Wilfred Owen Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school? '

Aiming high together' sums up the approach of this warm and welcoming school. Mutual respect is evident between pupils and adults. Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy attending.

They feel safe because they know that staff always listen to them.

Pupils understand the different types of bullying. They say that although it rarely happens, staff quickly sort it out when it does.

Staff care about pupils and want the best for them.

Leaders have made reading a priority. Pupils enjoy hearing their teachers read daily to them and appreciate the wealth of exciting books they get the chance to read from their class book corners and the school library....r/>
In some other subjects, there is more work to do on the curriculum, and pupils are not helped to achieve as well as they should. Leaders' recent actions are starting to put this right.

Pupils enjoy taking on extra responsibilities.

Older pupils are proud to help younger pupils by organising games and activities at playtimes. Pupils understand the need to keep healthy, both mentally and physically. They are proud to represent the school in rounders and basketball tournaments.

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

Significant staffing and leadership challenges combined with COVID-19 means this school has been through a turbulent time. Since September, the acting headteacher has taken decisive action. Positive action has been done with other leaders to review and improve the school's curriculum.

This work is in its early days; therefore, there has not been time to finalise the curriculum or train the staff sufficiently well. Despite this, there are many 'green shoots' becoming evident.

Leaders have started to review the curriculum.

This is more developed in some subjects than in others. In the subjects that are further ahead, for example mathematics and reading, leaders have made it clear what knowledge they want pupils to learn and the order in which it must be taught. They have provided training for staff.

Staff and leaders check regularly how well pupils are learning and take appropriate action. This ensures that staff deliver these aspects of the curriculum well. As a result, pupils progress well.

In some subjects, the curriculum is very newly implemented, and staff have not yet received the training they need. This means that they are not always clear about the best ways to deliver the curriculum. This stops pupils from knowing more and remembering more.

In other subjects, the curriculum is being reviewed because currently, it does not set out in sufficient detail the most important knowledge pupils should learn.

Leaders have made reading a priority. They have provided staff with training and clear guidance.

Teachers have the confidence and expertise to deliver the phonics curriculum well. Pupils quickly learn to read new sounds as soon as they start school. Their books match the sounds they are learning.

Pupils who need to catch up get the right support. Pupils enjoy reading. They know it is important and helps them with their learning.

The leader responsible for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is skilled and understands the needs of pupils well. She ensures that the provision for pupils with SEND is well planned. When pupils have more complex needs, the school ensures they get the well-targeted support they need.

This includes working with other professionals and schools.

Strong leadership in the early years drives high-quality learning by ensuring that all staff know what to teach and how. Children settle quickly because staff ensure their needs are met.

Adults encourage children to talk about familiar stories, listen and communicate well. Children are excited to learn and explore number. They behave well and enjoy playing and talking together.

Pupils are well mannered and polite. Staff help pupils sort out any disagreements they have. As a result, pupils behave well, and learning is rarely disrupted.

Leaders implement secure systems to monitor pupils' absence and challenge any persistent absence; as a result, this is reducing.

Leaders ensure that pupils are prepared for the world they live in. Through assemblies and the new relationships curriculum, pupils learn to be tolerant and respectful of others.

They have a secure understanding of healthy relationships. They learn about the importance of respecting people from different faiths and cultures. Trips to the Museums of Liverpool and Llangollen and involvement in the 'grow a pound' project help broaden life experiences.

Pupils, including school safeguarding champions, are proud of their roles in school life.

Leaders, trustees and governors understand the schools' priorities for improvement. They provide suitable support and challenge, supported by external specialists.

Staff feel proud to work at the school and well supported by their leadership team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders know the school community well.

They understand how best to support pupils. Leaders ensure staff are well trained. Staff know what action to take if they have concerns about a pupil.

Leaders respond quickly and work with other agencies if needed to provide the right support. Weekly meetings ensure safeguarding is a priority at the school.

Pupils say they feel safe in school because teachers will always listen and help them.

The school teaches pupils how to stay safe, including online.

Leaders carry out appropriate checks on new staff. Records are carefully kept up to date.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have a clear intent for their subjects and are in the process of redesigning many aspects of the school's curriculum, but have not yet had the opportunity to finalise this work. This means that some areas of the curriculum have not yet been fully developed. Leaders should ensure that there is an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum in place from the early years through to Year 6.

This will help teachers to plan the next steps in learning that pupils need so that pupils know more and remember more across the curriculum. ? Because some areas of the school's curriculum are very new, not all staff have received the training they need to support them to deliver the curriculum well. Leaders should ensure that staff are well trained and supported to deliver the curriculum well.

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