Schools & FE · Report card

St Oswald's CofE Primary School

Inspected 2 Jun 2026 · URN 149628

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Ruth Baldwin (lead), Andy Hunt

What we read, and from where

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Achievement verified
Needs attention
Attendance and behaviour verified
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching verified
Needs attention
Early years verified
Expected standard
Inclusion verified
Needs attention
Leadership and governance verified
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing verified
Expected standard
Framework verified
Report card
Inspection datesingle source
2 Jun 2026
Inspectors verified
Andy Hunt, Ruth Baldwin
Postcode verified
CH1 6LG
Name on report verified
St Oswald's CofE Primary School
Safeguarding verified
Met
URN verified
149628

Page 1 of 16

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

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Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

AchievementNeeds attention
Attendance and behaviourExpected
Curriculum and teachingNeeds attention
Early yearsExpected
InclusionNeeds attention
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.

+35Positivemore positive than 14% of reports of this type

Reads more critically than most reports of this type.

Praisepositiveconsistentlyhappyknowledgeableproudthrivehigh expectationssecure

Criticismnot consistentlygapspersistent absencepoorconcernsnot securevariablenot well prepared

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical

Findings1625w+31
Leadership194w+56
Safeguarding51w−11
What needs to improve73w+39

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: 16
Words of findings: 1,940; about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level: Fairly hard; Flesch 52, typical 43
Average sentence: 14 words
Next steps: 2; typical 3
Hedged sentences: 11%; “some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 54%Leadership 7%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 2%About the inspection 35%

Full report text

St Oswald's CofE Primary School

Address: Grove Road, Mollington, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 6LG Unique reference number (URN): 149628

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

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Staff warmly welcome pupils into school each day. They enjoy coming to school. Overall, pupils’ attendance rates are close to the national average. Leaders take appropriate steps to address the persistent absence of some pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and pupils who face challenges in their lives. Leaders hold meetings with parents and carers to consider how to support pupils to attend school regularly. Leaders' actions have had impact and reduce pupils' absence from school.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils, including those with SEND, display positive attitudes to learning. They behave as leaders expect. Staff are well trained to support pupils, who have difficulty managing their emotions. This makes a real difference to pupils' wellbeing. Pupils play well together because of the careful and well-thought-out activities that leaders and staff provide. Pupils socialise well and make friends across the school. Leaders monitor any poor behaviour, including bullying, and provide purposeful support for those pupils who need it. The rare incidents of the use of inappropriate language, including name calling linked to homophobia or race, are dealt with swiftly and sensitively.

p.2

Early years Expected standard

Leaders have recently worked with the trust to implement a new early years curriculum. This is well-thought-out to meet the needs of the children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children are excited by the range of high- quality stories that they hear staff read to them. This develops their imagination well. Children engage in the enriching activities that staff provide. For instance, they use paint to show what a fictional wolf looks like in the trees and build structures for the wolf to live in.

p.2

Early years Expected standard

Staff know how well children are progressing academically, socially and emotionally. This is because they ask children well-chosen questions and listen to what children say. Staff model the use of important words to develop their communication skills. Generally, children learn to read using phonics, form letters correctly, recognise numbers and count. However, sometimes staff do not give children with SEND enough time and support to secure their knowledge of how to read words and write letters and numbers consistently well.

p.2

Early years Expected standard

Children are safe and happy in the early years. This is because staff have put in place well- established routines and make effective links with parents and carers. Overall, children are well prepared for their move into Year 1.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders in the school and across the trust have an accurate understanding of what the school does well and what needs to improve. They have identified and prioritised the right actions for further improvement. Despite recent instability, leaders’ decisions are generally made in the best interests of pupils. Leaders have introduced a new curriculum across the school and addressed pupils’ persistent absence. Leaders have also taken action to improve pupils’ knowledge of multiplication tables. Leaders have identified and implemented professional learning for staff. Generally, this means that staff are knowledgeable and are suitably prepared to teach the curriculum. The school benefits from the recent support that the trust has put in place to check how well staff deliver the curriculum.

p.2

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Those with responsibility for governance meet their statutory duties. They are knowledgeable and hold leaders to account for the actions that they take.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Typically, leaders have safeguarded the workload and wellbeing of staff during a time of turbulence. Staff are proud and happy to work in the school. They welcome the support they receive.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents and carers are positive about the school. They appreciate the experience and care that is provided to their children.

p.3

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders and staff have carefully considered and implemented a purposeful and well- organised programme that nurtures pupils’ personal development and their wellbeing.

p.3

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Caring, trained staff ensure that pupils’ wellbeing is carefully considered and supported well. As a result, pupils thrive emotionally. Pupils show their care for others, such as by raising money for the local hospice. They show an awareness of fundamental British values and demonstrate tolerance of others through their actions.

p.3

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

All pupils in key stage 1 and key stage 2 sit in the school parliament. They discuss pertinent questions. The ideas considered best are implemented by elected pupil councillors. Recently, the councillors introduced a new approach to rewarding pupils' achievement. Pupils are elected sports ambassadors. These leaders encourage all pupils to be fit and healthy. Pupils recently started to work with other schools in the trust to become ‘climate change makers'. They take a range of thoughtful actions to help the environment, for example ensuring that lights are switched off when rooms are not in use.

p.3

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

All pupils represent the school in sport over the school year. After-school clubs nurture pupils' talents and skills well. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, learn to play a musical instrument and become a ‘digital wizard’. Leaders track carefully which pupils take part and ensure that every pupil, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, access these enriching opportunities. All pupils in key stage 2 attend a residential visit to broaden their experience. Pupils learn life skills, such as team work and resilience. They also develop their knowledge of how to mitigate risks and keep safe. However, leaders do not ensure that meaningful opportunities to bring the curriculum to life are built systematically across the school. Some activities are more ad-hoc. This means that some pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, might miss out on these exciting

p.3

Achievement Needs attention

Pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 is above the national average. However, in a small number of subjects, pupils' achievement, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), is variable. A small number of pupils do not develop sufficient depth of understanding in these subjects. This makes it difficult for them to recall what they have been taught and to build on prior knowledge. This means that these pupils are not as well prepared as they should be for their next stage in education.

p.4

Achievement Needs attention

Until recently, pupils have not been supported well enough to secure key knowledge in writing. Consequently, some pupils, particularly older pupils, do not write neatly or spell accurately. This hinders them from communicating their ideas clearly. In contrast, pupils are typically taught to read well. Due to leaders' actions, pupils' grasp of multiplication facts is improving. In some subjects, such as geography, pupils achieve well. They have a secure knowledge of different artists and they produce high-quality art work.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have recently made improvements to the content of the curriculum. This is ambitious and suitably broad. However, sometimes teachers move through the curriculum content, including the teaching of early reading, too quickly. This means that a small number of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), develop gaps in their knowledge. Teachers do not consistently demand high enough standards of presentation and spelling when addressing these gaps.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have begun to ensure that teachers secure the essential knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics that pupils require. This is now having some impact, especially in early years and key stage 1. While leaders have introduced a new focus on handwriting, their high expectations for presentation and spelling by pupils, are not well established across all key stage 2 classes.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers have been suitably trained to deliver the curriculum. They have appropriate subject knowledge. Teachers use resources effectively. Typically, teachers build pupils' vocabulary and help them to make links across subjects. Most teachers design lessons to ensure that pupils with SEND can access the curriculum. However, at times the support that they receive to reach their individual goals is not tailored well enough to their needs.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have begun to make checks on how well the curriculum is delivered. This is beginning to have impact in many classrooms and subjects.

p.4

Inclusion Needs attention

Staff identify the steps that pupils need to take to learn key knowledge and skills. However, these are generally too broad. This means that the support that some pupils receive is not tailored closely enough to the areas they find most difficult. Some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not secure the knowledge they need at the right time. As a result of recent leadership instability, leaders do not consistently make effective checks on the actions staff put in place for individual pupils with SEND. Leaders also do not consistently provide staff with enough support to identify the small steps of knowledge these pupils need to learn well.

p.4

Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders focus on removing the emotional and social barriers that exist for pupils. They use additional funding well to make sure that those pupils who are disadvantaged have the support they need to succeed. Pupils have extra help to solve problems to refine their understanding.

p.5

Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders ensure that pupils who face challenge in their lives have the opportunity to talk to someone if they need support. Pupils benefit from working with trained staff to deal with their emotions. This helps them to share their worries and improves their wellbeing.

p.5

Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders use alternative provision well to support pupils needs. They check that the provision meets the needs of pupils.

p.5