St Winefride's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Winefride’s Catholic Primary School Mellock Lane, Little Neston, Neston, Cheshire CH64 9RW

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Winefride’s pupils are happy to see their friends and the staff each morning. Pupils are very proud of their school. They said that it is a special place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that they are expected to do well in their lessons. They enjoy learning and try hard in class. In turn, most pupils achieve well. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years and pupils throughout the rest of the school are friendly and polite. They are kind to one another and welcoming to visitors. Pupils are proud to be chosen as their class ‘beacon of light’ for the week when they become a role model for their excellent behaviour. The school’s core values of excellence, happiness, respect, resilience, compassion and faith are evident in the way that pupils treat one another. Relationships between pupils and staff are kind and caring.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with SEND, benefit from the wider opportunities that the school provides. This includes clubs such as construction, nature, football and drawing. Pupils are compassionate. They think about others and this extends to the wider community. For example, pupils suggest ways in which they can raise money for local charities.

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

The school has placed a high priority on pupils learning to read. This starts swiftly in the Reception class, where skilled staff deliver the phonics programme effectively. Children enjoy voting for their favourite book at story time. They listen intently and join in with the story. Pupils in Reception and key stage 1 who struggle to keep up with the programme are given the support that they need. The books that pupils read match the sounds that they know. This helps pupils to experience success. The school works closely with parents and carers so that they can support their children at home with reading. Pupils, including 7 and 8 February 2024

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those with SEND, are fluent readers by the end of key stage 1. Older pupils are confident readers and can talk about authors and books that they enjoy.

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The curriculum is ambitious for pupils, including those with SEND. The school has carefully designed its curriculum. The order in which knowledge is taught is clear. This enables most pupils to achieve well. However, in a small number of subjects, the school has recently revised its curriculum. The key content that pupils will learn has not been clearly identified. This means that teachers do not have all of the information that they need to teach. Some pupils do not achieve as well as they should in these subjects.

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The school regularly checks how well pupils are learning. Staff swiftly intervene to give pupils support when it is needed. The school quickly identifies the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff help these pupils to have access to the same curriculum as their peers. Staff are well trained to offer the right support. This enables pupils with SEND to achieve well.

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Pupils behave well. They show their school’s core value of resilience by not giving up when their work is challenging. Pupils, including children in the Reception class, work together to help one another to overcome problems. Pupils enjoy talking about their learning. They take pride in their work.

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Pupils experience a broad range of activities that enhance their personal development. Pupils take on leadership roles that contribute to the smooth running of the school. For example, Year 6 pupils act as buddies to children in the Reception class. This helps the youngest children to settle quickly into the life of the school. Pupils understand about different types of families. They admire differences between people and said that everyone should be treated with respect.

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Staff reported that the school cares about their well-being. Staff said that they benefit from the training that they receive which helps them to deliver the curriculum well. The school carefully considers workload when making changes to the curriculum.

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Governors know the school well. They support and challenge the school to maintain the good quality of education that pupils receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the school has not identified the most important knowledge that pupils should learn. This means that teachers do not have all of the information that they need in order to build pupils’ knowledge in the subjects that they study. The school should ensure that these subjects are further refined to enable teachers to teach well so that pupils know more and remember more. 7 and 8 February 2024

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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 January 2014.

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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, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 7 and 8 February 2024

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School details

Local authority Cheshire West and Chester

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stwinefrides.cheshire.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This Roman Catholic school is part of the Diocese of Shrewsbury.  The last section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character took place in July 2017. The next section 48 inspection is likely to take place before the end of the academic year.  The school does not make use of an alternative provider.

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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 the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  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. 7 and 8 February 2024

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 The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other leaders. She also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector spoke to representatives of the local authority and the diocese.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour as they arrived at school and during lessons and breaktimes. She also spoke with pupils about their views of school life.  The inspector considered the views of parents. She looked at the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. She also spoke to a number of parents at the start of the school day.  The inspector considered the views of pupils and staff who responded to Ofsted’s online pupil and staff surveys.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, discussed the curriculum, looked at a sample of pupils’ work, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers

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and talked with pupils about their learning.  The inspector also considered the curriculum in other areas. This includes talking with pupils about the work in their books and talking with subject leaders.  The inspector also observed pupils reading to familiar adults.

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Inspection team

Frith Murphy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 February 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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