St Peter’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Peter's Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and respectful. Working relationships between staff and pupils are extremely positive. Leaders consider carefully that all pupils are taught about healthy relationships and diversity at an age-appropriate level.

For example, the 'Confidence Club' for Year 6 pupils helps them to explore safety and personal boundaries.

Leaders and most staff have extremely high expectations of all pupils. There is a positive approach to behaviour across the school.

Leaders provide pupils with a wealth of opportunities. They work hard to engage pupils wi...th their local community. Pupils raise money for local charities and help with the local food banks.

Leaders organise visits to local libraries, museums, and aquariums. In early years, children enjoyed visits from a local author and police officers.

Pupils are very happy here.

They said that they like school because 'everyone is included'. Leaders do not tolerate any discrimination. Pupils new to the school are welcomed warmly.

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

The curriculum is highly ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They make learning purposeful across all the school sites. Leaders sequence the curriuclum carefully, including from early years.

In most subjects, teachers support pupils to build deep understanding. For example, in early years, teachers helped children to measure and compare each other's height. In some subjects, leaders' curricular thinking is not as well developed.

Leaders have provided subject-specific training and support for all staff. This helps to build staff expertise across different subjects. Teachers present new information to pupils clearly.

They use a range of resources effectively in lessons. For example in geography, teachers used a range of maps to develop pupils' understanding about human- and physical-geography features.

Teachers check pupils' understanding regularly.

They revisit prior learning regularly, which helps pupils to be ready for new content. Staff fully support children in early years in their preparation for moving to Year 1. In Nursery, staff develop children's communication and language skills effectively.

Leaders have prioritised reading across the school. They support pupils successfully with early reading. All staff have received training to teach phonics.

Leaders with responsibility for reading check teaching and implementation of phonics. This helps pupils to get consistent support and to read with increasing fluency. Staff identify any pupils who are falling behind.

They provide these pupils with targeted support, which helps them to catch up quickly. Most books that pupils read match pupils' phonics knoweldge closely. Sometimes, leaders do not make sure that all pupils have books that match the sounds they know.

This means that, sometimes, pupils do not learn to read confidently as quickly as they could.

Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND in a timely way. They work together with external agencies to support these pupils.

Staff provide pupils with SEND with effective support. They ensure that adaptations are made, so that these pupils can access the curriuclum.

Staff have a consistent approach to managing behaviour.

Pupils said that staff were fair and caring. In lessons, pupils behave well and engage positively in their learning. Staff are quick to pick up on any low-level disruption and remind pupils of their expectations.

Staff are incredibly happy and proud to work at this school. They feel very well supported by leaders. Many staff commented that leaders listened to their views and took their well-being seriously.

Leaders make appropriate adjustments to staff workload, so that it is manageable. Leaders have an accurate and detailed understanding of the school and how to further improve it.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders are relentless in their approach to safeguarding. Policies and procedures are firmly in place and there is a strong culture of vigilance among all staff. Leaders work closely with external agencies to ensure responses are timely.

They understand their local context extremely well. This helps them to provide a high level of support to the most vulnerable families.

Pupils are encouraged to keep safe, including online.

Leaders teach pupils about consent and how to challenge harassment. Pupils all have an adult they can speak to if they are worried.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, books for pupils to practise their early reading are not at the right decodable level.

This means that pupils do not have opportunities to build their reading fluency and confidence as quickly as they could. Leaders must ensure that staff routinely provide pupils with books that match closely with the sounds they know. ? In some subjects, leaders' curriculum thinking is not fully developed.

As a result, subject content is not precisely identified and built up sequentially in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that in all subjects the curriculum is planned progressively and consistently well.

Background

When we have judged good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2013.