St Wulstan's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Wulstan’s Catholic Primary School Church Lane, Wolstanton, Newcastle, Staffordshire ST5 0EF

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Outcome

St Wulstan’s Catholic Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Ben Grove. This school is part of the Christ the King Catholic Collegiate, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Theresa Madden, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gillian Regan.

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What is it like to attend this school?

At St Wulstan’s, pupils and staff ‘love, learn and share’ together. This motto is embodied throughout all aspects of school life. The school has high aspirations for pupils, who love to learn. They flourish at this school and achieve well. Many parents and carers agree, with one comment being typical of many when they stated, ‘My children thrive at this school; they are challenged and the staff have created an environment and culture where learning is engaging.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils strive to meet the school’s high expectations of behaviour. They say, ‘We are STARS.’ Pupils ‘show respect’, ‘try our best’, ‘act responsibly’, ‘remember to pray to God’ and ‘smile and always be kind’. Consequently, pupils demonstrate high levels of commitment to learning in class. They play cooperatively with their friends at social times. Pupils say that staff are compassionate and will sort out any issues, no matter how small.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong focus on community participation at this school. Pupils engage in local, national and international fundraising and activities. For example, they make ‘friendship pebbles’ for the local community or raise money for waste bins on Thailand’s beaches. 4 and 5 February 2025

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has further developed and strengthened its curriculum. The curriculum is ambitious. Pupils build on their learning from the early years. For example, in geography, children in Reception use models and materials to make scenes. In key stage 1, they then learn to make simple aerial maps of the playground. By Year 6, pupils are able to interpret world maps to understand the climate in Africa.

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

Teachers design activities that deepen pupils’ knowledge and connect earlier learning with new content. Pupils talk with confidence about their learning and how it connects to what they already know. For example, pupils explain how they have used their programming skills in computing to make an ‘animal monitor’ in design and technology. The school has well-planned and considered opportunities for pupils to enrich their learning through trips and visitors into school. For example, pupils can explain how a visit to a regimental museum helps them to understand what life was like in the trenches in World War Two.

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

The school uses effective checks to identify and address any gaps in knowledge that pupils have. The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified early. Teachers make sure they adapt learning for pupils with SEND. In many cases, this enables pupils with SEND to achieve as well as their peers. However, in a small number of subjects, for some pupils with SEND adaptations are not as precise or consistent as they could be. These pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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

The school puts reading at the heart of learning. Well-trained staff deliver the phonics programme consistently. Pupils who need extra help in learning phonics are quickly supported. Carefully selected books help pupils to experience success when reading. Staff read to pupils regularly. They often choose books that enhance pupils’ understanding in other curriculum subjects. Reading champions support other pupils well to further develop a love of reading.

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

Children in the early years and across the school are very well behaved. They are keen to learn, and focus well in lessons. The school supports pupils successfully if they struggle with their behaviour. The school’s systems and procedures around attendance are highly effective. Attendance concerns are picked up and addressed at an early stage.

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

The school’s offer to enrich pupils’ personal development is noteworthy. Effective links across the curriculum develop pupils as individuals and enable them to be aspirational. Visits from a range of adults with different careers mean that pupils can aspire to be neurologists, train drivers and web developers. Pupils discuss and debate world issues in the curriculum, for example discussing the deforestation of rainforests in geography. Pupils take responsibility and lead in school. They are ‘mini vinnies’, playground leaders, house captains and members of the school council. This enables them to contribute positively to the life of the school.

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

Local governors understand and perform their duties well. The multi-academy company (MAC) supports the school well in the ‘tweaks’ it needs to make to continue to improve. 4 and 5 February 2025

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Staff are extremely appreciative of the consideration the school makes with regard to their workload and well-being, particularly when implementing new initiatives.

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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, teachers do not always adapt learning well for some pupils with SEND. This means that these pupils do not make as much progress as they could in these subjects. The school should ensure that support for pupils with SEND is closely matched to fully meet pupils’ needs to help them to learn well.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 predecessor school, St Wulstan’s Catholic Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2013. 4 and 5 February 2025

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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). 4 and 5 February 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 February 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school operates a before- and after-school club.  The school is within the Archdiocese of Birmingham. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in July 2017. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next section 48 inspection will be within five years of the most recent one.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 their evaluation of the school. 4 and 5 February 2025

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 During the inspection, the inspector held meetings with the principal, the deputy principal, subject leaders, groups of staff and pupils.  The inspector met with members of the MAC and local governing body, including the chairs of the MAC and the local governing body. The inspector held a meeting with the CEO of the trust.  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 visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also spoke to pupils about their work.  The inspector heard pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school.

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 The inspector considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. He also took into consideration the online staff and pupil surveys. The inspector spoke to parents at the beginning of the school day.

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Inspection team

Barry Yeardsley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 4 and 5 February 2025

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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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