St Cuthbert's Catholic Primary School Wigan

Inspection of a good school: St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School Wigan Thorburn Road, Norley Hall, Wigan, Lancashire WN5 9LW

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Inspection dates: 23 and 24 January 2024

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

At St Cuthbert’s Catholic Primary School, pupils are supported to become aspirational and respectful. This helps them to make a positive contribution to their local community. Staff know pupils and their families well and offer prompt support as needed. This helps to ensure that pupils are happy. They enjoy school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has ambitious expectations for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Motivated by the high expectations set by the school, pupils participate well in lessons, giving their best efforts. Pupils achieve well across many subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils adhere to school rules and routines. They display praiseworthy behaviour and cooperative play. The swift establishment of routines, especially for children in the early years, ensures a seamless transition into school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils proudly embrace leadership roles. These roles include being a digital leader, school council representative or a peace pioneer. Pupils’ involvement in these roles significantly enhances the school experience for everyone. For example, the digital leaders hold assemblies to educate other pupils about keeping safe online.

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

The school has crafted a comprehensive and ambitious curriculum for children in the early years, as well as for pupils in key stages 1 and 2. The school has thoughtfully considered the order in which new learning is introduced. Staff receive a wealth of effective training. This supports teachers to deliver learning confidently and expertly. They usually design learning activities which help pupils to develop knowledge over time. Staff use their expertise to make learning interesting for pupils.

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

Most of the time, teachers make sure that pupils learn the content of the curriculums. However, on occasion, the activities that pupils complete do not focus on the essential 23 and 24 January 2024

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learning that is identified in the curriculum. This means that, at times, some pupils do not learn all of the important information and vocabulary that they need for future learning. Teachers are quick to identify and rectify any misunderstandings that pupils might have in lessons.

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The school has cultivated a vibrant reading culture. Pupils, therefore, display enthusiasm and joy for reading. As soon as children start in the Reception class, there is an immediate focus on phonics. Teachers have undergone suitable training in how to deliver the school’s phonics programme. This training helps to ensure that there is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. Staff identify and provide swift support to any pupils who struggle to learn phonics. Effective support is put into place to ensure that these pupils catch up promptly. This means that by the end of key stage 1, most pupils read with increasing confidence and fluency.

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Appropriate systems and processes are in place to identify pupils with SEND. Collaborative efforts with parents, carers and external agencies enhance the support provided for these pupils. Most of the time, extra support is put in place for these pupils, so that they can access the same curriculum as their peers. When pupils with SEND are not able to access the same curriculum, the school has put appropriate support in place, so that these pupils achieve well.

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In classrooms, pupils’ learning is rarely disrupted by the behaviour of others. When very occasional low-level disruption occurs, staff deal with it effectively. Pupils also behave well at lunchtimes. They enjoy this time, socialising with friends and engaging in sports activities.

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Securing regular attendance is a priority for the school. The school carefully analyses data to help to identify the cause of absences. It uses a wide range of strategies to improve pupils’ attendance. These strategies are having a positive impact to ensure that pupils benefit from being in school more regularly.

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The school places a strong focus on ensuring that pupils know how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. For example, pupils make use of breathing techniques to support their mental well-being. Pupils learn about and demonstrate high levels of respect for cultures and beliefs that are different to their own. Pupils enjoy attending a range of activities, such as baking, judo and art clubs. These provide pupils with opportunities to explore and nurture their talents.

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Staff said that the school is considerate of their workload and well-being. Staff are appreciative of changes that the school has made to reduce unnecessary workload. Governors provide effective support and offer appropriate challenge to help the continual growth and success of the school.

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The school creates meaningful avenues for parental engagement. Activities, like financial workshops for parents and pupils, show the school’s commitment to involving families in their children’s education. 23 and 24 January 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, pupils do not learn the essential knowledge that it identified in the curriculum. This means that, sometimes, pupils do not learn what they should in readiness for future learning. The school should make sure that the curriculum is delivered as intended, so that pupils are well prepared for future learning.

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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 March 2015.

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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’ 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, 23 and 24 January 2024

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 23 and 24 January 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 27 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Archdiocese of Liverpool.  The last section 48 inspection took place in May 2019. The school is awaiting confirmation from the diocese about its next section 48 inspection.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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.  The inspector met with the headteacher, other leaders, staff and members of the governing body. The inspector also spoke to representatives from the local authority and from the Archdiocese of Liverpool. 23 and 24 January 2024

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also listened to some pupils read.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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’ interests first.  The inspector talked with pupils in meetings and around the school at lunchtime.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. The inspector also reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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 The inspector looked at the documentation provided by leaders, including the school improvement plan and school self-evaluation, minutes from meetings of the governing body and a range of documentation relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour.

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Inspection team

Collette Mather, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 January 2024

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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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