Peckover Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Peckover Primary School Leverington Road, Wisbech, Cambridgeshire PE13 1PJ

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Outcome

Peckover Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school at the heart of the community. Leaders have worked hard to gain the trust and support of families. Leaders and staff have created a place where everyone is welcome and relationships are strong. Pupils say that the school is a friendly, enjoyable place and parents agree.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A significant number of pupils have substantial barriers to learning. Many join the school with little or no understanding of English. Leaders and well-trained staff provide what is needed for children to overcome these difficulties and become successful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well mannered and respectful of others. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Pupils say that bullying is rare, and when it does occur, staff sort it out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve well at Peckover Primary School and are understandably proud of their school.

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

Over the past few years, leaders have designed the curriculum to excite pupils about learning. Leaders have identified the knowledge and skills pupils need to learn and what they need to know. The curriculum is tailored to meet the needs of the diverse community. Staff plan and teach reading and mathematics effectively.

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

The teaching of mathematics is particularly strong. The mathematics curriculum is well ordered. Teachers help pupils to remember what they have learned previously. Pupils then build on their knowledge to learn more difficult mathematics. As a result, by the time they leave the school, many pupils are achieving standards in mathematics which are above, and often well above, the national average.

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

Children join Nursery and Reception classes with abilities that are often below those 5–6 November 2019

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typical for their age. Pupils make a good start to their education. Many need support with their speech, language and communication, and some are new to speaking English. Leaders are determined that pupils will be good readers by the time they leave the school. Early reading starts as soon as children join the school. Phonics and early reading are taught securely. Staff are determined to make all pupils keen, confident, fluent readers. Adults teach pupils to love reading. They read aloud to pupils and share their enthusiasm for books.

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The school meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) very well. Leaders and staff ensure that pupils with SEND are fully included in the school. They make sure that pupils’ individual needs are met so that they make progress from their starting points.

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Teachers capture the pupils’ enthusiasm by planning learning that interests and motivates them. For example, teachers act as people from the past or as different characters. Leaders have thought carefully about the experiences they want pupils to have by the time they leave the school. Visits, visitors, clubs, residential trips and special events all contribute to pupils’ enjoyment of school. The pupils often learn by pretending to be other people. For example, pupils in Year 5 spent the day as evacuees as part of their Second World War studies. One pupil told me, ‘It actually felt real.’ Sometimes, however, the activities do not fully develop the skills and subject knowledge pupils need. For example, although pupils learn about subjects such as history, learning does not always build on previous knowledge. They do not develop history skills well enough for success in later years. Leaders have recently reviewed what pupils learn. As a result, they have begun to

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introduce some changes to make sure knowledge and skills are taught in a suitable order.

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Leaders are also developing and refining assessment systems in subjects other than English and mathematics to make sure teachers check what pupils know and plan their next steps.

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Leaders have created a happy and united school community. Leaders, teachers and support staff form a committed and close-knit team. Staff believe that leaders support their well-being. They appreciate the work of leaders to manage staff workload effectively. Everyone at the school is proud to be part of ‘Team Peckover’.

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The multi-academy trust (MAT) provides regular and effective support for leaders and governors. The school works well with other schools to support training and share good practice.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All procedures and policies are in place to ensure that safeguarding is a strength across the school. Leaders ensure that rigorous checks are carried out on adults before they can start working or volunteering at the school. Staff receive regular training and have a shared understanding that the safeguarding of pupils is everyone’s responsibility. Leaders, including the highly skilled pastoral team, work closely with families and outside 5–6 November 2019

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agencies. This provides extra support to the most vulnerable pupils and families. Leaders follow up concerns and take action to support vulnerable pupils.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently coherent in subjects other than mathematics and English. However, it is clear that leaders are in the process of putting this in place.  Leaders need to ensure that plans for all areas of the curriculum are sequenced well so that pupils secure the knowledge they need to be successful.  Leaders need to continue their plans to improve their assessment systems across all subjects to enable teachers to routinely check that pupils know more and remember more.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

Peckover Primary School was first judged to be good following a section 8 inspection on 17 March 2016. This was the school’s second section 8 inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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You can search for published performance information about the school.

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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. 5–6 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110315 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 March 2016

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well above the national average, as is the proportion of pupils whose first language is not English. Many of them are at an early stage of speaking English or speak no English at all when they join the school.  The school has recently opened a nursery for children from age three.  The school provides breakfast and after-school clubs.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector held meetings with the executive principal, principal, vice principal and school leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator, and school staff. She met with members of the local governing body and held a telephone conversation with the chief executive officer of the trust. During the inspection, the inspector spoke to pupils about their work and other aspects of school life.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed school policies, procedures and records, including recruitment checks of adults working at the school. 5–6 November 2019

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The inspector met with some of the designated safeguarding leaders and pastoral team to review examples of actions taken to keep pupils safe.  The inspector scrutinised the school’s website and a range of school documents including the school’s own self-evaluation, improvement plans and records about behaviour.  The inspector spoke with parents at the start of the inspection and also considered 29 responses on Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and 29 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.  The subjects considered as part of this inspection were reading, mathematics and history. In each subject, the inspector visited lessons, looked at the work in pupils’ books, and held discussions with subject leaders, teachers and pupils.

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Inspection team

Ashley Best-White, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 5–6 November 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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