St Peter's CofE School

School report St Peter's Church of England Primary School Chippenham Mews, Maida Vale, London, W9 2AN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  St Peter’s is a safe, secure and welcoming place. Pupils enjoy coming to school where they feel happy, well cared for and valued.  School leaders model professional standards clearly. The school is well managed. There is a continual drive to improve the quality of teaching and the achievement of pupils.  The well-informed governing body holds the school to account for its actions and ensures finances are used to the best advantage of pupils. The school engages well with parents.  From low starting points when they enter the caring and well-structured environment of the Early Years Foundation Stage, children make good progress. They develop their confidence, and their communication and social skills well.  Pupils achieve well. They make good progress in all subjects and, in Key Stage 2, reach standards similar to the national averages in English and mathematics. Pupils eligible for the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupil premium attain similar standards to their peers in school.  Most teaching is good and some is outstanding. Teachers are enthusiastic and plan enjoyable and interesting lessons that engage pupils. Homework complements work in class well.  The school makes good use of the wide range of cultures represented in its population to promote spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils do not do as well in writing as they do in reading and mathematics.  Pupils are not always sure about what they have to do to improve their written work because marking does not always provide this advice.  The most-able pupils are not always given work that will stretch them and help them do their best.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 17 lessons or parts of lessons, including four jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, and looked at pupils’ written work.  Meetings were held with the Chair of the Governing Body, the headteacher and other school leaders and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors spoke with two groups of pupils and informally with other pupils in lessons and around the school. They listened to pupils reading and talked to them and other pupils about their reading habits.  Inspectors examined several of the school’s documents. These included: the school’s own evaluation of its performance and its development plan; information about pupils’ progress and the support given to disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs; evidence about the quality of teaching; and records relating to behaviour, safeguarding and attendance.  The inspectors took account of 33 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the

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Information about this inspection

views expressed by parents as they arrived at school to pick up their children. Twenty two questionnaires returned by staff were analysed.

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Inspection team

Jim McVeigh, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jennifer Barker Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St Peter’s Church of England Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Children start school in the Reception class and there is one class for each year group.  Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. A small minority has a White British background. The majority of pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (extra government funding for specific groups of pupils including those known to be eligible for free school meals and children in local authority care) is below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action and the proportion supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs are above the national averages.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school runs a breakfast club.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ achievement in writing so that it matches their achievement in reading and mathematics by providing more opportunities for extensive writing.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of teaching that is outstanding by:  ensuring teachers improve the quality of marking in other subjects, so that it is as good as in English  making sure teachers plan activities that make the most-able pupils think hard.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When children enter the Reception class, they are below the expected level of development for their age, particularly in the areas of communication, language and literacy, and personal, social and emotional development. Children quickly become self-confident in the caring atmosphere and learn how to get along with others. With good teaching, based on a clear understanding of how well each child is doing, they make good progress in all areas and improve their communication skills. After their first year at school, they do not meet the expected levels of development when they start Year 1.  Pupils continue to make good progress in Key Stage 1, particularly in Year 2 when their literacy skills are stronger. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ standards in reading and mathematics are approaching national averages, although standards in writing are lower.  In Key Stage 2, pupils continue to make good progress in all subjects. In 2013, pupils made

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The achievement of pupils is good

outstanding progress in reading, writing and mathematics. They achieved standards above the national average in reading and mathematics and similar to the national average in writing. Progress in writing is not outstanding because pupils do not have enough opportunities for extensive writing in English and other subjects.  There is some variability in achievement from year to year because there are small numbers in each year group. For example, in 2012, when Year 6 included a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs, attainment in mathematics was not as good.  The school is effective in its strategies to promote reading. Pupils read to an adult at school regularly. Parents are advised in workshops how to support their children at home with reading. Pupils enjoy reading and do so regularly using books from the library and from home. They maintain a full diary of their reading experiences.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Year 6 pupils have produced well-presented critical reviews of some of the books they have read. Year 3 pupils had good opportunities to develop their comprehension skills and read non- fiction texts, including newspapers, in their guided-reading session.  Pupils develop a good understanding of phonics (the sounds letters make) because teachers and teaching assistants model pronunciation clearly and accurately and ensure pupils do the same. In the 2013 phonics screening check at the end of Year 1, pupils, especially those who speak English as an additional language, did better than the national average.  Children are introduced to number concepts in the Reception class in well-planned, fun activities. For example, Reception children were introduced to positional language using software to guide ‘Pea Bear’ to the ‘treasure’. Their recognition of numbers above 10 was reinforced with a game of bingo. Pupils in Year 4 were well aware of the place values of digits in decimal numbers and

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The achievement of pupils is good

could accurately explain the effect of multiplying or dividing by multiples of 10.  Pupils eligible for the pupil premium are well supported through intervention and enrichment programmes and achieve as well as their peers in school. In 2013, the attainment gap in English and mathematics combined narrowed from around one term to two weeks. Higher ability pupils reach standards above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school makes good use of its own expertise and external specialists to ensure disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are identified accurately and appropriate extra help is available for them. Well-trained teaching assistants provide good extra support in well targeted intervention programmes. The progress these pupils make is followed closely. Consequently, they make similar progress from their starting points to their peers.  The large group of pupils who speak English as an additional language receive similar support

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The achievement of pupils is good

and also make good progress. In 2013, they reached higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics than their peers in school or nationally.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers model clearly what they expect pupils to learn or be able to do and the steps they need to take to achieve this. They use the interactive whiteboard well to enhance their explanations and provide visual stimulus. Reception children are adept at using the interactive board to feed ‘teddy’ with a specific number of cakes or consign nonsense words to the ‘bin’.  Pupils are used to explaining their thinking and show confidence in challenging each other’s opinions. Teachers encourage pupils to tell each other what they think, and regularly use skilful questioning to make them think harder.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is well managed and teaching is good. Both the inside and outside areas of the Reception class are bright, exciting areas. They are rich in text and letters that stimulate young minds well. Children’s progress and achievements are recorded well and used to plan appropriate next step activities to ensure good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ written work regularly, but the quality of marking varies between subjects and teachers. In English, pupils are given individual targets and guidance on what they need to do to improve, but this is not consistent across all years and in other subjects.  Teachers plan activities that interest and engage pupils well. All pupils in Year 5 enjoyed and fully participated in a starter game of ‘Ping-Pong’, quickly giving the answers to decimal subtractions. Year 6 pupils still remember learning about ratios by making lemonade.  Teachers assess pupils’ understanding well. They use assessment information to plan appropriate tasks to build on pupils’ prior learning. However, some activities planned for higher ability pupils do not make them think hard enough.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and get on well with their teachers and classmates. Parents speak highly of how happy their children are and how well the school looks after them. Pupils say their teachers make the work interesting and are quick to help them if they are stuck.  Teachers and other adults have established good relationships with pupils. They model the sort of behaviour expected and regularly praise pupils’ good behaviour when seen. Consequently, pupils are responsive to instructions and little time is wasted in managing their behaviour.  Pupils have good attitudes to learning. They usually listen carefully to instructions and explanations so they know what they have to do. Pupils cooperate with one another well when working together or sharing ideas. They understand that good behaviour helps them to do better in school and know the school rules. They are keen to earn merit certificates and be recognised

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

in assembly and in the newsletter.  Around the school, pupils are courteous and polite towards fellow pupils and adults. Many pupils go out of their way to open doors or offer help to visitors. During playtime, pupils always have someone to talk to or play with. The ‘friendship stop’ is recognised as a place to check to see if anyone is lonely and wants to join in the games with others.  The small, attractive playground is very secure, surrounded by school buildings and monitored by cameras. Efficient use is made of the area, including a separate space for Reception children and wall markings for ball games. Playtime is well supervised and the entire playground surface is covered with synthetic grass, making any falls less hazardous. Pupils say they feel very safe and have ‘listening partners’ – teachers they can turn to if they feel unhappy or want to talk about something.  Pupils are keen to take on extra responsibilities, such as school council or Eco team

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

representative and house captain. Year 6 pupils act as buddies to Reception children and take their roles in helping their younger charges seriously.  Pupils have a good understanding of bullying and its different forms, for their age. They think incidents of bullying are rare and that they are sorted out quickly. The school’s behaviour records show that there have been few incidents of misbehaviour, including bullying, and prompt and effective action, including involving parents, has been taken. Feedback from governors, staff, parents and pupils themselves indicate that behaviour at school is good.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Health and safety are well promoted well. Pupils have learned about healthy diets and safety in and outside the home, including the dangers of gangs and about internet and road safety from the police. Teachers and other adults follow child-protection guidelines closely and are trained by the school nurse, for example in the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

use of epipens and asthma inhalers.  The school keeps a close eye on attendance and punctuality. Good attendance is recognised and celebrated and poor attendance is followed up promptly. Pupils attend regularly and attendance figures are above the national average.

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The leadership and management are good

 St Peter’s is led and managed well and runs smoothly from day to day. Senior leaders have evaluated the school’s strengths and areas for development accurately. Plans for future development are well focused to sustain improvement. The school responded well to the previous inspection and has brought about significant improvement in pupils’ achievement in mathematics and the progress boys make in writing. Recent changes in leadership have been managed well and have not deflected the school from its course.  The senior leaders are good role models for both staff and pupils. They ensure the maintenance of the school’s good order and its warm, caring and purposeful atmosphere. School leaders make good provision for pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs and ensure that Reception children, with their low levels of language skills, make good progress.  The school checks on pupils’ progress regularly to ensure all groups of pupils are making good

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The leadership and management are good

progress. Teachers are held to account for how well pupils do and well-targeted, effective support is provided for pupils who are in danger of not meeting their targets.  Leaders check the quality of teaching regularly and robustly through lesson observations and by looking at pupils’ work and the quality of teachers’ planning. Teachers are set challenging targets to improve, including raising pupils’ achievement and ones linked to the school’s improvement plans and teachers’ own career aspirations. Teachers and teaching assistants are offered good opportunities for training, both internally and on external courses. Teachers work well with other schools to moderate assessments of pupils’ work and better understand its relative quality.  Teachers new to the profession are supported well. They meet regularly with a mentor, an experienced colleague, and receive ongoing training from the local authority, as well as gaining

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The leadership and management are good

wider experience by visiting other schools. Subject leaders are supported well and those with aspiration for senior leadership roles are given good opportunities to work with senior colleagues and lead in-school training sessions.  The school provides a broad and balanced range of subjects with an appropriate emphasis on literacy and numeracy, which develop pupils’ communication, language and mathematical skills well. Further enrichment comes from a good range of trips, such as a residential one to Paris and an adventure centre, sports clubs, competitions and a choir for talented pupils.  The school is making imaginative use of the primary sports funding. Sports specialists are being used to promote staff expertise in teaching physical education and a programme linking physical activity with mathematics is being used to improve both health and numeracy skills.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very well, including through

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The leadership and management are good

assemblies, fundraising for charity and school events involving whole families. For example, International Day where pupils celebrate their home background through cultural dress and families share their traditional foods with one another, is held. Pupils are involved in generating class rules and developing a charter of rights.  The school engages well with parents, providing good information on school events and pupils’ progress. Regular workshops inform parents about such things as phonics and numeracy and support parents to better help their children at home. The Families and Schools Together parenting programme is used effectively to promote the involvement of parents in the life of the school and their children’s work. Coffee mornings and sewing groups further improve parents’ relationship with the school.  Friends of St Peter’s (FOSP), the parent-school association, is very active in supporting the

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The leadership and management are good

school and promoting parental involvement through regular events for parents. FOSP funding enhances music provision at St Peter’s.  St Peter’s is a fully inclusive school and ensures equality of opportunity for all, with no discrimination. For example, with the support of a local business, it provides a much-appreciated breakfast club, free to parents, and well-targeted support to make sure all pupils make good progress.  The local authority and the London Diocesan Board for Schools agree with the school’s own self- evaluation that the school is good. They provide light touch support and a useful external view of the school’s effectiveness.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is well led and organised and has a good range of relevant skills and experience. Governors are kept well informed through the headteacher’s reports, but also from their own focused visits and meetings with school leaders. They understand school

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The leadership and management are good

performance data and provide strong support to the school for its continued improvement. They are also quick to question the school about the impact of its plans on pupils’ progress.  Governors set challenging targets for the headteacher and ensure teachers’ rewards for their work are warranted. They make prudent financial decisions that support pupils’ good progress, for example in the way the pupil premium and primary sports funding are spent. Safeguarding arrangements are fully compliant with statutory requirements.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 101139 Local authority Westminster Inspection number 433266

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 210 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jacky Schroer Headteacher Samantha Halliwell Date of previous school inspection 4–5 July 2011 Telephone number 0207 641 4385 Fax number 0207 641 4318 Email address office@stpeterscm.co.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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