Schools & FE · Report card

St Wilfrids Catholic Primary School

Inspected 24 Feb 2026 · URN 106509

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Claire Cropper (lead), Collette Mather, Sarah Gower-Jones

What we read, and from where

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Achievement verified
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour verified
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching verified
Expected standard
Early years verified
Expected standard
Inclusion verified
Expected standard
Leadership and governance verified
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing verified
Expected standard
Framework verified
Report card
Inspection datesingle source
24 Feb 2026
Inspectors verified
Claire Cropper, Collette Mather, Sarah Gower-Jones
Postcode verified
WN4 8SJ
Name on report verified
St Wilfrids Catholic Primary School
Safeguarding verified
Met
URN verified
106509

Page 1 of 15

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

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Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

AchievementExpected
Attendance and behaviourExpected
Curriculum and teachingExpected
Early yearsExpected
InclusionExpected
Leadership and governanceExpected
Personal development and wellbeingExpected

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+70Very positivemore positive than 44% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praiseeffectivehigh expectationspositivesuccessfullyenjoywell preparedeffectivelyhigh-quality

Criticismunacceptablestrugglepoorconcernsconcernnot yetharmnot consistent

How the report reads, start to finish

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FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical

Findings1466w+68
Leadership234w+85
Safeguarding51w−11
What needs to improve37w0

Strengths

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Concerns

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Next steps

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What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages: 15
Words of findings: 1,788; about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level: Hard; Flesch 48, typical 43
Average sentence: 13 words
Next steps: 2; typical 3
Hedged sentences: 12%; “some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 51%Leadership 8%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 1%About the inspection 37%

Full report text

St Wilfrids Catholic Primary School

Address: Golborne Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, Wigan, Lancashire, WN4 8SJ Unique reference number (URN): 106509

p.1

Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

p.1

Achievement Expected standard

Pupils achieve at levels similar to other pupils nationally. This is reflected in most of the school’s published results from national tests. Most pupils develop the reading, writing and mathematical knowledge they need to be well prepared for the next stage of their education. This includes pupils who are disadvantaged.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Pupils’ current phonics knowledge, and how they use this when reading, is more secure than the published Year 1 phonics screening check scores suggest. Most pupils read fluently and accurately by the end of key stage 1.

p.2

Achievement Expected standard

Pupils remember much of their learning from the wider curriculum. They build a secure base of useful knowledge that prepares them for their future learning in Year 7 and beyond. However, some pupils do not develop fluency in their written work as well as they could.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders make sure that pupils attend school regularly. They take swift and effective action to improve attendance and punctuality when these begin to cause concern. Attendance rates are at least in line with the national average and often higher, including for disadvantaged pupils. Pupils value the awards they receive for attending regularly and on time.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for behaviour. They provide effective support and guidance for staff to ensure a consistency of approach. Leaders encourage and support pupils to behave well. Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning and behave well throughout the day. They follow the school's well-established routines and respond to consistent approaches from staff, which helps learning to continue without disruption. Pupils show respectful attitudes to each other.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Caring and skilled staff provide effective support for pupils who find managing their own behaviour more difficult. Leaders deal thoroughly with rare incidents of derogatory language, bullying or unacceptable behaviour and provide sensitive support for pupils affected by this. This leads to a calm, orderly and respectful environment.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have an accurate understanding of how well pupils learn. They take action when the curriculum needs further development, such as their recent focus on handwriting.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have developed and refined the curriculum. It is broad and ambitious. It sets out clearly what pupils should learn and helps them build on what they already know. For example, pupils in Year 1 continue to develop the secure reading, writing and mathematics knowledge gained in the early years. Teachers have the subject knowledge that they need to deliver the curriculum with confidence. They provide effective support to pupils in developing their written and spoken language. Teachers try different strategies when pupils struggle. Although this is usually effective, at times teachers do not have sufficient expertise to recognise which strategies are the most helpful for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders ensure pupils have the reading knowledge they need to access the curriculum. Teachers deliver the phonics programme consistently and identify pupils who struggle with reading. These pupils practise regularly with trained staff until they read fluently and accurately.

p.3

Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers usually check pupils’ understanding before moving on. At times, these checks are not thorough enough and gaps in pupils’ knowledge remain unnoticed or unaddressed.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

The early years curriculum successfully helps children to build knowledge and skills across all areas of learning, from Nursery to the end of Reception. Children are well prepared for their transition into Year 1. Teachers work closely with parents and carers. For example, they provide guidance so that parents know how to support their children's learning at home.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Staff engage children in high ‑ quality conversations. This helps to develop children's communication and language skills. Children cooperate with each other and form warm, positive relationships with staff.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Children in the Nursery Year learn to recognise different sounds. This prepares them well for learning about phonics in later years. Most children develop secure phonics knowledge in Reception and read words successfully.

p.3

Early years Expected standard

Leaders ensure staff understand the differing needs of children. Staff identify and address many of the additional challenges that children face, such as speech and language difficulties. However, staff are less aware of some other types of special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) that children may have. As a result, some children with SEND do not progress through the curriculum as well as they could.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils. They work closely with parents, carers and other agencies to identify what additional support disadvantaged pupils may need. Leaders use this information effectively, and in most cases, pupils are well supported. Leaders make sure that additional funding or resources provided for disadvantaged pupils are typically used effectively. Leaders check these pupils’ progress through the curriculum regularly. They adapt plans when disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as expected. All pupils access the curriculum alongside their classmates. Most teachers provide helpful resources and adapt their practice to support pupils with differing needs to enable them to participate more fully. However, this is not yet consistent across the school.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Processes for supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), although typically effective, are not as efficient as they could be. Leaders do not support teachers as well as they could to be proactive in this aspect of their work. For example, teachers’ individual expertise in how to identify and support pupils with a range of different SEND needs varies. This means that sometimes teachers are less responsive to how pupils' needs change over time.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders at all levels have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development. They take appropriate action, and the impact of leaders’ work is clear. Their actions are firmly rooted in pupils’ best interests. Leaders focus closely on identifying and meeting the needs of disadvantaged pupils.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors are well informed about the work of the school. They apply their own expertise and experience successfully. These help them to carry out their statutory duties efficiently. For example, governors provide effective support and challenge for leaders. They ensure that pupils are safe and happy at school. Governors strive to ensure that pupils achieve as well as they can. They adapt their plans when the context of the school changes.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations of teachers and generally ensure that staff are well trained and supported. On the whole, this helps teachers and other members of staff working at the school to carry out their roles successfully. However, the school’s approach to leading and managing the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is not as efficient as it could be. Teachers rely heavily on leaders to identify and meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This sometimes increases workload for both teachers and leaders.

p.4

Leadership and governance Expected standard

There is a strong sense of community at the school. Staff find leaders approachable. They value decisions that leaders take to make their workload more manageable.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders support pupils to develop resilience and integrity during their time at the school. They provide experiences throughout the curriculum that enrich pupils’ learning and broaden pupils’ understanding of the world beyond the school gates. Leaders provide a range of extra-curricular activities that develop and expand pupils’ talents and interests. They provide additional support to make sure that disadvantaged pupils access these and benefit equally.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Wellbeing is a priority at the school. Pupils understand how to stay safe and healthy in mind and body. They know how to protect themselves and others from potential harm when online. Pupils develop active and healthy lifestyles. They also enjoy periods of quiet reflection that take place during assembly time or classroom activities. Leaders provide high-quality pastoral support for pupils who feel worried or overwhelmed. Staff are well trained to provide the support that pupils need.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils take part in activities that help them to understand how to make a positive contribution to society. They enjoy helping others. Pupils willingly support other pupils or members of staff by helping out around the school. Similarly, they take part in fundraising for local, national and international charities with enthusiasm.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils learn how to develop and maintain healthy relationships with others. They recognise the value of consideration, kindness and mutual respect. Pupils also develop confidence in speaking up when others are not behaving as they should.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils learn how to take turns and listen to others’ views. They take part in debates and democratic processes, such as voting. They understand the importance of following rules. Pupils recognise the value of adhering to agreed social conventions and fundamental British values. They show a secure recall of learning linked to themes such as social inequality.

p.5