St Peter's Church of England Primary School

St Peter’s Church of England Primary School Windmill Street, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 4UU

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  At St Peter’s, pupils love coming to school, rise to adults’ high expectations and develop a love of learning.  The school’s strong focus on developing good learning habits means that pupils use different skills and strategies to make the best progress they can.  Pupils achieve exceptionally well throughout the school, including in Reception. By the end of Key Stage 2, attainment in both English and mathematics is well above national averages.  In lessons, pupils are enthusiastic, excited and genuinely curious because teaching is typically outstanding. Teachers plan exceptionally well to make sure that, over time, every pupil succeeds. Pupils strive to do their best and say that lessons are always fun.  Pupils get on very well together. They support each other in lessons and at break times, when older pupils look after younger ones.  Their behaviour is exemplary at all times: in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

lessons, when they move around school, walk to separate sites or play at break times.  Pupils say they feel safe in school. They have to walk along local streets and cross roads daily to get to different sites and the school’s work to keep them safe at these times is outstanding.  The headteacher’s excellent leadership is very well supported by governors and other leaders in the school. They have created a happy, continuously improving school where teachers try out new ideas and share best practice. Together they have improved achievement and teaching so that pupils are exceptionally well prepared for their next stage.  Governors have a very good understanding of how well the school is doing and provide a good balance of support and challenge.

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Information about this inspection

 The Inspector observed 10 lessons and saw all of the teachers in a range of subjects and year groups, including the Early Years Foundation Stage. She also watched an assembly and saw a lunchtime club.  Many of the lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector took account of the 39 responses to the online parents’ survey, Parent View, and of the responses to the school’s own recent survey. She also took account of a letter received from a parent and spoke to parents at the beginning of the school day.  Meetings were held with various members of staff and representatives from the governing body and the local authority. The inspector spoke to pupils and looked at behaviour in lessons and around the school.  The inspector also looked at documentation about pupils’ progress, teaching and planning. The school’s safeguarding policies, procedures and practice were scrutinised, together with records

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Information about this inspection

of attendance and pupils’ behaviour.  She listened to pupils reading and looked at samples of their work.

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Inspection team

Helen Howard, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St Peter’s is a smaller than average sized primary school. Most pupils are White British.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children are taught in one Reception class. Other pupils are taught in mixed-age groups.  Only a very small number of pupils are supported by the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils who are eligible for free school meals, pupils from service families and those in care).  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported by school action is similar to that seen nationally. The proportion who are supported by school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is average. They mainly have speech, language and communication needs. A few have behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.  In 2013, the school met the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6.

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Information about this school

 Pupils are offered a range of clubs before, during and after school. These are managed by the school.  The school is split between three sites, consisting of the main school, the hall and the playground. Pupils also regularly visit St Peter’s Church for assemblies and activities.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop roles and responsibilities for younger pupils so that they can make a wider contribution to the life of the school.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Most children start Reception with skills and abilities that are typical for their age. They quickly settle and enjoy coming to school.  Teachers’ very high expectations mean that pupils make excellent progress from these starting points throughout the school. In a Years 1 and 2 English lesson, for example, pupils used specific words such as ‘alliteration’ and ‘personification’ to identify and describe key features of poetry.  Pupils really enjoy reading because they are encouraged to read regularly and study a wide range of texts in lessons. The consistent approach to teaching reading since the previous inspection means that children in Reception make rapid progress in learning the sounds that letters and combinations of letters make (phonics).  The reading programme continues throughout the school and so pupils become fluent readers. At the end of Key Stage 2 they reach well above average levels of attainment and link their skills

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

well to writing.  Children in Reception are encouraged to ‘have a go’ at writing at a very early stage and quickly learn to use the supporting resources and phonic sessions to write their own words and sentences. When drawing a ‘town’, for example, they were encouraged to write place names on the map. Older pupils rapidly progress to writing at length, with increasing confidence and skills. In a Years 5 and 6 class, pupils wrote letters of complaint to a restaurant manager about the ‘rat burger’ they had been served. Pupils could confidently use key features and powerful words such as ‘terrible, traumatised and terrified’ to persuade their reader. At the end of Year 6, pupils reach well above average standards in writing.  Teachers carefully plan mathematics lessons to make sure that pupils build on their progress from year to year. As a result, pupils reach well above average attainment by the time they

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

leave school. They are very well prepared for their next stage of education.  The school makes sure that all pupils have equal opportunities. In this school the pupil premium is used well to support individual pupils.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make excellent progress as a result of very good support from teaching assistants and from the additional resources and equipment they have in lessons. More able pupils benefit from specific support in lesson and in small groups so they also achieve exceptionally well.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers work exceptionally well together and plan lessons to make sure pupils make fast progress as they move from one class to the next. Pupils live up to the very high expectations that teachers have and waste no time in lessons.  Teaching is outstanding in Reception. Children have many opportunities to learn through play and enjoy trying out their developing skills in a variety of ways. Adults know them very well and so they get high levels of support, when needed, to make fast progress. Children make the best use of the space that is available to them outside and in the classroom and benefit from older pupils helping them with reading.  Pupils say that lessons are always fun and exciting. For example, in a mathematics lesson about three-dimensional shapes, some pupils had parcels of different shapes that had to be delivered. Each address had different clues to help pupils match them up to the right parcel. By the end of

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

the lesson, pupils made fast progress and could identify how many vertices (corners) and edges each shape had, using correct mathematical language.  Pupils receive very high quality feedback during lessons and in their books. This tells them what they have done well and precisely what they need to do to get to the next level. They are confident in using this feedback to try new ideas or to correct mistakes so they move on quickly.  Pupils use different levels of challenges in lessons that are matched well to their different abilities. They enjoy rising to these and use them to check for themselves how well they have done.  More able pupils receive sharply focused additional support and resources during lessons. As a result, they are reaching the higher levels by the time they leave school.  Pupils are confident in letting adults know when they need help and use a variety of strategies to show how well they understand what they are doing. This means that when they are stuck, they

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

get support at the right time to help them move on quickly or catch up.  Teaching assistants support pupils in many different ways to help them make fast progress. For example, they sometimes teach small groups or individuals and this results in all pupils being supported well to make the progress they should. Pupils who are disabled and those with special educational needs benefit especially well from their support and make the same outstanding progress as others.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. The school has very high expectations about behaviour and this begins in Reception, where children learn how to share and behave with each other. The school promotes good relationships very effectively. Pupils take turns with equipment and listen carefully to each other when they share their ideas. Pupils across the school are very respectful to adults, even when they are unfamiliar.  The school monitors behaviour carefully and uses praise and rewards to encourage pupils. There are very few recorded incidents of poor behaviour and convincing evidence that over time pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties make excellent progress because they receive individually planned programmes of support.  All pupils want to do their best. They develop the good habits they need to make the best progress they can. They use characters or names for each characteristic of learning to help them

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

remember: younger pupils, for example, use a ‘taking turns tiger’ and older pupils’ characters include a ‘dolphin’ to prompt them to communicate.  The school council, made up of pupils from different year groups, is currently researching what helps them learn best, so that they can share their ideas with teachers. The culture that leaders have developed means that pupils’ very positive attitudes to learning have a strong impact on the outstanding achievement they make.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils say they feel safe in school. While the main site is very secure, limitations of the building mean that pupils have to walk round local streets and cross roads in order to go to the hall for lunch, attend church or go to the playground. These regular trips are extremely well organised and supervised by staff.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when using the internet, and parents agree

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

that their children are safe in school. Pupils are well aware of what bullying is, including cyber- bullying, and understand the different types, although they say it very rarely happens. They are confident that adults always deal with it well and that the school does not tolerate discriminatory language.  All pupils act as ‘learning partners’ to support each other to make the best progress and share ideas. Older pupils thoroughly enjoy roles such as playground ‘buddies’ for younger pupils, helping children to read and assisting at mealtimes. They take these roles seriously and develop a strong sense of responsibility. The school does not yet allocate many such roles to younger pupils and so they do not yet make the same contribution.  The vast majority of pupils attend very regularly. Consequently, attendance overall is higher than the national average.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher’s excellent leadership has created a culture in which pupils can flourish and achieve exceptionally well. She demonstrates committed and professional leadership. Her continuous drive for improvement has led to high quality training for teachers and a common sense of purpose. She is very well supported by governors and other leaders.  Leaders have demonstrated the capacity for further improvement because, since the previous inspection, achievement, teaching, behaviour and safety have all improved.  Subject leaders work very well together to ensure that pupils make outstanding progress throughout the school. They carefully check how well the school is doing by observing teaching, looking at books and analysing data. They support teachers to improve and they work with leaders in other schools to share best practice. They receive regular training to develop their leadership skills and this means that they are successful in driving improvements in their area of

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The leadership and management are outstanding

work.  The school plans carefully to ensure that the subjects offered help pupils to make the best progress. Pupils have very good opportunities to use their English and mathematics skills in a range of subjects through topic work. Pupils are equally positive about learning in all subjects and produce work of high quality. The school offers a range of extra clubs, trips and activities and these all help to maintain pupils’ enthusiasm and curiosity.  There are many opportunities for pupils to develop spiritual, social, moral and cultural awareness. Pupils regularly reflect on the school’s values in termly themes. Older pupils, for example, took part in an ‘Easter Maze’, in which they took the role of detectives, in order to gain different perspectives on the story of Easter. All classes study different cultures, linked to history, geography and beliefs. The school works closely with St Peter’s Church and with

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The leadership and management are outstanding

charities to provide opportunities for spiritual development.  The spending of the government’s sports funding has been used to introduce pupils to new sports such as boxing and to give additional activities. It is also used to support training for teachers to improve their skills in teaching physical education. So far, school records show that more pupils are choosing healthy activities such as taking part in active clubs, trying new sports or entering competitions.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is led very well. Ongoing assessment means that adults know the children well. Regular monitoring ensures that children are taught well and that there is excellent provision. Consequently, they make outstanding progress from their starting points.  The local authority provides light-touch support, including for performance management and agreement of teachers’ assessments, so that governors know they are secure. It has also

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The leadership and management are outstanding

provided training for governors to ensure that they maintain good safeguarding procedures.  Senior leaders are highly regarded in the local area and support the wider community well. The headteacher, for example, has taken part in a recent research project with other schools to improve teaching. Leaders also support and develop best practice in a range of local schools.  The governance of the school:  Governors have restructured since the previous inspection and, as a result, they use their skills and experience very effectively to monitor the work of the school. They keep their knowledge up to date by attending regular training at the school and in the local authority. They know how the pupil premium funding is spent and the impact it has on progress. They have excellent knowledge about data so they can analyse pupils’ performance, including for groups of pupils. They regularly visit the school to check that what they are told matches what they

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The leadership and management are outstanding

see. They know the quality of teaching and are fully involved in making sure that teachers’ performance management is closely related to pay. They are aware of the procedures for tackling underperformance. They ensure that safeguarding arrangements meet all 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 118614 Local authority Kent Inspection number 431421

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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 controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 137 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Helen Best Headteacher Lynn Goreham Date of previous school inspection 24 March 2009 Telephone number 01892 525727 Fax number 01892 618677 Email address admin@st-peters.kent.sch.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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