St Wulfram's National Church of England Primary School

Inspection of St Wulfram’s National Church of England Primary School Castlegate, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 6SR

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement

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The head of school of this school is Chantal Walker. This school is part of Lincolnshire Anglican 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), Jackie Waters-Dewhurst, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jerry Woolner. There is also an interim executive headteacher, Diane Mulley, who is responsible for this school and one other. 17 and 18 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this diverse school. They learn to respect differences, no matter what identity they have. The school’s ambition for all pupils to achieve well, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), is clear. The school has made significant improvements in a short space of time, following a period of instability. However, some of this work is very recent and has not had time to impact fully on pupils’ achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They develop positive and warm relationships with staff. Pupils know that staff are there to support and care for them. The school has recently reviewed its behaviour policy. Subsequent changes have been positive but are at an early stage of implementation. The school recognises there is more to do to ensure that behaviour expectations are communicated clearly and consistently to pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk proudly about their leadership roles, including as school councillors and librarians. These help to develop pupils’ sense of responsibility. Opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests are plentiful. The school provides a range of extra- curricular clubs. These include choir and wheelchair sports. The curriculum is enhanced by educational visits. These visits are carefully considered and link to the curriculum well.

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

The school has tackled weaknesses in its provision with urgency and commitment, and there are early signs of success. It has recently reviewed and strengthened its curriculum. A clear and ambitious curriculum is in place for all subjects. The school has identified the important knowledge that pupils will learn and in what order. However, more work is needed to ensure that the well-sequenced curriculum is implemented consistently. In some subjects, the activities that pupils undertake do not help them to achieve the aims of the highly ambitious curriculum consistently. Consequently, pupils’ knowledge is not as secure as it could be. In addition to this, pupils’ misconceptions are not resolved quickly enough. This means that inaccuracies in pupils’ work become embedded over time. As a result, pupils do not achieve 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 prioritises reading. Children begin to learn to read as soon as they start in the early years, where they get off to a joyful and busy start to each day. Staff design consistent opportunities for children to develop early reading and writing skills through a range of carefully planned and structured activities. Staff are trained to teach phonics effectively. Frequent checks swiftly identify any pupil who is falling behind. Appropriate support is put in place to help them catch up. Pupils read books that match the sounds they are learning. This helps them to practise what they know and become increasingly fluent.

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

Children in the early years get off to a flying start. Activities encourage them to practise and rehearse their learning. Staff check children’s understanding closely during interactions. Language is modelled at every opportunity. This extends the range of vocabulary that children use. 17 and 18 June 2025

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Pupils’ needs are identified promptly. The school’s pastoral support is a strength. Clearly outlined approaches enable staff to adapt teaching to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. When required, pupils receive effective, tailored and individualised support so they can access the curriculum.

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During social times, pupils typically play happily with each other. They are welcoming to visitors. In lessons, some pupils concentrate on their work and complete tasks given to them. However, in some classes, some pupils find this more challenging and distract others, affecting pupils’ progress. These distractions are sometimes not managed consistently well. The school has strong systems in place to support families and improve pupils’ attendance. There are signs that pupils’ attendance is increasing over time.

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Pupils enjoy the various enrichment opportunities on offer. For example, pupils take part in science projects and learn about careers relating to this subject. Such opportunities broaden pupils’ experiences. There are plenty of chances for pupils to take on extra responsibilities. They contribute to the local community, for instance by singing in local residential homes for older people and planting trees in the paddock. Pupils speak with respect when discussing difference and diversity, stating, ‘If we were all the same it would be very boring.’

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Leaders have accurately identified the areas in need of rapid improvement. The work in these areas has started and is making a positive difference. Staff well-being and workload are considered before any change is made. Staff are proud to work at the school. Governors and the trust provide support and challenge in equal measure. Together, the trust, governors and the school share a relentless determination that pupils will succeed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not check precisely enough what pupils have understood. This means that some pupils develop misconceptions and make errors that are not addressed swiftly. The school should ensure that teachers check pupils’ work consistently so that misconceptions and errors are resolved in order for pupils to achieve as well as they could.  The learning activities that pupils undertake do not support them consistently to achieve the intended goals of the ambitious curriculum. In these subjects, pupils do not build a sufficient depth of knowledge. The school should ensure that suitable pedagogical choices are made so that the clearly sequenced curriculum is delivered as intended. 17 and 18 June 2025

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 The school’s new behaviour policy has not had time to impact fully on improving some pupils’ behaviour. There are occasions when low-level incidents hinder pupils’ learning. The school should ensure that the new behaviour policy is applied consistently so that pupils can focus on their learning fully without being distracted.

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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 and 18 June 2025

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School details

Headteacher Diane Mulley (Interim executive headteacher) Chantal Walker (Head of school) Website www.stwulframsprimary.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 June 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The interim executive headteacher was appointed in March 2025.  This is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Lincoln. The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in June 2024.  The school runs its own before- and after-school clubs.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The school transitioned from a junior school to a primary school in September 2023. There are currently no pupils in Year 2.

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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 17 and 18 June 2025

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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.

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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 interim executive headteacher, the head of school and a range of staff. The lead inspector met with representatives of the trust, including the CEO of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and geography. 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.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils at breaktime, lunchtime and when moving around the school.  Inspectors spoke to parents and carers and considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors spoke with pupils and staff to gather their views. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Kirsty Norbury, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Martin Adamson Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 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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