St Peter’s Catholic Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy, caring and inclusive school where every pupil thrives. Pupils love coming to school.

They enjoy their learning in the classroom and the many additional activities the school provides.

Expectations of behaviour and achievement are high from Nursery onwards, and pupils are supported every step of the way to meet them. They are proud of the progress they make, and even prouder when they can help others to make progress too.

In this highly diverse school, the school values of 'together, one family, one community in Christ' are enacted by every member of staff and every pupil daily. Pupils want to be kind and respectful to each other. They activel...y look for opportunities to help others, to celebrate their differences and to contribute to their community.

Pupils value the exceptionally broad range of opportunities the school provides. They develop their talents and interests through the many clubs and activities that take place throughout the year. Visits, visitors and dedicated days to share cultures and beliefs ensure that pupils have a rich array of experiences.

These broaden their horizons, raise their aspirations and prepare them exceptionally well for their next steps.

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

The overriding driver for this school is quite simply: 'what is best for our children?' Then, the school takes action to achieve it. This translates into a highly ambitious curriculum that is designed from the beginning to meet the needs of all pupils, no matter what their starting point, from Nursery onwards.

For instance, in the early years, the school has crafted a curriculum that meets all statutory requirements but also takes careful account of the additional experiences children need. The school provides children with many opportunities for discovery and experimentation through practical tasks. These support their emotional and physical development alongside their communication skills and early introduction to reading and number.

As a result, children are well prepared for the transition to Year 1 and beyond.

Subject curriculums build on the strong early years groundwork. In each subject, there is a clear understanding, shared by all teachers, of what pupils need to learn and when.

Pupils learn and remember the planned curriculum content because teachers have excellent subject knowledge and well-developed teaching skills. They make rapid progress from their starting points as a result. Pupils take enormous pride in their work, reflected in their handwriting and presentation.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are very well supported. Work begins even before children join the school to ensure that needs are identified quickly and appropriate support put in place. Teachers are rigorous in ensuring that any difficulties or misconceptions are rapidly identified and addressed in lessons.

More formal assessment is used effectively to check pupils' progress and to consider how the curriculum might be revised to help pupils learn even better. Consequently, pupils with SEND are successfully learning the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

Reading is taught exceptionally well.

Nearly all pupils learn to read accurately and with fluency and comprehension. Where this is not the case, high-quality and rigorous teaching ensures that pupils make significant progress from their starting points. From the early years, pupils are introduced to a wide range of stories and poems.

They are encouraged to read widely in school and at home. Pupils love to choose their own books, to talk about them and to share their ideas.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary.

They learn the importance of respect for all very quickly. In the classroom, they are engaged and enthusiastic learners, and around school they are kind and courteous. Pupils want to come to school.

As a result, attendance is high.

All pupils have extensive opportunities to access a broad sweep of experiences. These are explicitly designed to help them to understand the wider world and life in modern Britain, to keep themselves safe and to develop healthy relationships.

Pupils regularly contribute to their community and beyond. Consequently, pupils become kind, considerate, well-rounded individuals who are ready for their next steps.

Governors and trustees know the school very well.

They work effectively with the school, with a joint moral purpose to achieve the best outcomes possible for all pupils. Staff are proud to work here. They feel valued and supported by school and trust leaders.

They appreciate the 'open door' policy of leaders and feel that they are listened to. They appreciate the extensive and high-quality professional development opportunities they are given.

The school communicates with parents exceptionally well.

The strong partnership between school and parents has pupils' best interests at its heart. As a result, parents trust the school to do what is right for their children.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.