St Peter’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to this caring and nurturing school. They feel very happy and safe.

Pupils are confident that staff will help them resolve any concerns.

This is a very inclusive school. Leaders and staff have high expectations for pupils.

Pupils achieve well both socially and academically. Strong teaching in subjects such as reading and mathematics helps pupils grasp the basics well. In other subjects, staff teach in ways that help pupils remember important knowledge.

However, leaders are not complacent, they continue to look for ways to improve teaching and assessment.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. In lessons pupils are attentive and e...ager to learn.

During lunchtimes and playtimes pupils socialise well and are incredibly supportive of their peers. Staff provide clear guidance about behaviour and bullying. Incidents of bullying are extremely rare.

Pupils are confident that staff will promptly address any incidents.

Parents appreciate the warm, welcoming approach of leaders and staff. They are delighted with the wide range of clubs and experiences the school provides.

The school is a key part of the community. This exceptional work shapes pupils' values and helps develop strong, positive, citizenship qualities.

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

Leaders have successfully created a well-designed curriculum.

They have taken account of the mixed-aged classes to ensure that pupils build on knowledge through a two-year programme. While suitable plans are in place for all subjects, leaders are currently refining planning in some foundation subjects like music and computing. This is to further strengthen the building of pupils' key knowledge.

The school uses a range of suitable assessments to check that pupils are retaining important knowledge. In subjects such as mathematics and reading, teachers use an appropriate balance of ongoing assessments and regular tests to identify pupils' achievements. In some foundation subjects, leaders are refining their approaches to assessing if pupils have gained and maintained the knowledge taught.

Leaders have prioritised improving their approach to teaching reading. All staff receive regular training. The reading leader regularly checks that there is consistently high-quality phonics teaching.

Pupils at an early stage of reading are confident when using their phonics knowledge to decode unfamiliar words. Pupils have books which are well matched to their phonics knowledge. Older pupils experience a wide range of quality texts.

They can talk articulately about the books they are reading.

Leaders have identified that the quality of pupils' handwriting has dipped during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is evident in some older pupils' books.

It is sometimes evident when younger pupils are trying to record their learning. Leaders have begun to put in place strategies to improve pupils' letter formation and handwriting.

Pupils behave exceptionally well.

There is an incredibly positive learning environment across school. Staff use the school's behaviour-management approaches consistently, fairly, and effectively. From starting school as two-year-olds, children quickly learn routines and how to relate to others.

This guidance continues as pupils move through school. Leaders and staff in the school's two resource bases have high levels of expertise. They teach well-considered strategies to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to help them succeed.

The positive behaviour of these pupils is at the same high standard found throughout the school. This learning environment, alongside a well-designed curriculum, enables pupils in the support bases to achieve well.

The school's personal, social and health education (PSHE) is very well planned.

This helps pupils to understand their responsibilities as citizens and leaders within their community. The development of pupils' spirituality is a key priority for the school. Pupils are sensitive and respond to issues in the world around them with care and empathy.

They are active in supporting local and national charities. A wide range of clubs, coherently planned to link with the school's curriculum, widen pupils' experiences. Pupils are proud of how these experiences prepare them for sporting events and musical presentations.

Leaders use additional funding astutely to ensure access for all pupils to clubs and residential visits.

The school meticulously identifies the needs of pupils with SEND. This is true for pupils within the resource bases and the mainstream classes.

Staff make suitable adaptations to the curriculum and resources to ensure that these pupils achieve at least good outcomes. Where pupils need specific support, staff establish suitable plans to improve pupils' academic and social success. For example, the staff in the nurture provision make beneficial use of assessment to plan teaching to meet pupils' identified needs.

Leaders, including governors and trustees, have a good understanding of the school's strengths and priorities for further improvement. The chief executive officer (CEO) has established clear lines of accountability and responsibility. This ensures that trustees strategically challenge leaders, including on aspects such as safeguarding and equal opportunities.

Staff are confident that leaders take into consideration their well-being and workload. Consequently, staff morale is high.Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school.

They find leaders and staff very accessible and supportive.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and staff promptly identify pupils who need early help or may be vulnerable to safeguarding risks.

Leaders work in a determined fashion with other agencies to secure the help that pupils need. Procedures to manage the safe recruitment of staff are secure. Leaders and staff know the practices for managing allegations or safeguarding concerns about staff.

Staff teach pupils about safeguarding risks, including online risks. The school's PSHE curriculum develops pupils' understanding of healthy relationships. The school provides parents with a range of resources to guide their children about safeguarding issues.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not completed their intended revisions to planning in some foundation subjects. Where this is the case, the sequencing of planning from early years to Year 6 is not consistently clear. Leaders should continue with their plans to ensure improvements are made to the curriculum thinking in these subjects to strengthen pupils' knowledge in these areas.

• Leaders have not concluded planned improvements to assessment in some foundation subjects. This makes it difficult for staff to accurately identify the knowledge pupils are gaining in these subjects. Leaders should continue with their plans to develop suitable and manageable assessment approaches in all foundation subjects.

• The quality of pupils' letter formation and handwriting is not strong enough. This can present a barrier for pupils when they want to record their learning. Leaders should embed the work they have begun to improve pupils' handwriting skills.

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