St Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, Rochdale

Inspection of a good school: St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Rochdale Kirkway, Middleton, Manchester M24 1FL

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Outcome

St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Rochdale continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to succeed. Together, they have created a learning community where pupils thrive. Pupils achieve well across a broad range of subjects. The pupils with whom I spoke said that they enjoy coming to school. They wear their uniforms with pride.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are extremely polite. They behave well. Older pupils act as positive role models for the younger pupils. Pupils said that they feel safe in school because they know staff care about them. Pupils told me that bullying is rare. Should it happen, they are confident it would be dealt with quickly by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide opportunities to broaden pupils’ experiences, such as visiting the Halle Orchestra. Leaders enhance the curriculum, for example through visits to the theatre and field trips. Pupils enjoy the many clubs that they can join, such as the choir. They spoke enthusiastically of their successes in football and cross-country competitions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take pride in the contribution that they make to the life of the school as members of committees. Pupils contribute articles to the school’s newspaper, covering a range of topics such as healthy eating and how to keep safe when using the internet. Parents and carers speak very highly of the school. Engagement with the local community and the parish is strong.

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum that meets the needs of pupils well, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The knowledge leaders want pupils to have is carefully sequenced. Planning clearly builds on pupils’ prior knowledge. Curriculum plans identify opportunities for pupils to apply what they know and remember in other subjects. Leaders ensure that staff have the knowledge and understanding that they need to deliver the curriculum plans effectively. Staff share ideas and expertise, 28–29 January 2020

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including with colleagues from other schools. This is especially useful for staff new to teaching.

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In most year groups, teachers use assessment information to plan what pupils need to learn next. In the Reception class, children have opportunities to practise and develop their understanding. However, some teachers move pupils’ learning on too quickly, for example in mathematics. When this happens, some pupils struggle to apply what they know to new learning. Despite this, a high proportion of Year 6 pupils reached the expected standard in mathematics, including at the higher standard, in 2019.

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Disruption in lessons is rare. Pupils work hard to achieve the high expectations that teachers have of them. This is reflected in the quality of pupils’ work. For example, in history, they develop a good understanding of chronology. Pupils apply their research and study of artefacts to draw conclusions about life in Britain during The Stone Age. Pupils with SEND are supported by skilled staff to help them achieve well. Staff in the Reception class use the outside provision imaginatively to foster children’s curiosity in the world around them. Pupils explained to me how they apply their knowledge in geography when tackling more complex work in Year 6.

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Phonics is taught from the start of the Reception Year by skilled staff. Children quickly learn the sounds that letters make. They practise their phonics knowledge in a range of activities. These are often linked to stories that they know. In Year 1, pupils apply their phonics knowledge well. The books that they read match the sounds that they know. They become confident and fluent readers. Pupils who struggle are given the help that they need to catch up quickly. A high proportion of pupils reach the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check.

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A love of reading is promoted across the school. Pupils read a variety of texts across a range of subjects. Pupils enjoy listening to stories. Older pupils enjoy reading to younger pupils in the well-resourced library. Pupils talked enthusiastically about books by their favourite authors. They recommend them to others. Pupils explain how reading helps them to improve their own vocabulary knowledge. Pupils told me how they apply this to improve their own writing. In 2019, a high proportion of pupils reach the expected standard in reading at the end of Year 6.

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Pupils’ personal development is promoted well within school. Pupils told me that the school’s Christian values, such as courage, commitment and compassion, are important to them. Meeting leaders from other faiths enables pupils to gain a deeper understanding of the world around them. Pupils recently interviewed parents about the jobs that they do, promoting pupils’ aspirations for the future.

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Governors’ experience and training ensure that they have the knowledge that they need to challenge and support leaders in school. Staff told me that they feel valued and listened to by leaders. Morale is high. Staff are proud to be part of the St Peter’s family. 28–29 January 2020

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all adults in school are safe to be with pupils. Training for staff ensures that they know the procedures to follow if they have any safeguarding concerns. Leaders follow up any concerns diligently. They work to support the most vulnerable pupils and their families.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work with other agencies and national charities. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations. Guidance for parents enables them to keep their children safe when they are using the internet at home.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some year groups, teachers sometimes move on too quickly to new learning. As a result, some pupils are not secure in their understanding of some key concepts. They struggle to apply their knowledge effectively to new learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers provide opportunities for pupils to practise and consolidate their knowledge and understanding so that they can apply what they know confidently.

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Background

When we have judged 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

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 4–5 July 2011.

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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. 28–29 January 2020

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If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 28–29 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10111041 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 January 2016

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Salford. The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in November 2016.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, I spoke with pupils about their work and school life. I spoke with the chair of governors, four members of the governing body, the headteacher, subject leaders and members of staff. I also spoke with a representative from the local authority and the diocese.  I considered the 22 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. I also considered the 26 responses to the online staff survey and the 151 responses to the pupils’ survey.  I looked in detail at several subjects. These were reading, history and mathematics. I met with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and spoke to pupils about their learning. I also looked at pupils’ work and listened to pupils read.  During the inspection, I reviewed a range of documentation, including curriculum plans. I also reviewed a range of documentation relating to safeguarding. 28–29 January 2020

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Inspection team

Amanda Stringer, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 28–29 January 2020

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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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