St Peter’s Bratton Church of England Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at St Peter's are polite, welcoming and curious about the world. They feel safe and attend well.

Staff are focused on enriching pupils lives and helping them. There is a positive culture around school. The school has worked hard to improve behaviour in recent months.

Pupils' behaviour reflects this improvement and they can see things are better.

The school has high expectations of what pupils will achieve. However, some pupils do not receive a good quality of education.

There is a lack of consistency in how the planned curriculum is delivered, which limits what pupils can achieve. In addition, some pupils with special educational needs and/or ...disabilities (SEND) do not always have the support they need to learn successfully alongside their peers. There have been recent changes though, particularly in English and writing, that are improving pupils' learning experiences.

All are encouraged to be responsible, respectful and active citizens. Pupils know they have a voice in the school. They enjoy the renewed extra-curricular activities, which include a range of sports and the popular 'Little Gannets' cooking club.

Pupils are proud of their leadership roles. This can be as members of the 'Safeguarding Squad', 'Worship Council' or 'School Council'. They make active contributions to the school community and beyond.

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

The school has strengthened the planned curriculum. Firm foundations are now in place to secure well-sequenced learning towards ambitious goals. However, over time there is inconsistency in how the curriculum is put into action.

The key knowledge that needs to be learned is not clear enough at times. This results in pupils having gaps in their knowledge. There are also inconsistent assessment practices across the school.

So, at times, important information about what pupils know and understand is not used to support learning effectively.

All staff are determined that a love of reading is central to the pupils' experience. Pupils engage well in phonics activities.

Leaders have implemented a consistent approach to teaching phonics. Children in Reception learn the sounds that letters make from the very start of their time in school. Pupils use the phonic strategies they learn to break down unfamiliar words into their individual sounds.

They learn to read with increasing fluency and accuracy. Older pupils work together well to develop the range of skills they need for effective reading. The school works well to ensure that every pupil will learn to read, regardless of their background, needs or abilities.

Children in Reception enjoy the language rich environment that they work in. They settle in well and are included in the wider life of the school. Children play, learn and collaborate happily.

However, the curriculum in the early years is yet to be fully embedded. So, the precise learning that would help pupils to be successful in key stage 1 is not being secured as coherently as it could be.

Pupils with SEND are identified well.

There is a range of appropriate interventions that support their needs. These are delivered by well-trained staff. However, when it comes to adaptations made to support their learning in the classroom, these are not working well enough.

This means that pupils with SEND are not developing a deep understanding of the curriculum.

Attendance is high and is a clear strength of the school's work. Staff take timely actions to support and secure pupils being in school.

The strong pastoral work plays a key role in helping pupils to attend. Pupils feel valued and understood. There have been clear and demonstrable improvements in behaviour recently.

The school knows that there is more to do to help all pupils consistently live up to these very high expectations. Leaders have clear plans to secure further improvement.

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well-considered.

The personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum is planned in detail. This sits well alongside a broad range of opportunities through which pupils develop their talents and interests. For example, pupils have a shared sense of the school values, as well as how to keep themselves mentally healthy and safe online.

Older pupils feel ready for their next steps.

Leaders at all levels are aware of what the school needs to improve. Their integrity and reflectiveness characterise their drive for improvement.

The recent changes in senior leadership have ensured a clear vision exists for how they want things to improve for pupils. Staff are moving forward with them on this journey and appreciate the care shown for their wellbeing.

The trust has a clear understanding of the school and are acting to support school leaders to secure the necessary change.

Engagement with the wider community is an emerging strength of the school's work. Parents have appreciated the recent improvements which were summarised very well by one as, 'the school feels better'.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There is inconsistent implementation of the planned curriculum, including early years. Teachers are not clear enough about what pupils need to learn and pupils are not able always to recall what they have learnt over time. The school needs to ensure that the curriculum is delivered as intended and effectively to enable all pupils to be able to know and remember more.

• The adaptations for pupils with SEND are not effective enough. Consequently, pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could. The school needs to ensure that clear actions for support are in place to help pupils with SEND access the full curriculum well.

• Assessment information about how pupils are progressing through the curriculum is not used well enough. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge or misconceptions which are not addressed. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment consistently well to help pupils to build knowledge more securely.