St Winefride's Catholic Primary School, A Voluntary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 11 February 2025

Staff have high expectations for pupils' achievement and behaviour. Pupils behave well as a result. The school's virtues, 'be attentive, be just, be loving, be wise, be courageous', contribute to pupils' positive behaviour. Most pupils enjoy learning. There are warm relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils understand the importance of being respectful and tolerant towards others. Pupils enjoy learning about other faiths and cultures. They visit religious places of worship, such as visits to the local mosque and the gurdwara. The wide range of leadership opportunities, such as becoming a Year 5 happiness hero, a play leader, or a fundamental British values ambassador, help pupils to develop their confidence. There are close links with the local community, for example pupils often interact with and support elderly residents from a local care home. There are a number of opportunities for pupils to develop their character and provide service to others. For instance, key stage 2 pupils raise money for charities and support local food banks. Pupils contribute to a local soup kitchen and deliver food parcels in the local community. Pupils value these opportunities and experiences.

What the school should improve

• Some aspects of the school's writing curriculum do not ensure that pupils develop secure transcription skills as quickly as they should. This means that some pupils do not acquire the skills to write as fluently and accurately as they should. The school needs to ensure that all staff teach the foundational knowledge that pupils need to write well.
• While the school's actions are improving overall attendance, its strategies are not reaching some pupils. A minority of pupils, including some pupils with SEND, do not attend school regularly enough. This means that these pupils are missing out on essential learning. The school should work to better understand and overcome the barriers to good attendance for these pupils.
• While the school takes effective action in response to concerns over pupils' safety, on occasions, the records that the school keeps do not fully capture those actions. This means that information that could inform future safeguarding action, or provide assurance on these important aspects of the school's work, is not recorded as well as it could be. The school should improve this aspect of its work to further strengthen safeguarding.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)