Welcoming Wolverhampton school with family feel rated Good by Ofsted

Inspectors visited St Paul’s C of E Primary in Pendeford recently and, in their report published on Wednesday, found that the school has high expectations of the achievement and behaviour of pupils, and that they are increasingly rising to meet these high expectations.

They described 'a lovely, calm and purposeful atmosphere' and said that pupils have 'positive attitudes' to learning, behave well, are polite and show a 'strong understanding of the importance of showing respect to everyone', being courteous to both adults and their peers.

The report said how leaders are increasingly ensuring that the school delivers a high-quality education to all pupils and the well sequenced curriculum has been carefully redesigned to support better learning outcomes and ensure pupils build on their prior knowledge effectively.

It said that teachers regularly check that pupils are learning well and benefit from the professional development that they receive, which helps them to deliver engaging lessons.

It also said that the school prioritises reading, and there is a strong culture of reading for pleasure, saying that as a result, pupils learn to read with fluency, accuracy and enthusiasm.

Other parts of the report said: "Pupils at St Paul's are happy and safe and well cared for by staff who help pupils to identify their emotions.

"The school promotes a 'strong sense of responsibility', with pupils taking on many leadership roles and participating in community projects, such as fundraising for charities.

"Class-led assemblies also support the school’s intention to develop pupils’ character and spirituality through exploring themes, such as love and national celebration events.

"Staff say they are 'proud to work at St Paul’s', and governors know the school well and fulfil their statutory responsibilities effectively, asking challenging questions and providing effective support."

Inspectors concluded that the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision at St Paul’s C of E Primary are all Good.

Headteacher Jennifer Ferretti said: "We are delighted that Ofsted has recognised the significant school improvement journey we have been on in the last few years, thanks to the dedication, commitment and vision of the staff team.

“St Paul's continues to go from strength to strength, and we are incredibly proud of this achievement. 

"We look forward to continuing to serve the community of St Paul's, with the best interests of the children at the heart of everything we do."

Councillor Jacqui Coogan, Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: "This is a wonderful report celebrating a happy and successful school and I would like to congratulate Jennifer Ferretti, her leadership team, staff, governors, parents and pupils on the excellent progress they have made over the last few years.”