St Peter's Church of England Aided Junior School

St Peter’s Church of England Aided Junior School Thornhill Road, Littleover, Derby, Derbyshire DE23 6FZ

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Senior leaders and the governing body have not ensured that safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Senior leaders do not take effective action to keep pupils safe from harm.  Senior leaders do not ensure that the school’s safeguarding policy is consistently applied. Record-keeping of concerns regarding vulnerable pupils is weak.  Senior leaders do not ensure that all staff are well trained in safeguarding. Some staff do not have a deep enough understanding of the signs that a pupil may be at risk of abuse.  Governors have not received enough training to hold leaders to account effectively for keeping pupils safe.  Leaders have not acted quickly enough to ensure that pupils receive a good quality of education in mathematics. Some pupils do not achieve well in this subject.  The science curriculum is underdeveloped and not all pupils make good progress in this subject.  Some teachers do not provide work that

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

sufficiently challenges pupils in mathematics. There are too few opportunities for pupils to problem-solve and reason mathematically.  Lower-attaining pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop word-reading skills. These pupils do not read fluently or accurately.  Some pupils do not behave and listen well. When this happens, the learning of others is disrupted.  Outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in reading, writing and mathematics are too variable. Governors do not hold leaders fully to account for how the pupil premium funding is used to improve outcomes in all year groups.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those at risk of exclusion receive effective, tailored support.  The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effective.  The quality of teaching and learning in English is improving. Most pupils make strong progress in this subject.  Staff have positive relationships with pupils. Most pupils are friendly, kind and tolerant.

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Full report

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Leaders and governors must urgently address the weaknesses in safeguarding arrangements by ensuring that: – leaders act in a timely manner to seek advice from, or make referrals to, appropriate external agencies when they have concerns about the safety of pupils – detailed and accurate records are kept of all safeguarding concerns about pupils – information about pupils at risk of harm is shared effectively between the designated lead and deputy designated leads for safeguarding – all staff consistently adhere to the school’s safeguarding policy – all staff are adequately trained so that they can identify the signs of abuse and harm – governors receive appropriate training so that they can hold leaders fully to account for the actions they take to keep pupils safe.  Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that: – the curriculum for mathematics provides frequent opportunities for pupils to

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

problem-solve and reason mathematically – governors effectively hold leaders to account for the spending, and impact of, the pupil premium funding, so that disadvantaged pupils in all year groups achieve at least as well as other pupils in reading, writing and mathematics – leaders develop an effective and reliable assessment system so they can accurately track and monitor the progress pupils make from their starting points.  Improve the effectiveness of teaching, learning and assessment and pupils’ outcomes by ensuring that teachers: – provide work that challenges all pupils to apply their mathematical knowledge in problem-solving and reasoning activities so that more pupils achieve the expected standards typical for their age – provide work in science that enables pupils to develop their knowledge and skills in this subject – improve the word-reading skills of lower-attaining pupils so that more can read

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

fluently and widely across the curriculum.  Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare by ensuring that: – leaders and staff reduce the number of incidents of poor behaviour that disrupt the learning of other pupils – leaders establish effective and robust systems to keep pupils safe and consistently meet their welfare needs. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leadership and management are inadequate. Senior leaders and the governing body have not ensured that safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Leaders’ self- evaluation of the effectiveness of these safeguarding arrangements is inaccurate. Leaders do not ensure that pupils are kept safe from harm.  Leaders and staff do not adhere to the school’s safeguarding policy or to the statutory guidance from the Department for Education. There are too many occasions when senior leaders do not take actions to check that vulnerable pupils are safe from harm or require support following a safeguarding concern or incident.  Senior leaders and the governing body do not ensure that there is a responsible safeguarding lead who has detailed oversight of this area. There is no coherent structure in place to ensure that information about vulnerable pupils and their families is shared effectively. Record-keeping of concerns is poor. As a result, when key

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

members of staff are absent from school, important information about pupils at risk of harm is not known or cannot be found.  Actions taken to improve the quality of the mathematics curriculum have been too slow. The recently appointed leader for mathematics has a clear plan for improvement and has begun to put some actions in place. However, it is too early to see the full impact of these actions. Consequently, attainment and progress in this subject remain below the national averages.  Leaders do not have an effective assessment system in place to track and monitor the progress that pupils make from their different starting points at the end of key stage 1. Leaders do not have a clear picture of the progress different groups of pupils make in English and mathematics. The assessment information leaders present to the governing body is unreliable. It does not always match with the quality of work seen in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

pupils’ workbooks.  Senior leaders use the pupil premium funding effectively to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in Year 6. The funding has been used to provide an additional teacher to run booster groups and for targeted one-to-one support in this year group. However, little of the funding is used to support disadvantaged pupils in other year groups and current outcomes for some of these pupils are poor.  The curriculum is broad and balanced. Pupils enjoy learning in subjects other than English and mathematics. The standards of pupils’ work in history and art are strong. However, leaders have not ensured that pupils make good progress in all subjects. For example, the curriculum for science is underdeveloped and much of the learning is superficial. It does not provide opportunities for pupils to learn and understand concepts in depth so that pupils can apply this knowledge when conducting

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

experiments.  Leaders have worked effectively to improve the quality of teaching in English. Leaders hold teachers to account for their performance more successfully in this subject than was the case previously. They have improved the weakest teaching seen at the previous inspection and have increased teachers’ expectations of what most pupils can achieve. As a result, a greater proportion now achieve the expected standards in reading and writing.  Leaders ensure that the school is welcoming and inclusive. Parents and carers agree and value the hard work of staff in building positive relationships within the multicultural community. A typical parental comment was, ‘There is a wonderful sense of community and cohesion in the school.’  Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND, and those pupils who have previously been excluded from other schools, are fully integrated into school life and access the curriculum alongside their peers. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo)

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

is knowledgeable and ensures that pupils with SEND receive the support they need. This includes small-group work, one-to-one support and tailored reading interventions.  The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effective. Pupils enjoy learning about other faiths, cultures and traditions. They appreciate the opportunities to think about their own beliefs. For example, a candle is lit at the end of each assembly so pupils can reflect and pray.  The physical education (PE) and sport funding is used effectively. Funding is targeted towards increasing competitive sporting opportunities, encouraging pupils to be physically active and improving pupils’ perceptions of sport. Pupils are assessed termly with fitness tests to measure the success of increased access to sports such as tennis, dance and rounders. Leaders have developed effective partnerships with the local secondary school and nearby sporting venues so that pupils can participate in field

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

sports more regularly. For example, the most recent sports day was held at the local secondary school’s sports facility.  Leaders ensure that most pupils are tolerant and respectful. Pupils do not have a thorough understanding of fundamental British values, but most embody them. Most pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Governance of the school

 The governing body is not aware of the weaknesses that exist within the school’s safeguarding arrangements. Governors have not received the necessary training to equip them with the knowledge and skills required to hold leaders fully to account for keeping pupils safe.  While governors have some understanding of how the pupil premium funding is used by leaders to improve pupils’ outcomes in Year 6, they do not know how this funding is used to support disadvantaged pupils in other year groups. Consequently, they do not know if the actions leaders take are improving the outcomes for these pupils in reading, writing and mathematics.  Governors have a growing understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses in relation to teaching and learning. They make regular visits to school to check on leaders’ actions and are aware of the need to improve outcomes in mathematics. Following recent training in data and analysis, governors are becoming more skilled in

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Governance of the school

holding leaders to account for improving the quality of education that pupils receive.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.  Leaders do not follow up the concerns they receive about vulnerable pupils quickly or robustly enough. The system in place to record concerns is weak. Leaders’ records of concerns show that pupils and families receive little support following reported safeguarding incidents as leaders do not make referrals to external agencies who could provide early help.  The designated lead and deputy designated leads for safeguarding are not an effective team. They do not ensure that important information about vulnerable pupils and families is shared across the safeguarding team. As a result, in the absence of key leaders, the team does not know what actions have or have not been taken to keep pupils safe. This is particularly the case for pupils who have experienced domestic violence or who are potentially suffering from neglect.  Leaders do not ensure that all staff are adequately trained in the school’s safeguarding

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Safeguarding

procedures. Some staff do not have a deep enough knowledge and understanding of the signs of abuse. Some staff do not understand how to report concerns about other members of staff using the school’s whistleblowing policy.  Leaders do not always ensure that risk assessments of the school site are well communicated to staff. Staff do not always apply the actions identified to reduce risks, particularly at breaktimes.  Leaders do not have effective plans in place to improve safeguarding arrangements. Annual safeguarding audits are not completed accurately, with many elements of the audits missing or incomplete.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school and are taught how to be safe. For example, pupils learn about fire safety, road safety and how to stay safe online. Most parents agree that pupils are safe in school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is not consistently good in all year groups, particularly in mathematics. Some teachers do not use assessment information effectively to plan activities that are well matched to pupils’ abilities. When this happens, some pupils find work too easy.  Teachers plan many activities that develop pupils’ mathematical fluency and basic calculation skills. However, there are too few opportunities for pupils to apply this knowledge in problem-solving and reasoning activities. Some pupils are expected to complete too many basic calculations before moving on to more challenging work.  Teachers ensure that there is a consistent approach to teaching reading. Teachers use a variety of strategies to pre-teach pupils the new and ambitious vocabulary needed to understand the texts they read. Most pupils’ comprehension skills are strong. However, some lower-attaining pupils are not given enough opportunities to develop word

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

reading skills. Consequently, some of these pupils find it difficult to read texts fluently and accurately.  Most teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve in other subjects such as history and art. Most parents agree that pupils enjoy learning in these subjects. A typical parental comment was, ‘My child enjoys learning about interesting things such as the Stone Age and the Iron Age.’  Some teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve in science. There are too few opportunities for pupils to acquire a deep understanding in this subject and apply this when conducting experiments.  The quality of teaching in writing is strong. There is a consistent approach to teaching writing. Teachers model high expectations of language and sentence construction effectively through targeted oracy work before pupils apply this in their own writing. Most pupils’ handwriting is neat and pupils spell words with increasing accuracy.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teachers and teaching assistants have positive relationships with pupils. They know most pupils well and work hard to instil positive attitudes to learning. Teaching assistants are used effectively to ensure that pupils with SEND successfully access the curriculum alongside their peers and develop greater levels of independence.  Teachers and teaching assistants use questioning effectively in most lessons. They ask thoughtful questions to check pupils’ understanding and to extend their thinking in some subjects. For example, they ask questions such as, ‘What would happen if…?’ and ‘Can you explain what that means?’  With the exception of mathematics and science, most teachers have strong subject knowledge. For example, in English, teachers use this knowledge to teach technical language and to check pupils’ retention of previous learning. In one English lesson, the teacher asked pupils to remember what they had learned previously about rhetorical

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

questions and encouraged pupils to include these in their persuasive writing.  Pupils enjoy the homework they receive. They say that they have a wide choice of homework options and that it links well to their learning in school. Pupils relish the extra-curricular activities on offer, such as dance, tennis and art clubs.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate. Senior leaders do not ensure that pupils’ welfare is of paramount importance.  Although pupils say that they feel safe in school, senior leaders do not ensure that individual pupils or vulnerable groups of pupils are kept safe from harm. There are too many occasions when senior leaders do not ensure that pupils’ welfare needs are met.  Pupils typically say that they are proud to be part of the school. Pupils’ neat presentation of their work in English books reflects this. Pupils say that they feel challenged by work teachers provide in English lessons. However, they do not feel as challenged by the work in mathematics. Some pupils say that work is too easy and they do not have the self-confidence to challenge themselves.  Most pupils say that they are happy in school and that they ‘make good friends’. They typically get along with and care for each other. A typical pupil comment was, ‘If we

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Personal development and welfare

help others, they will help us.’  Pupils enjoy being responsible. For example, pupils speak with enthusiasm about the ‘jobs’ they have in school, including ‘mini leaders’ who set up physical activities at breaktimes and ‘playtime ambassadors’ who support less-confident pupils to play games and talk about their worries together.  Pupils understand the different types of bullying. Some pupils have experienced bullying in the past. However, they say that staff deal with it quickly and that it no longer happens.  Most pupils understand how to live healthy lifestyles. They learn about healthy foods by attending nutrition workshops and discussing what constitutes a healthy packed lunch. They learn about a range of topics in personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education lessons, including the dangers of smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol, drug awareness and knife crime. They also learn how to keep emotionally and

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Personal development and welfare

mentally well. For example, pupils in Year 6 learn about mindfulness prior to undertaking national tests and the school has a member of staff trained in mental health first aid.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Pupils’ conduct is not consistently good in all year groups. There are occasions when some pupils do not behave well. These pupils do not listen attentively to the teacher and keep talking when asked to stop. When this happens, other pupils say that it disrupts their learning. As one pupil said, ‘Behaviour is average. More discipline is needed.’  Most pupils are friendly and kind. For example, some pupils hold doors open for adults and greet visitors with a welcoming ‘hello’.  Staff ensure that good support is put in place for pupils who have previously been excluded or are at risk of exclusion. Leaders have worked effectively with the local pupil referral unit to train staff in appropriate behaviour strategies to support these pupils. As a result, no pupils have been excluded in the last three years.  Leaders have improved pupils’ attendance following a decline over time. More pupils

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Behaviour

attend school regularly in 2019, with current attendance figures above those seen nationally in 2018. Leaders have worked effectively with parents to reduce the number of pupils who are persistently absent from school. For example, ‘first day’ absence calls, one-to-one parent meetings and termly attendance rewards are having a positive impact.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 The proportion of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieving the expected standard in mathematics by the end of key stage 2 has been below the national average for the last three years. Pupils’ progress has been in the lowest 20% nationally over the same period.  Current pupils’ work in mathematics shows that pupils do not learn to problem solve and reason well enough. Pupils’ progress is not consistently strong from their different starting points. Consequently, pupils’ attainment in this subject continues to fall below that typically expected for their age.  Disadvantaged pupils’ achievement in English and mathematics is inconsistent. Outcomes at the end of Year 6 show that these pupils attain as well as others and make similar rates of progress. However, the attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils in other year groups is too variable.  The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading at the end of key

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

stage 2 in 2018 was above the national average. Most current pupils read widely and often and make strong progress in their understanding of what they read. However, some lower-attaining pupils do not quickly acquire the skills needed to successfully decode words. As a result, these pupils do not read fluently and do not make the progress they should.  Most pupils make strong progress in a wide range of curriculum areas. Pupils’ work in art and history is of a good standard. For example, pupils use analytical skills to study a period of history and gather knowledge of the key features of this time. They apply this knowledge in pieces of extended writing using language of the period and referencing historical events and famous people.  Pupils do not make strong progress in science. Some pupils do not have a deep understanding of this subject. There are too few opportunities for pupils to apply knowledge when conducting experiments.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in writing in 2018 was above the national average. Current pupils’ writing shows that most pupils are making strong progress. Pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar skills are improving, and the standard of most pupils’ written work is in line with, or better than, that typically expected for their age.  The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics combined has risen over recent years and is now broadly in line with the national average. More pupils than has previously been the case are well prepared for the next stage of education.

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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 admin@stpeters.derby.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7–8 March 2017

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized junior school.  The school is designated as having a religious character and received a Section 48 inspection on 30 April 2015.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is slightly above the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.  The proportions of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds and of pupils who speak English as an additional language are well above those seen nationally.  The deputy headteacher and Year 5 teacher are both on current, long-term absences.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in all classes. Inspectors listened to pupils read in Years 4 and 5 and met with groups of pupils to talk about their learning and experiences in school. They scrutinised pupils’ work in English, mathematics and from the wider curriculum with leaders. They observed pupils’ behaviour at lunchtime and breaktime.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, SENCo, senior and middle leaders and six members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. The lead inspector also held a meeting with a representative from the local authority.  A wide range of documents were scrutinised, including those relating to safeguarding, behaviour, pupils’ performance, attendance, and records of the school’s monitoring and evaluation of the quality of education. Inspectors also examined the school’s plans for improvement, plans for the use of, and impact of, additional funding and information

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Information about this inspection

available on the school’s website.  Inspectors spoke with groups of parents and individual parents during the inspection. They considered the 40 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. No responses were received to Ofsted’s online pupil or staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Steve Varnam, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gayle Bacon Ofsted Inspector 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

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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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