St Peter’s Catholic Comprehensive School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is proud of its Catholic ethos. Strong relationships are at its heart and pupils feel part of the school's tight community. Younger pupils learn in a nurturing environment where adults know them well.

They feel happy and safe and say that bullying is very rare.

Most pupils behave very well. Pastoral care is strong.

The school takes bullying seriously, so when it does happen, pupils feel confident that adults will help to resolve it. Pupils understand the high expectations that leaders have of them. Sixth form students complete demanding work.

They work well independently.

Pupils in all phases achieve well. In the primary phase, pu...pils enjoy an engaging curriculum.

The youngest children get off to a strong start when they join Reception. They settle quickly into school life. In the secondary phase, including in the sixth form, pupils are well prepared for their next steps.

They enjoy learning from an ambitious curriculum.

All pupils have access to a wide range of opportunities to enrich their learning. The extra-curricular offer is a strength of the school.

Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures and respect one another.

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

Children in the early years foundation stage (EYFS) quickly settle into routines. They learn from a carefully planned curriculum.

Children enjoy a range of purposeful activities. Adults interact with children in a way that supports the development of their language. Children speak kindly to one another and are attentive for extended periods.

In most subjects across the primary and secondary phases, the curriculum is well planned. Pupils in the secondary phase learn sequentially. Their learning builds effectively on prior knowledge.

New content is taught through meaningful activities. Teachers check for understanding, so they know when pupils are ready to move on. As a result, outcomes are strong.

This is less consistent in the primary phase. In the humanities subjects the curriculum is not well understood by all teachers. Some pupils remember much of what they have learned, and others do not.

There is a strong focus on writing skills in the primary phase. This ensures that most pupils improve over time and pupils write at length. In the secondary phase, while pupils talk confidently about what they learn, this is not always reflected in their written work.

Subject experts from the secondary phase support the delivery of some subjects in the primary phase. This works well in design and technology, for example.

The school has taken some action to ensure more pupils learn the full range of subjects within the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) at GCSE.

However, the number of pupils who take all EBacc subjects is still below average.

In the sixth form, students work with purpose and enthusiasm. Vocational and A- level subjects are taught expertly.

Teachers have high expectations of what students can achieve. Students respond well to this. They read widely and work effectively during independent study time.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified and supported by staff. Information about these pupils is shared appropriately with adults in the school, so they can meet pupils' needs. A small minority of parents of pupils with SEND have expressed concerns.

The school, including those responsible for governance, are taking action to improve communication.

Pupils in the EYFS begin learning to read straight away. Pupils who struggle to keep up are supported to do so with expert adults.

In the secondary phase, struggling readers are identified early. Older pupils who have fallen behind get the help they need. The school encourages a love of reading in both phases.

The relationships between pupils and teachers, in both phases of the school, are positive. Low-level disruption is very rare. Pupils behave well during social times.

In the secondary phase, the school has introduced a new policy, following a challenging period. This has had a positive impact.

The school provides many and varied opportunities for pupils of all ages to take part in extra-curricular activities.

Younger pupils have access to forest school. The school is proud of its reputation for performing arts. In the secondary phase, activities include clubs for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, debating, and a variety of sports.

Students in the sixth form take on positions of responsibility, including acting as reading buddies to younger pupils and being prefects.

The school's Catholic ethos underpins much of its work. The chaplaincy effectively supports the pastoral care pupils receive.

Pupils of all ages understand the importance of tolerance and respect. They learn about healthy relationships and how to keep themselves safe and healthy.

The school provides comprehensive careers information, advice and guidance to all pupils in the secondary phase.

This is particularly strong in the sixth form. The school uses events well to build enterprise opportunities, including for primary pupils.

The school is ambitious for pupils.

Those responsible for governance provide challenge and support and there is a strong sense of community. However, monitoring and evaluation of some areas of the school's work are not precise and targeted. Although this is an all-through school, there is sometimes a lack of cohesion between and within phases.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The quality of curriculum planning and implementation is not consistently strong across the key stages. For example, subject-specific content has not been precisely planned in the humanities subjects in the primary phase.

This means pupils are not always learning from a well-sequenced curriculum in key stages one and two. Leaders must prioritise curriculum development so that pupils learn from a well-sequenced curriculum from EYFS to key stage 5. ? There is a lack of rigour in the way the school organises the evaluation of some key aspects of its work.

This means that it does not always know what works well. As a result, subsequent actions lack precision. The school should ensure that evaluation of the school's work is precise so that it has greater impact.