Wilfred Owen Primary School

Inspection of Wilfred Owen Primary School The Monkmoor Campus, Woodcote Way, Monkmoor, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY2 5SH

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

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Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The headteacher of this school is Karen Matthews. This school is part of Empower Trust, a multi-academy trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Carla Whelan, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Bunting. 26 and 27 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a warm, welcoming school where everyone is valued and included. Pupils are happy and safe. They are thoughtful and kind to each other. This is because the school places a strong focus on pupils’ social and emotional well-being. The school’s motto of ‘ready, respectful and safe’ is at the heart of the highly effective pastoral support for pupils in its care. Pupils know they have someone to talk to if they have any worries and that staff will sort out any problems quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement and has developed a curriculum that focuses on what pupils need to know and understand by the time they leave the school. This means that academic outcomes are improving quickly. Reading is a priority from the start and pupils love to share the wide range of books that they read.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. The school council raises funds to buy play equipment and pupil safeguarding leads help younger children at playtime. Pupils have many enrichment opportunities, including trips to a castle and a mill, which bring the curriculum to life. They benefit from a wide range of clubs, including the Wow Club, multi-sports and craft.

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

The school has acted quickly to develop a broad, ambitious curriculum. It has identified the key knowledge and skills pupils must learn so that they understand and remember more in all subjects. This means that outcomes are improving rapidly. Reading is prioritised so that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), access a rich curriculum offer. Staff make sure that pupils who need support get it quickly so that they can keep up with their peers. However, the school does not have a consistent approach to handwriting and spelling and so some pupils do not develop the fluency to write as well as they should.

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

There has been a strong focus on professional development working collaboratively across the multi-academy trust. Subject leaders provide effective support so that teachers know the curriculum well and adapt their lessons to the needs of their classes. Teachers use modelling and displays to explain key ideas, check pupils’ understanding often and provide clear feedback. They use a range of approaches to support pupils with SEND, including scaffolds and sensory resources. Skilled learning support assistants provide short catch-up sessions and extra help for speech and language needs. This additional support helps pupils with SEND to achieve well and access the curriculum fully.

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

Pupils are happy and settled in the early years. The provision is well organised, calm and inviting. This is because they have strong relationships with staff and routines are well established. Cosy book areas and regular story times mean that children gain a love of reading from the start.

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

Personal development is at the heart of the school’s provision. The school is keen to challenge stereotypes by promoting diversity across the curriculum. Pupils learn about 26 and 27 November 2024

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inspiring role models, such as a Black female fighter pilot, and discuss tolerance and respect for others in their lessons and assemblies. They are excited to talk about remembrance, especially Wilfred Owen, and how we need to consider lessons from the past to promote peace. Pupils learn to keep themselves safe online and the importance of safety and trust in relationships. This is promoted further in their roles around school, such as the safeguarding leads, who help younger pupils and support with friendship issues.

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There is a calm, nurturing environment at the school and this means that pupils behave well. Pupils learn to resolve issues through listening and taking into account different points of view. Attendance is a high priority for the school and is monitored rigorously. A few pupils have low attendance but the school works closely with families as well as external support agencies to ensure that pupils are safe and attending more often. Some pupils are late too often. The school supports families well to help pupils get to school on time. This means that overall punctuality is improving.

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The trust board has clear oversight of the performance of the school and provides highly effective support for school improvement. The local governing body provides valuable insight from a range of stakeholders, including parents and carers, staff and pupils. Staff feel listened to and appreciate the way their workload is considered. Parents praise the school highly and feel well supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not developed a consistent approach to the teaching of spelling, letter formation and handwriting. This means that some pupils do not gain the skills they need to write with confidence. The school should ensure that there is a consistent approach to the teaching of fundamental writing skills and ensure that all staff are trained to deliver this well.  A small number of pupils are late to school too often. This means that they are missing time in lessons and developing gaps in their learning. The school should further develop strategies with families to improve punctuality and ensure that pupils get to school on time so they benefit fully from the curriculum.

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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. 26 and 27 November 2024

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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). 26 and 27 November 2024

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School details

Website www.wilfredowen.shropshire.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 June 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was the acting headteacher at the time of the last inspection and has since been appointed to the substantive post.  The school offers a breakfast club and an after-school club.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 26 and 27 November 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, subject leaders and a range of staff.  Inspectors met with representatives from the academy trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and music. For each deep dive, inspectors 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.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record, took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Johanne Clifton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Darryl Asbury Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 November 2024

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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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