities with pride. For example, pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 wear a different-coloured jumper to the rest of the school. This is to make them visible as role models for younger pupils. They live up to their role and set a high standard of behaviour for others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the opportunities to take part in extra-curricular clubs, such as choir and quiz clubs. They enjoy the visits that they go on as part of their learning to help bring it to life. The school council plays an active role in the school, organising events and acting as a voice for children and pupils.

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better?

The school has carefully designed an interesting and ambitious curriculum. Most pupils learn well from the curriculum. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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better?

The curriculum is structured in a well-thought-out order. Pupils’ learning is broken down into small sections that the school has identified as important knowledge. The school checks that pupils understand what they have learned. It uses this information to make sure that pupils have the essential knowledge needed to learn from the curriculum. Where appropriate, the school adapts learning so that pupils do not have gaps in their knowledge.

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better?

The school makes sure that pupils with SEND are identified early and receive the support that they need in a timely manner. Where appropriate, pupils with SEND have specialist resources to help them with their learning. The school is careful to ensure that pupils with SEND access the full curriculum.

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better?

The school places high priority on children and pupils learning to read. From the Nursery Class, children practise hearing sounds and developing their listening skills. 19 and 20 September 2023

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This means that when they start learning phonics from the outset in Reception Year, they can hear and identify individual sounds. Children quickly gain the knowledge and skills they need to be able to read confidently and fluently. Phonics is taught consistently across the school. Pupils benefit from reading books that only contain the sounds that they know. This means that they achieve success at an early stage of their reading. Pupils who are not keeping up with the pace of the phonics programme are quickly identified. The school then makes sure that these pupils receive extra support.

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Pupils regularly visit the well-stocked school library. Parents and carers appreciate the trolleys placed outside containing books to borrow. The school makes sure that pupils read regularly. However, some older pupils do not read the wide range of books that the school intends. This means that some older pupils do not have a broad knowledge of different books and authors.

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Pupils place a high value on acceptance and tolerance. They understand what it means to celebrate differences between themselves and others. Pupils told inspectors that everyone in their school are friends. Pupils learn about social and moral issues through regular philosophy lessons. They spoke confidently and articulately about a range of issues. This helps pupils to prepare for life in modern Britain.

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The school has systems in place to identify and support pupils who do not attend regularly enough. However, these systems are fragmented and there are still some pupils who do not have good attendance. This means that they miss out on valuable learning.

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The school, including governors, has successfully addressed the points raised during its last inspection. This has been done while considering and prioritising staff workload. It has allocated specific time to developing subject leadership. Staff are extremely positive about the school. They appreciate the consideration given to their well-being, through initiatives such as counselling, should they require it.

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Parents are regularly updated about their child’s learning, for example through online platforms and termly reports. Parents said that the school works closely with them to develop positive relationships and to support their children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 19 and 20 September 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Too many pupils do not attend school regularly enough. These pupils miss out on important learning. The school should improve systems to work with parents so that pupils’ attendance increases, and they access the full curriculum offer.  The school does not have a clear overview of how widely some older pupils read. It has not identified that some pupils do not read from the wide range of books and authors that it intends. This means that these pupils do not develop a broad knowledge of books and authors. The school should ensure that older pupils read the breadth of books that the school intends.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 19 and 20 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 St Wilfrid’s Infant and Junior school is a voluntary controlled Church of England primary school within the Diocese of Manchester.  The most recent section 48 inspection took place in January 2016.  The next section 48 inspection is due to take place before January 2026.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point in time judgement about the quality of a school’s education process.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspection team met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the early years leader and the SEND coordinator. 19 and 20 September 2023

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 The lead inspector also held telephone conversations with a representative from the local authority and a representative from the Diocese of Manchester.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and design technology. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to a range of pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector observed some pupils from Year 1 to Year 3 reading to a familiar member of staff.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects. They looked at curriculum documentation and the work completed by pupils.  Inspectors considered the results of Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  Inspectors also considered the results of the Ofsted staff survey.  There were no responses submitted to the Ofsted pupil survey.

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 Inspectors also spoke to a range of parents and pupils to gather their views on the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interest first.

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Inspection team

Sheena Clark, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Howard Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 September 2023

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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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