St Peter’s Catholic Primary School, Waterlooville

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school and rightly so.

Leaders have raised the school community's expectations, showing everyone that St Peter's pupils can achieve great things. Pupils relish the breadth and content of the curriculum. This is because they develop genuine expertise in subjects and concepts they did not know before.

As their understanding grows, so does their enthusiasm. For example, older pupils learned about the impact of the Second World War on women's rights, showing great respect, empathy and knowledge for the people involved at the time.

The school is a harmonious and calm environment where pupils can flourish.

Pupils get on well and g...enuinely care for the welfare of others. Classes are peaceful environments where pupils can focus without disruption. Equally, the playground is a space where pupils burn off steam without fear of bullying or unkindness.

When things do get hard, staff in the 'pumpkin room' are always on hand to help pupils to work through any anxieties they have. This helps pupils to feel safe and to make the most of their time at school.

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

The curriculum has been developed to build pupils' knowledge in a logical order.

As pupils move through the school, they know and remember more. Teachers know the content of the curriculum well and present information and tasks in a clear manner. This is particularly evident in well-established subjects such as humanities.

In subjects such as design and technology and computing, the curriculum has been revised to match leaders' ambitious aims. This is benefiting younger pupils greatly. However, some older pupils have not acquired the knowledge in the past that they need to understand some of the complex tasks they are now given in these subjects.

Skilled staff teach younger children phonics. These children work hard to pronounce sounds accurately and blend them to read whole words and then simple sentences. Additional support is provided for pupils who need more time to grasp these essential skills.

The 'reading passport' encourages older pupils to read and discuss books they may not choose themselves. This exposes pupils to historical and multicultural texts that broaden and challenge their thinking. Some pupils are not heard reading aloud regularly enough.

These pupils read less fluently because they miss out on the chance to practise their reading.

Staff in the Reception classes carefully consider children's likes and dislikes to create a curriculum that builds on their interests. Children are enthusiastic and enjoy their learning.

They develop strong early reading and mathematics skills because staff ensure that children brush up on the basics every day. This helps children to recall their knowledge quickly. In some subjects, leaders have not aligned the Reception curriculum to link to the curriculum in key stage 1.

This means that pupils in Years 1 and 2 do not always build on their prior learning.

Pupils behave well and enjoy positive relationships with peers and staff. They are proud of their school and understand their responsibilities.

Older pupils help younger children to play by organising games. When asked why they gave up their time to do this, one pupil noted, 'Because at St Peter's we are taught to be nice.' Pupils focus on their tasks in class and poor behaviour is quickly challenged.

Pupils reflect and consider complex social issues through meaningful discussions and debate. They learn how the arts can be used for protest as well as entertainment. For example, pupils in Year 5 considered the work of Banksy in relation to their topic of homelessness.

The opportunity to consider the challenges faced by others greatly enhances pupils' cultural and moral understanding.

The school works closely with parents, carers and staff to help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to achieve their goals. Support for these pupils often goes beyond the requirements noted in their plans.

The school reviews their provision regularly to ensure that these pupils have all they need to thrive in class and to form strong friendships.

Teachers are confident and skilled at designing and teaching series of lessons in most subjects. This is because leaders have planned the curriculum carefully and trained staff to deliver it effectively.

However, some staff have only recently taken on responsibility for their subject areas. These staff members need further guidance to develop their skills and knowledge so that they can further enhance the curriculum and support others in its delivery.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff are well trained, and they provide regular updates on local issues. All staff know how to report concerns and do so as a priority when they arise. They understand that safeguarding is the responsibility of everyone and that their role in this is pivotal.

Leaders take prompt and effective action to keep pupils safe when concerns are raised.

Pupils learn to manage their own risk through the curriculum. They know how to report and block strangers if they approach them online and to avoid giving out personal information.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Pupils quickly develop strong reading skills and enjoy the opportunity to read for pleasure. However, some pupils do not read aloud regularly enough. These pupils do not read as fluently as others and can struggle to understand what they have read.

Staff need to ensure that these pupils develop reading fluency through regular practise. . Staff training has developed subject leaders' expertise.

This knowledge is disseminated well between staff, leading to improvements in the quality of education. Some subject leaders are new to their posts. These leaders will need further support and training to develop their own subject knowledge.

This will allow them to develop their subject's curriculum in all year groups, including Reception, and to train other staff. . Leaders have carefully constructed the curriculum, noting the key knowledge pupils are expected to know and understand.

Series of lessons help pupils to revisit prior learning and commit key concepts to memory. In some subjects, pupils are expected to understand complex ideas without the prior learning that underpins them. Leaders need to ensure that pupils are taught, and understand, the basic content before they move on to more challenging concepts.

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