St Wilfrid's Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy

Inspection of a school judged outstanding for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy Church Lane, Ripon, North Yorkshire HG4 2ES

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Outcome

St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School, a Voluntary Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Jill Allen. This school is part of Bishop Wheeler Catholic 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 (CEO), Darren Beardsley, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Helen Mills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s vision that pupils should ‘learn to love and love to learn’ is alive and well at St Wilfrid’s. The school virtues of friendship, courage and forgiveness run like a rod of iron through all that the school does. As a result, pupils are grateful, friendly, honest and fair, as expected in the school’s golden rules.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are welcoming and happy. They say that they are safe. They help each other. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 support younger pupils at lunchtime. This helps to create a strong, caring community. There is a wide range of leadership opportunities for pupils, including reading ambassadors. Children in early years have the opportunity to become special helpers. School is calm, and pupils behave very well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There has been an increase in the number of pupils attending school with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has made sure that lessons are adapted to meet these pupils’ needs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils rise to meet these. By the time pupils leave school, they are ready for the next stage of their education. Their 17 June 2025

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confidence and wider development are striking; pupils are socially and academically ready for their next school.

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

The school ensures that pupils develop a love of reading. This journey starts as soon as children join school in the early years. Pupils achieve well in phonics. The school’s chosen phonics programme is well delivered. Staff carefully monitor the progress pupils make. Members of staff ensure that any gaps in phonics knowledge are identified. These are then addressed quickly and effectively. Attainment in reading in Year 6 has been secure for several years.

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

In mathematics, pupils are taught in year groups. Here, teachers give precise explanations, and pupils focus well on the task at hand. The way in which teachers give examples of how to complete mathematical calculations is highly effective.

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

Other subjects are equally well designed. The school considers how to teach mixed-age classes carefully. In history, for example, the school has identified the essential knowledge pupils need to know and how this builds over time. In geography, teaching helps pupils connect facts to develop the skills needed to think like a geographer. In the early years, staff focus on building children’s vocabulary and knowledge to ensure they are well prepared for key stage 1. However, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could in writing. At times, they are unsure how to use the right language and structure in their writing. This means they do not always develop their writing skills as securely as they could.

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

Pupils with SEND receive support that helps them make progress. This includes extra teaching and exposure to important vocabulary in smaller groups to help them prepare for the next lesson. Teaching assistants are highly effective in working with individuals and groups of pupils. Teachers check pupils’ learning well to help all pupils make progress. Teachers spot any gaps in pupils’ knowledge and work with pupils to help them remember more.

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

Children in early years are confident and curious. They develop their skills and knowledge exceptionally well. The environment is rich with opportunities to learn. These opportunities are closely linked to the curriculum. Teachers know what individual children need to do to improve, and they strategically select activities to help them. The children are very welcoming. They were eager to share their excitement about the pigeon and the eggs in the nest; this was clearly very important to them.

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

Pupils behave well and want to be the best version of themselves. Unkind behaviour is rare. Pupils say that this is dealt with effectively if it ever occurs. Most pupils play kindly with each other outside. The gym equipment has been well received by pupils. Pupils attend school regularly and often. Where this is not the case, the school works well with individuals and families to help improve attendance. 17 June 2025

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Pupils’ wider development is a major strength of the school. Every pupil in Years 3 to 6 has represented the school in sporting competitions. The school is involved in the community, for example through collections for the food bank. Singing is important at St Wilfrid’s. Weekly lessons take place, and pupils are part of the diocesan choir and perform at the carol service.

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Members of staff gave examples of how the school helps manage their workload. They are proud to work at St Wilfrid’s and know that the school supports pupils to do their best. They appreciate the support and opportunities that come from being part of the trust. Governance and trustees are effective. They know the school well and help school leaders to make it even better.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils’ attainment in writing is lower than in other subjects. At times, the expectations for written work are not precise enough, including what features and vocabulary should be used, to support all pupils in developing their writing skills in a structured way. The school should ensure that expectations for writing are clearly defined and that attainment improves across all year groups.

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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 outstanding 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. 17 June 2025

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary School, to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in July 2018.

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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). 17 June 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 and 4 July 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is now part of the Bishop Wheeler Catholic Academy Trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  This is a Catholic school. The previous section 48 inspection took place in June 2019.  There are before- and after-school clubs managed by the trust.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors spoke to the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other members of staff. An inspector spoke to members of the governing body and trustees. An 17 June 2025

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inspector spoke with the CEO and an executive headteacher with responsibility for the quality of education across the trust. The inspectors spoke to groups of teachers and pupils.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, around the school and at lunchtime. The inspectors spoke with pupils about their views of the school and their learning, behaviour and safety.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. This included comments received via the free-text facility.  The inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Michael Wardle, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lucy Toner-Gowland Ofsted Inspector 17 June 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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