St Wilfrid's CofE Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Wilfrid’s CofE Primary School Eastern Road, Haywards Heath, West Sussex RH16 3NL

p.1

Outcome

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

p.1

Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Simon Hateley. This school is part of Hurst Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the executive officer (CEO), Tim Manly, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Anthony Jarvis.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of community at St Wilfrid’s. Pupils and their families feel fully included in all aspects of school life. Pupils are proud of their school. They are happy and enjoy their learning. Pupils work hard to live up to the school’s values, treating others with kindness and respect. They look out for each other, but they also know they can talk to any member of staff if they have a worry.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are expected to behave well and work hard. Classrooms are calm and settled. Pupils who need more help to feel calm and regulated at school are very well supported. The school is ambitious for every pupil. Over time, the school has been successful in enabling most pupils to achieve well.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk with great enthusiasm about the wide range of opportunities the school provides. A carefully considered programme of trips and experiences enriches the school’s curriculum, including a residential trip to the Isle of Wight for older pupils. The school has a wide offer of after-school clubs, including dance and choir clubs. In school, all pupils have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. More accomplished musicians are encouraged to join the school orchestra. 17 and 18 June 2025

p.1

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

The school provides all pupils with a broad and engaging education. When children join the school in the Reception Year, the school works carefully with parents and carers to understand children’s starting points and identify any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This early identification enables the school to provide the right help and support to children with SEND and their families from the start. Parents and carers whose children have SEND have high levels of confidence in the work of the school.

p.2

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

The school has introduced a new curriculum for early reading. Staff have been trained so that they are expert in the teaching of reading. Any children who fall behind are identified and receive ongoing support to catch up. This ensures that pupils learn to read confidently and fluently at an age-appropriate level. From the start of the Reception Year, staff ensure children hear a wide range of high-quality stories that develop their love of reading and their interest in language. This continues as pupils move through the school. Older pupils read widely and confidently.

p.2

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

A new approach to writing has recently been introduced that supports pupils across the school to achieve well in writing. Staff have less expertise in teaching the very early stages of writing effectively. Consequently, not all pupils learn to form letters correctly from the start. This hampers the development of writing fluency for some pupils.

p.2

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

Teachers generally have strong subject knowledge and explain key learning clearly. However, teacher subject knowledge is not consistent across subjects. This has the greatest impact on learning, when the underlying curriculum is also less clear. In subjects with less well-developed curriculums, teachers sometimes do not explain key learning clearly. They also do not consistently ensure that learning builds in a logical way.

p.2

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

In some areas of the curriculum, such as early reading, the checks that teachers make on pupils’ learning are well thought out. Errors are identified and addressed. In some other subjects, including mathematics, checks on pupils’ learning sometimes lack precision. Occasionally, errors and misconceptions are not identified or are allowed to persist over time. As a result, some pupils do not attain as well as they might.

p.2

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

Pupils’ broader development is carefully considered. The school works very effectively to develop pupils’ understanding of how to contribute positively both in and beyond the school community. Through a ‘young leaders programme’, for example, pupils are learning about the attributes of a leader and how to bring about positive change. The school has a clear approach to pupils’ personal, social and health education. Pupils learn about healthy and respectful relationships and about how to stay safe, including online. Older pupils feel confident and well prepared for their next steps in education.

p.2

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

Leadership is strong and effective. Those responsible for governance know the work of the school well and are determined to support and challenge the school to be the best that it can be for pupils. Staff feel well supported by the school. They appreciate the training that the school provides, such as to enable them to understand effective teaching and of how to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. 17 and 18 June 2025

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not ensured that teachers’ subject knowledge is consistently strong, including in early writing. Consequently, teachers do not always explain learning clearly to pupils. The school should ensure that teachers develop the subject knowledge and teaching expertise that they need to teach the school’s intended curriculum.  On occasion, the school does not make sure that checks on pupils’ learning are as effective as they could be. Sometimes, gaps in pupils’ knowledge or pupils’ errors and misconceptions are missed or not addressed effectively. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers understand how to effectively check on what pupils know and can do to help pupils build their knowledge and skills.

p.3

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.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St Wilfrid’s CofE Primary School, Haywards Heath, to be good for overall effectiveness in May 2019. 17 and 18 June 2025

p.3

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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

p.4

School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

p.5

Information about this school

 St Wilfrid’s CofE Primary School converted to become an academy school in July 2022. When its predecessor school, St Wilfrid’s CofE Primary School, Haywards Heath, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  The school is part of the Hurst Education Trust.  The school is a Church of England school. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection was carried out in October 2019.  The school provides before- and after-school care for pupils.  The school is using one unregistered alternative provider.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 17 and 18 June 2025

p.5

6

 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.  The inspector met with the headteacher and CEO of the academy trust. The inspector spoke with the chair of trustees and representatives of the local governing board  The inspector spoke to a representative of the Diocese of Chichester about the school.  The inspector 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 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.

p.6

Inspection team

Alice Roberts, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 June 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7