St Wilfrid’s Catholic Junior and Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St Wilfrid's is a school where warmth, care, respect and learning all go hand in hand.

Pupils show consideration for each other. The school's cultural diversity forms the backdrop to pupils' learning about a range of faiths and ways of life. These weave together so that pupils see each other as equal, and united in rights and values.

An array of over 30 languages spoken by pupils adds to the richness of the school's ethos. Everyone comes together with understanding, working in partnership to help pupils who are new to learning English access the curriculum and succeed in their learning.

The school has high expectations of pupils' behaviour and learning.
<...br/>Many recent changes are now ensuring that pupils meet these expectations by working hard and following the rules. Pupils feel safe and settled and enjoy their learning. This includes the many pupils who join at different times of the year.

A steadily increasing number of pupils are coming to school regularly and on time.

Pupils demonstrate a strong sense of service to others. They enjoy voting to choose which charities to support.

Mini missions, the 'Children's Charter' and participating in trust-wide events further support pupils' wider development. The school listens to the voice of pupils, and they feel heard.

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

St Wilfrid's is a diverse and supportive school to learn in.

There has been an unsettled period over some time as leadership changed. However, trustees, governors and school leaders have worked tirelessly together to make the right, effective decisions. These are having a positive impact on attendance, behaviour and pupils' learning.

The school is ambitious for pupils to achieve well. Pupils' outcomes in national tests have been below the expected standards. However, the work pupils are doing in school now shows a different picture.

Revitalised and strong leadership, the revised curriculum and pastoral care are all part of this improvement. Many more pupils, across year groups, are working at the level they should be. For pupils who have gaps in their learning, clear processes are in place.

These are helping them to catch up because the school is prioritising the key teaching they need.

The new leadership team has got to grips with the many factors at play in this school. The diversity, the pupil movement and the wider challenges that families face in everyday life all meet at the school door.

From then on in, the school provides a guiding hand, gentle but firm, to pupils and their families to 'love, care, share and respect'.

This starts with helping families to respect and value education and ensure their child attends school regularly. The school works tenaciously and successfully to minimise barriers that have previously stopped pupils from coming to school.

The determination, empathy and sustained energy accompanied by direct, targeted actions that all in the school bring to this are impressive and effective. These things are steadily making a difference in a positive way.

Pupils enjoy their learning.

This enjoyment is nurtured from Nursery upwards. Children in the early years show confidence, interest and concentration in all they do. Taking turns, talking about what they are doing and testing out ideas are seen across Nursery and Reception.

The carefully thought-out activities and environment help these youngest children to gain a secure start in their learning across all areas. An increasing number are ready for what comes next in Year 1. The school ensures targeted support is in place for those who need it as they move up.

This is working well.

The school recognised that all pupils were not achieving well enough previously. Bold decisions to review and refine several subjects across the curriculum are working well.

The staff team, including several early career teachers, values 'the powerhouse of team spirit and support'. It is helping them to deliver the revised curriculum successfully. The school has also strengthened its identification of, and provision for, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

These revisions, added to the strengthened pastoral care, have improved behaviour for learning. Pupils, including those with SEND, are reaching improved outcomes in their learning.

Most subjects now set out what pupils will learn and when in small steps.

Where this is the case, pupils' work and discussions show that they are working at the right standard and remembering their learning. In a few subjects, the learning moves quickly from one thing to the next, and pupils are less secure in their learning. On occasion, the tasks and activities do not link closely enough to the intended learning.

Pupils have fun, but do not fully learn what they should.

The school has rightly prioritised improving reading. The strong focus on phonics has paid dividends.

Staff are skilled. They know just the right moment to support, challenge or extend understanding. Rigorous checks are swift to spot pupils who need extra help, and effective extra help is what they get.

Whether it is daily, twice daily or within lessons, nothing is left to chance. Many more pupils are secure in this essential basic skill. Older pupils enjoy learning about the author of the month.

Their 'chilled times' reading on beanbags in the library are special to them.

A sense of hope shines through St Wilfrid's. Pupils learn that they can give hope to others through their actions.

They have a distinct understanding of the many different roles and responsibilities of people who help them, both from within and outside of school. This gives them hope for their future.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the school has not ensured that the approach for the selection of tasks given to pupils in lessons is always the most appropriate for the intended outcome. As a result, pupils' learning is not consistently secured or extended. The school should ensure that staff expand their understanding of the range of pedagogical choices open to them and know which to use and when, so that pupils can successfully expand their knowledge in all subjects.

• Teaching, in a few subjects, moves quickly from one aspect to another and does not enable pupils to remember important curriculum content as well as they do in other areas. As a result, in these subjects, pupils do not develop a greater depth of understanding. The school should ensure that teachers are supported in understanding the small steps of learning that build through a unit of work and monitor that these small steps are taught effectively and consistently.