Yoxall St Peter’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Yoxall St Peter's CofE Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

The head of school is Kathryn Dingle. This school is part of the John Taylor Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Mike Donoghue, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Colin Hopkins.

There is also an executive headteacher, Matthew Baxter, who is responsible for this school and two others.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to Yoxall St Peter's. Each day, they enter a caring, nurturing envi...ronment.

Pupils know that when they are in school, they have opportunities to develop mature attitudes towards others. They strive to become 'courageous advocates', championing diversity. Pupils recognise the importance of 'not judging a book by its cover'.

Pupils learn and play in a calm and orderly culture. Like the staff, pupils have high expectations of behaviour. They step up to these in lessons, when moving around school and when playing.

Pupils are attentive in lessons. They respect each other. They let classmates get on with their learning.

Pupils are kept safe. They are confident that staff look after them well. This is because pupils develop trusting relationships with staff.

Many pupils say that teachers are the best thing about the school. Pupils enjoy learning. They welcome the challenges that teachers set, working hard to achieve them.

Leadership opportunities abound. Pupils are encouraged to become advocates for various aspects of school life. Pupil librarians, for example, oversee the school library.

Many enjoy being 'ambassadors'. They encourage and support others to take part in a wide range of sporting, musical and other clubs.

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

There have been some recent changes to the school's curriculum.

Yoxall St Peter's now shares a curriculum with a small 'family' of schools within the trust. This enables the sharing of subject expertise and leadership work. The school checks closely on how well pupils are learning in some subjects, such as English and mathematics.

However, this is not the case in all subjects. This means that the school does not yet have a clear picture of how well pupils are learning in some subjects.

The school has mostly thought carefully about how to design the curriculum.

In each subject, pupils learn more complex detail once they have acquired necessary skills and knowledge. In mathematics, for example, pupils only tackle division problems with complicated numbers once they have practised the process of division with easier numbers first. In the early years, children build their knowledge well through indoor and outdoor activities.

However, there are times when the curriculum is not well adapted to meet the different needs and starting points of pupils. This means that some pupils do not receive the support they need to make sufficient progress towards the intended curriculum end points.

The importance of language development is very evident.

In all subjects, pupils pick up and use specific vocabulary. This helps them gain knowledge as they learn about different topics. Pupils enjoy reading books together in their classes.

Staff choose books which contain a rich range of words. Children experience a language rich environment in the early years. When building a house using various materials, children talk clearly about its design.

The teaching of phonics is prioritised. Pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need to become confident, fluent readers.

The school is clear about how all pupils should feel a strong sense of belonging at Yoxall St Peter's.

The school makes sure that disadvantaged pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have opportunities to take up leadership roles. When learning through a sequence of lessons, staff have the same ambition for all pupils. This includes for those who find some aspects of learning tricky.

Staff and pupils build harmonious classrooms. Warm and trusting relationships thrive. These environments are conducive to learning.

Children learn about how they should behave and work with each other in the early years. Children focus on their learning well, sticking to the activities they have chosen. Pupils adhere to routines and expectations in all classes.

Pupils are rarely disturbed in their learning. Very little learning time is lost.

Recent changes have resulted in pupils with SEND being better supported.

Staff know what to look out for in respect of identifying potential learning needs. If any needs are identified, then subsequent actions take place to clarify how a pupil can be best supported.

Trustees and local governors work together well in prioritising their work.

The school, for example, has developed and implemented processes to encourage pupils to attend every day. Effective school and family engagement has led to high attendance rates. Successful support for school leaders, including those overseeing provision for pupils with SEND and for the early years, is in place.

Staff are very positive about how trust and school leaders consider their workload and well-being.

Pupils relish their leadership opportunities. Pupils develop knowledge of empathy and negotiation.

They become more confident learners and develop character well. They learn about their own spirituality, by reflecting on their learning about other faiths and cultures as well as their own.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There is variation in how well the curriculum is being adapted to meet the different needs and starting points of pupils. This means that some pupils do not receive the support they need to make sufficient progress towards the intended end points. The school should ensure that all staff have the skills and knowledge to adjust the curriculum effectively.

• Systems designed to check the effectiveness of some areas of the curriculum are in the early stages of implementation. This means that the school does not yet have a clear picture of how well pupils are learning in some subjects. The trust should ensure that leaders at all levels are enabled to gain a clear understanding of strengths and areas for improvement in the curriculum.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in 9 and 10 April 2019.

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