St Wilfrid’s Cof E Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this happy school.

They form warm relationships with staff. Pupils told inspectors that they get on with each other and that they follow the 'St. Wilfrid's Way', which includes the school's expectations for pupils to 'be safe, be kind, aim high'.

Children in the early years settle into school life quickly. They learn to work and play cooperatively together.

The school has high expectations for the achievement of pupils.

Pupils enjoy learning and they try their best. They typically listen attentively and answer questions confidently in lessons. Pupils achieve well and are ready for the next stage of their education.

Pupils en...joy the wide range of activities that the school provides for them. Clubs include choir, sewing, ballet and chess, as well as various sports clubs. These experiences enable pupils to follow their interests and talents.

Pupils flourish in their various roles and responsibilities. Older pupils enjoy being 'buddies' to the youngest pupils and organising games for them at breaktimes. Pupils make a considerable contribution to their local community.

They welcome being involved in projects such as hosting a community tea every half term and performing acts of kindness to older local residents.

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

The school has ensured that the curriculum is ambitious, including in the early years. The key knowledge that pupils should learn is carefully organised from the Reception class to Year 6.

This means that teachers know what to teach and when to teach it.

The school provides training and support that helps staff to deliver the curriculum effectively. Mostly, teachers design appropriate and engaging lesson activities that enable pupils to learn well and to deepen their knowledge over time.

However, on occasion, these activities are not carefully enough designed to support pupils' learning. When this happens, some pupils do not learn the key curriculum knowledge as well as they could.

Typically, teachers explain new concepts clearly, and they use a range of strategies to make checks on what pupils know and remember.

On occasion, teaching does not address errors and misconceptions that some pupils may have about their learning. When this happens, some pupils move on to new learning before they are ready, and this prevents them from achieving all that they could.The school quickly and effectively identifies pupils' additional needs, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

These pupils benefit from well-tailored teaching so that they can thrive in all aspects of their development. They participate fully in the same curriculum and wider opportunities as their peers.

The school prioritises reading.

It invests in high-quality and engaging books that pupils enjoy. The school has ensured that pupils develop a love of reading from an early age.Pupils talk enthusiastically about the books they have read and about their favourite authors.

The school has implemented an effective phonics curriculum. Teachers in the early years and in Years 1 and 2 build pupils' phonics knowledge effectively and prepare pupils well for the next stage of their education. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they know.

This helps them to become fluent and confident readers. If pupils fall behind in their learning of phonics, they benefit from extra teaching that helps them to catch up quickly.

Pupils behave well in class and when moving around the school.

They play happily together at breaktimes and at lunchtimes. Pupils, and children in the early years, are attentive during lessons. The school promotes pupils' social and emotional skills, mental health and well-being through the curriculum.

This helps them to understand their feelings and to develop strategies to manage them.

Pupils attend school regularly and they are punctual. The school provides effective support for the very small number of pupils who need to improve their attendance.

The school provides a wide range of opportunities to extend pupils' learning beyond The curriculum. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe online and how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. They learn about values such as democracy and respect.

These experiences prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain.

Governors have clear oversight of every aspect of the school's work. They know its strengths and the areas that it needs to prioritise to improve further.

Governors value the school's staff. They take steps to ensure their well-being is prioritised.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On occasions, teaching is not built on a firm understanding of what pupils already know. This means that pupils sometimes move on to new learning before they are ready. The school should ensure that pupils' misconceptions are routinely addressed so that they achieve as well as they should.

• In a small number of subjects, activities are not well designed to match the intended learning. When this happens, pupils do not learn the curriculum as well as they could. The school should ensure that the activities that staff design are well matched to the intended learning in the school's curriculum.