St Peter’s Catholic College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St Peter's Catholic College is an improving and inclusive school where staff are proud to serve the pupils who attend. Most pupils feel safe and well looked after.

There is a renewed trust in staff to deal with poor behaviour, and many pupils have responded well to the new behaviour policy. There are still some pupils who do not always behave well. Leaders work with these pupils and use appropriate systems that help to support them.

St Peter's is a small school but there are a large number of extra-curricular activities that pupils can attend. Staff are committed to helping pupils access experiences beyond the taught curriculum. Pupils can become prefects and they are... proud to hold these positions.

They act as excellent role models.

Pupils have mixed views on bullying. The majority of pupils feel that bullying is dealt with well by staff if it happens.

Other pupils report that staff do not always resolve it well enough.

Leaders are ambitious that all pupils should access an aspirational curriculum. There are a range of subjects for all pupils to study.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers. St Peter's is an inclusive school and leaders are proud to serve the pupils who attend.

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

Since the last inspection, school leaders have worked determinedly to review and improve the school's curriculum.

They have a clear understanding of where further work is needed to continue improvements. There is a vision, shared by all staff, to provide a high-quality curriculum for all pupils. This vision is being realised.

It is making a positive difference to pupils' education.

Curriculum leaders carefully consider the important knowledge that they want pupils to know. Many curriculum leaders have been supported by directors from the multi-academy trust (the trust) to plan their curriculum effectively.

They appreciate the support that they have been given in curriculum design. In some subjects, clear consideration has been given to pupils' starting points. Rigorous assessment has been used in English, for example, to ensure that staff have a clear understanding of what pupils already know.

This is not the case in all subjects. The curriculum in modern foreign languages does not support pupils' learning as well as it might. Limited consideration has been given to pupils' different starting points.

This means that pupils are not always ready to move on in the curriculum as their previous knowledge is not fully secure.

Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge. They select appropriate activities for pupils.

Pupils are well supported by teachers, who model and scaffold pupils' learning well. This particularly helps pupils with SEND.Leaders ensure that staff are provided with appropriate information relating to the needs of pupils with SEND.

This ensures staff can use specific teaching strategies or make relevant adaptations to lessons so that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum as their peers. For pupils with a specific or higher level of need, there are a range of intervention programmes. These include academic interventions such as phonics and mathematics interventions.

Leaders of SEND review pupils' progress towards targets regularly to ensure that the support is always appropriate and pupils with SEND make progress in their learning.

Personal development provision is clearly mapped out and structured for pupils. The personal development curriculum covers a full range of learning activities based around health and well-being, relationship education and living in the wider world.

The curriculum provides pupils with plenty of opportunities to learn about protected characteristics, healthy relationships and online safety. This means that pupils are developing appropriate knowledge about issues beyond the academic curriculum.

Careers education is established in the school.

Leaders have made strong links with a range of providers and employers, including in industry and the NHS, as well as apprenticeship providers. As a result, pupils learn about the various routes and options available to them. Pupils move on to appropriate destinations.

Pupils' attendance, while improving, remains a focus for leaders. Even when taking into account the context of the pandemic, persistent absence remains high for the most vulnerable groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. While leaders have made steps in improving the attendance for some pupils, too many pupils are not attending regularly.

Leaders and the trust have an accurate view about what is now more effective and what needs to improve in the school. They are mindful of how their changes impact on staff workload and well-being. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about enjoying working at St Peter's.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established a positive safeguarding culture across the school. Staff are well trained to spot if a pupil is at risk of harm.

Staff know and use the clear safeguarding systems to report concerns about pupils. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. Most pupils feel that they have a trusted adult in school who they can talk to if they are worried.

Leaders work closely with external agencies to ensure that vulnerable pupils get appropriate support if they need it.

Detailed safeguarding records show how leaders quickly follow up any worries about pupils.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Pupils' attendance has risen because of leaders' work to ensure that increasing numbers of pupils attend every day and enjoy doing so.

However, some pupils are still absent from school too often. Leaders must build on the work done before, and during, the COVID-19 pandemic to improve pupils' attendance further. ? While the quality of education pupils receive continues to improve, there is more work to do to ensure that pupils learn and act with independence.

Some teachers provide too much support. This sometimes leads to pupils becoming overly dependent on adult support. Leaders should work with staff to ensure pupils are provided with opportunities to develop their independence in lessons and beyond.