Saint Peters Catholic Primary School, Earl Shilton, Leicestershire

Saint Peters Catholic Primary School, Earl Shilton, Leicestershire Mill Lane, Earl Shilton, Leicester, Leicestershire LE9 7AW

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The senior leadership team and governors have responded positively to the outcomes of the last inspection and have brought about rapid improvement.  Leaders at all levels have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. Their planning shows what needs to be done to improve pupils’ outcomes.  The school demonstrates positive values across all of school life. The values teach pupils about responsibility, fairness and diversity.  Pupils’ progress has improved. Pupils now make good progress in all year groups.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good. Teachers and other adults share good practice and work well as a committed team.  In 2016, the school exceeded expected standards in all subjects at both key stages 1 and 2. However, fewer of the most able pupils achieved the highest standards in writing and mathematics.  Disadvantaged pupils performed less well overall than other pupils in the school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Year 1 pupils reach high standards in the national phonics screening check. The leader responsible for phonics provides good support to the staff.  Children in the early years are making good progress and are now achieving similarly to other schools nationally. They benefit from a skilled staff team and a bright, stimulating and well-resourced environment.  Pupils are keen to learn because the school offers a wide range of engaging activities, with many opportunities to link different curriculum areas.  Year 6 pupils are given additional responsibilities. They take their tasks seriously and show a growing maturity which is helping to prepare them for life in modern Britain.  Safeguarding procedures are effective.  Pupils’ personal development and behaviour are good. Pupils receive warm and caring support from all staff which helps them to grow in confidence and become responsible learners. 25 November 2016

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the achievement of disadvantaged pupils so that their progress across the curriculum is in line with national levels, by: – consistently evaluating provision for those pupils who qualify for support through the pupil premium to ensure it is spent to best effect – identifying specific actions to help support individual pupils’ needs.  Improve the achievements of the most able pupils further by ensuring that teachers provide consistently challenging tasks, particularly in writing and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. 25 November 2016

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders have worked effectively to ensure that the school has made strong progress since the last inspection. They have dealt with the weaknesses identified previously with determination, which has helped to bring about notable improvements in pupils’ outcomes in a short period of time.  Senior leaders have improved the procedures for the management of staff performance. They take a thorough and systematic approach to deal with any underperformance and focus on the priorities needed to move the school forward.  The headteacher and her team have been tenacious in keeping a sharp focus on improving teaching and providing a good education for the pupils. Regular meetings and effective professional development have contributed to improvements in the quality of teaching and learning.  The leadership team has an accurate view of the school’s strengths and quickly identifies areas to improve further. Leaders undertake rigorous checks on reading,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

phonics and spelling, which has increased the literacy skills of pupils.  The headteacher is ably supported by an experienced team of senior and middle leaders. The team’s contributions to securing school improvement are effective because the headteacher has delegated responsibilities well.  The broad and balanced curriculum provides a good range of activities to enable pupils to learn, to develop and to use their skills. The teachers successfully plan opportunities for learning by linking different subjects when possible. For example, in an assembly led by Year 2, the pupils celebrated books and reading through singing, technology and performance, which was much appreciated by parents and other pupils.  The school’s assessment information and the work in pupils’ books show good progress. Leaders review pupils’ progress at least termly and teachers use the information from the school’s assessment system effectively to identify and address

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

any pupil underachievement.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education well. The school’s positive values are well embedded in, and intrinsic to, school life.  Pupils celebrate the fundamental British values of democracy through elections to the school council. Staff provide many opportunities for pupils to put forward their views and ideas. A particularly strong example is the ‘Trusted Six’ group of Year 6 pupils. They take the responsibilities awarded to them very seriously, learning to delegate and strive for success – skills which will help prepare them for adult life. Pupils show tolerance and respect towards adults and other children, while giving service to others through charitable collections and events.  Differences between the progress and attainment of disadvantaged pupils, in comparison to other pupils, are diminishing. The school is starting to use this additional

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

funding appropriately for the pupils in receipt of pupil premium. However, more robust identification of specific and targeted support is required to help individual pupils progress further. Regular evaluation of the effectiveness of actions planned to support 25 November 2016 disadvantaged pupils is required to ensure the funding is being used to best effect.  Additional funding for primary sports and physical education is used well. Pupils participate in a wide range of sports and enjoy after-school clubs and activities. The pupils have a variety of opportunities to compete against other teams; pupils enjoy these and share their experiences by providing match reports to the whole school.  Standards are rising across the school because there is an emphasis on providing greater challenge to pupils and raising their expectations. However, this is not consistent in all classes and the most able pupils do not reach the highest standards

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

that they are capable of.  Leadership and management are not yet outstanding because leaders’ evaluations of the impact of development planning are not consistently detailed.

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Governance of the school

 Governance of the school is good. The governing body has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Governors ask school leaders challenging questions.  The governing body is well organised, with governors having a sound understanding of their roles and responsibilities.  Governors know their responsibilities well in relation to safeguarding.  The governing body makes sure that the headteacher manages the performance of staff members rigorously.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders have created a nurturing environment, in which pupils feel safe and supported. The school has well-established partnerships with a variety of external agencies and precise records are kept to ensure effective and timely support, when appropriate.  Staff and governors’ training is up to date.  Parents are kept well informed of safeguarding procedures and policies through the school’s website. The parents who expressed views through the inspection survey (Parent View) and in discussions with inspectors praised the school’s procedures and reported feeling confident to share any concerns.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teaching, learning and assessment have improved greatly since the previous inspection and are now good.  Teachers know their pupils’ learning needs well; they use questions well during lessons to check on pupils’ understanding effectively. This focused teaching approach enables teachers to correct misconceptions quickly so that pupils’ learning can move forward. 25 November 2016  The teaching assistants in classes know the pupils well and the positive relationships between staff and children underpin the family feel of the school, which helps support the learning taking place.  The pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress in lessons because of the support provided by adults.  The school has developed a rigorous system to track and analyse pupils’ work which ensures that teachers know what pupils need to do next to improve their learning further. The assessment system is shared between all staff and enables the school to

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

evaluate the progress of different groups of children in the school.  The teaching of phonics is strong, with a consistent and targeted approach across the early years and Years 1 and 2. The teaching enables pupils to make secure and sustained progress. The phonics leader systematically monitors each group and provides weekly professional development for staff to further improve their skills. The most and least able readers were heard to read during the inspection; pupils enjoyed their books and read well although they had not all learned strategies to extend their learning by tackling words they find difficult.  Pupils make good progress when the work planned is adapted to the needs of the learners and the right level of challenge is built in to extend all pupils. In some lessons, however, the most able pupils are insufficiently challenged and opportunities to deepen their knowledge and understanding are missed.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The feedback and guidance provided by teachers is mostly detailed and is consistent with the school’s marking policy. Marking often suggests next steps to support pupils in extending their learning. Not all books reflect the right level of challenge for pupils, with work not always clearly differentiated by pupils’ ability.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils take pride in their school, their appearance and their work.  Pupils say that they feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe in different situations, including when online and outside of school. Pupils show awareness of key adults they can go to if they have any worries or concerns, and said they feel there is no bullying in the school.  Pupils’ emotional well-being is at the heart of the school’s ethos.  Pupils take on responsibilities willingly and show a growing maturity when doing so. For example, Year 6 pupils run their own Trusted Six challenges, having monitor duties which help the smooth running of the classroom and the school as a whole. The pupils plan their own work and delegate responsibilities to their peers, managing their performance on these tasks.  Pupils collaborate well with each other, particularly in lessons where purposeful

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Personal development and welfare

opportunities for pupils to talk with partners are established.  The school environment is well ordered with a wide range of attractive and interesting 25 November 2016 work displayed around the school. School leaders’ commitment to ensure that pupils develop the awareness of different cultures, and an understanding of how British values relate to everyday life, is evident in much of the work covered.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils conduct themselves well as they move around the school and at playtimes. Pupils show respect and consideration for each other and adults in the school.  The attendance of pupils has improved and is above the national average.  A small proportion of pupils are persistently absent.  Not all pupils arrive at school on time. However, the headteacher, governors and family support worker have made effective changes to improve attendance and punctuality.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Current assessment data shows that all pupils now make good progress from their starting points throughout the school. They achieve well in all subjects at each key stage. Results of national tests in recent years have been above those nationally.  Achievement in the Year 1 phonics screening check has improved and has been consistently above the national average in recent years.  Pupils in Year 6 are being well prepared for the next stage of their education.  The outcomes for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities exceed those of similar pupils nationally in all subjects at both key stages.  In recent years, the proportion of key stage 1 pupils who have reached the expected standard in all subjects has been above the national average. When compared to pupils’ starting points, this represents at least good progress.  By the end of key stage 2 in 2016, pupils’ attainment overall was just above that seen

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Outcomes for pupils Good

nationally in reading, writing and mathematics.  Disadvantaged pupils have done less well overall than non-disadvantaged pupils, in both key stages 1 and 2, in recent years. The school’s current assessment data indicates that disadvantaged pupils in current year groups are making accelerated progress in relation to their peers, so differences in attainment appear to be reducing.  Fewer previously high attaining pupils than nationally achieved the highest standard in writing and in mathematics, particularly at key stage 2.  Historically, pupils have made better progress in reading at key stage 2, than in writing and mathematics. The school has identified this difference and are focusing additional adult support and resources to these subjects.

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Early years provision Good

 The vast majority of children enter the school with levels of development at, or just below, those typical for their age. The percentage of pupils achieving a good level of 25 November 2016 development at the end of the Reception Year is now in line with that found nationally.  Leadership of the early years is good. All adults in the early years team work closely together to ensure that children acquire secure and appropriate knowledge so that they are ready to move to key stage 1. The teachers emphasise learning of the basic skills to prepare the children for the next stage in their education.  The safeguarding of children in the early years is good and the school meets its statutory requirements.  Children settle quickly into the Reception class. Adults create a warm, language-rich and stimulating learning environment in which the children can thrive. Adults use language well to repeat and consolidate children’s communication skills. There are

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Early years provision Good

many examples of children’s writing on display and written notices and signs, in child- friendly language and at appropriate heights, to help stimulate children’s learning.  The children have made good progress already since the start of this academic year, in all areas of development.  The school’s partnership with parents is good in the early years and parents quickly feel an important part of their children’s school lives. Pupils’ learning journeys are shared between home and school, with parents contributing detail of home activities and successes.  Children’s enjoyment of their learning is clear to see and they show much enthusiasm for the different topics and subject areas covered.  Adults have high expectations and children understand the difference between good and poor behaviour. The adults establish clear routines early on, such as taking turns with resources. As a result, the environment is calm, and the children have positive

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Early years provision Good

attitudes to their learning and behave well towards each other. 25 November 2016

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address h.white@stpetersprimary.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11–12 November 2014

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  St Peters Catholic Primary School is a smaller than average primary school. It serves a small town in semi-rural west Leicestershire.  Most children attending the school come from the local area.  Pupils are taught in seven single-year group classes.  Most pupils are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language. A small proportion of children speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below 25 November 2016 the national average.  The school meets the government’s floor standard (the minimum expected of pupil attainment and progress).  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club, which is overseen by the governing

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team comprised two inspectors for two days and one inspector for one day. The inspection was quality assured by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors on the second day.  During the inspection, 14 lessons were observed, including two joint observations with the headteacher. Inspectors observed the teaching of early reading skills and pupils were heard reading. The inspectors talked to pupils about their school and looked at pupils’ books, in and out of lessons. A sample of pupils’ books were scrutinised to gain a view of the progress pupils have made and the impact of the teaching they have received.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher and members of the school’s senior leadership team, four representatives of the governing body, and representatives from the local authority and the local diocese.  Inspectors spoke informally to parents at the start of the school day and considered 29

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Information about this inspection

responses to the Ofsted online parent questionnaire (Parent View). They also considered 16 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents including the school’s self-evaluation, improvement and action plans, records of the monitoring of the quality of teaching, the most recent information on the achievement and progress of pupils and information relating to the safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and punctuality of pupils.  Inspectors considered the range and quality of information provided on the school’s website, which met statutory requirements.

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Inspection team

Yvonne Watts, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Clive Moss Her Majesty’s Inspector 25 November 2016 guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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