Our latest school of the month feature takes us to Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Primary School in Bootle.

The first stop on our visit, is a tour of the school taking in all classrooms and seeing the children and teachers in action. When asked by headteacher Collette Simms what makes their school special, the children raise their hands eagerly to share how kind and loving all the teachers and children are.

This echoes the words from the school’s recent Catholic Schools Inspectorate (CSI) report, in which they were rated outstanding in every area, an achievement the school is so proud of: “Pupils are rightly proud to be part of the school community”.

The school, which is part of the Pope Francis Multi Academy Trust, has been on a journey of growth since Collette joined as headteacher four years ago, creating nurturing and inclusive environment where every child is valued.

Collette said: “We have a high level of SEN and pupil premium children in our school and the curriculum needed to be adapted to be the right fit for them to get them where they need to be.

“As a school, we’ve worked hard to adapt our teaching, so it is inclusive for all. We have the same style of learning in every classroom, so our children learn in a way that’s consistent throughout their time at the school.

“Since this has been implemented, we’ve noticed a positive difference with children and staff.”

The school also operates a mood tracker so children can log their feelings every morning. Collette said: “If a child is feeling sad, we can react very quickly to it and prevent any problems from escalating.”

The school aims to open up the world to its pupils too, giving them the opportunity to take part in cultural activities and trips that they may not experience otherwise.

Collette added: “We map out trips throughout the school life, so the children get to experience different things throughout their time here such as trips to the theatre and museums. Year 6 go on an adventure holiday to the Isle of Man, which is heavily subsidised by the PTA so every child has the opportunity to take part and Year 5 get to experience our capital city with a cultural visit to London.”

Another focus has been strengthening relationships with parents, carers and families. Collette added: “Relationships are key to everything we do. Our families haven’t always trusted agencies and authorities. To get the best for the children, we need the parents’ trust to show the children that school is a safe place. Parents are a key part of the educational journey. We host things like Mother’s Day and Father’s Day breakfasts at the school – it’s especially meaningful for single parents as it may be the only opportunity they have to celebrate the day. Our parents have really enjoyed these events.”

Faith underpins every aspect of life at the school. The motto: “With Christ as our light we love, learn and shine with excellence” is lived out daily by children and the staff.

The school has a strong partnership with their local church and parish priest Fr Chris Fallon. This is reflected in the CSI report which said: “The school environment sings of its Catholic mission.”

Every July the school meets with Fr Chris to plan their activity for the next school year including a Harvest Mass, preparing for Advent, carols by candlelight, participation in CAFOD’s big Lent walk, scripture club and retreat days.

The school also has a big focus on the local community. Collette said: “We have a Mini Vinnie’s club who collects food donations for the local foodbank throughout the year, we encourage people to donate uniforms, which we wash and leave in the local community centre for people to collect for free. Staff have also adapted their secret Santa gift exchange to buy Christmas pyjamas for pupils in need so every child can have a new pair of pyjamas on Christmas Eve.”

During our tour, one little boy described the school as his second home. It’s a sentiment that perfectly captures the warm, welcoming and inclusive culture nurtured by the dedicated staff at Our Lady of Walsingham Catholic Primary School- a place where every child is supported to shine.