St Wilfrid’s Cof E Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school.

They are positive about school because pupils are friendly towards each other. Leaders have high expectations of the pupils. Pupils understand that they must try to live out the school values.

They know that they should treat everyone with respect.

Pupils feel safe in school. They are knowledgeable about the dangers of online gaming and social media.

Pupils know why it is important to stay fit and healthy. They enjoy the outdoor spaces that they have to play in. They enjoy using the climbing wall and running track.

Pupils behave well in lessons and at playtimes. They said that name-calling and bullying were ver...y rare. They said that teachers deal with poor behaviour so that it is not repeated.

Pupils enjoy earning certificates for good behaviour.

Many pupils engage in the wide range of extra-curricular activities. Clubs are planned to meet pupils' interests and needs.

They include a range of sports and arts-based activities, for example sewing, knitting, choir and football.

Parents and carers are supportive of the school. Many are positive in their views.

Some expressed concerns about different aspects of life in school. They want to know more about what is being taught in school.

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

Leaders have planned an exciting and ambitious curriculum.

Pupils enjoy their learning and try their best. Most pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve as well as other pupils nationally in English and mathematics. By the end of Year 6, pupils typically achieve better in English than they do in mathematics.

Leaders have strengthened the mathematics curriculum. Recent training has strengthened teachers' subject knowledge. This is helping them to deliver the mathematics curriculum with greater consistency.

Leaders check this work closely. Pupils enjoy their lessons and enjoy wide-ranging and challenging activities. Pupils learn in a logical order.

Teachers build upon what pupils already know. Older pupils know how to apply their knowledge of division to help them with fractions.

Governors know the school well.

Leaders provide them with information about the achievement of pupils. Governors do not use this information to hold leaders to account for the achievement of pupils across the full range of curriculum subjects.

Leaders promote reading well across the curriculum so that pupils are enthusiastic readers.

Pupils speak confidently about their favourite authors and books. The teaching of phonics is effective. Most pupils reach the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check.

Staff have received training to ensure that they are experts in teaching phonics. They deliver phonics lessons that build well on what pupils already know. Those who fall behind receive support to help them catch up.

Many games and activities strengthen this work. However, some children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 are not developing their reading fluency. The books they take home to practise do not build on the sounds that they know.

The subject leaders for science and design and technology have planned the curriculums well. New learning builds well upon what pupils know. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about making peg dolls in design and technology.

They explained how this was linked to their history work about the Victorians. In science, leaders have fostered links with local scientists. This has helped pupils better understand some of the jobs that scientists do.

Pupils said that they love science. Pupils take pride in their work. Many high-quality displays around school showcase the pupils' excellent science and design work.

Leaders have planned an exciting early years curriculum. Stimulating activities develop children's curiosity so that they enjoy the fun activities which help them to learn across the curriculum. Staff read exciting stories to the children to develop their listening skills.

Children talk to one another and develop their vocabulary as they engage in art and design activities. They develop their fine motor skills while learning how to sort and classify objects in mathematics. Children learn how to take turns as they use crates to build a wall to 'keep the big, bad wolf out'.

The promotion of pupils' personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils visit places of worship to learn about other religions. Leaders have set up an exciting exchange programme with an inner-city school.

Leaders provide pupils with opportunities to contribute to the community. For example, pupils who attend the sewing club make resources for the local hospice. An enterprise day developed pupils' business skills.

They designed and sold products and used the profits to help raise funds for the repair of the church roof. Pupils enjoy looking after the school allotment. They participate in a range of leadership opportunities.

These include global ambassadors, the online safety team and young leaders.

Staff are very proud to work at St Wilfrid's. They work closely as a team and share their skills and knowledge.

All staff have benefited from recent training in design and technology.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that all staff have a detailed understanding of how to safeguard pupils.

Training is regular and relevant. Staff know how to spot signs of abuse and neglect. Staff are aware of their responsibilities and know how to respond to, and record, concerns.

The senior leaders work in close partnership with the learning mentor and the family support worker. They engage with hard-to-reach and vulnerable families. They work with a range of partner agencies to ensure that support is in place for pupils and their families.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The systems in school for the teaching of phonics ensure that children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 recognise phonics. Staff do not always match the books pupils are reading to the sounds that they are learning. This means that some children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 lack the fluency to develop their reading further.

Leaders should ensure that books better match the sounds that pupils are learning so that they can become confident, fluent readers. . The mathematics scheme of work has been adapted to ensure that pupils do as well in mathematics as they do in English.

Leaders must ensure that there is a consistent implementation of the approach across the school so that pupils build their knowledge in mathematics and are better prepared for the demands of the key stage 3 curriculum. . Leaders provide governors with information about the achievement of pupils.

Governors must use this information to hold leaders to account for the achievement of pupils across the full range of curriculum subjects. . Many parents are happy with the school.

However, there are a number of parents who are not happy with the school. Some parents would like to know more about what is being taught. Governors and school leaders must address the concerns of parents and develop appropriate methods of communicating with parents and of sharing information.