St Peter's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of St Peter’s Church of England Primary School Whitefield Road, Bury, Lancashire BL9 9PW

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 November 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 10 and 11 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

The headteacher and the new staff team have turned the fortunes of this school around since the previous inspection. Pupils now achieve well. They are proud of their school and arrive each day eager to learn. Pupils follow the school’s Christian values of ‘hope, honesty and compassion’ through their actions, deeds and words.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils academically, socially and emotionally. Pupils said that staff make the school a safe and happy place to learn. They make friends easily because they care about each other. At playtimes, pupils play happily with their friends in the playground.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are polite and well-mannered and provide a warm welcome to visitors to the school. Any arguments are quickly resolved. Pupils are confident that should any bullying occur, staff will make it stop.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a wide range of opportunities to broaden their experiences beyond the academic curriculum. Older pupils contribute to the life of the school through their roles as members of the school council and by taking on the roles of mental health champions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers hold the school in the highest regard. Most would recommend the school to others. Parents typically commented: ‘This school has a warm, friendly atmosphere where children are valued and blossom academically.’

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better?

The headteacher knows the school well. Together with other leaders, he has accurately pinpointed what the school does effectively and what needs to improve. Leaders have designed a curriculum which is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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better?

Curriculum plans for some subjects have been successfully implemented and embedded across the school. The planning of these subjects is logical and gives teachers precise guidance about the knowledge that should be taught, and in what order, from the early years to Year 6. However, for a few subjects, the journey to full implementation is still a work in progress. Consequently, some pupils may not achieve as well as they should in these subjects.

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better?

Leaders in some subjects monitor their areas of responsibility effectively. They make regular and detailed checks on curriculum plans and pupils’ work, and visit lessons. This helps these subject leaders to ensure that the intended curriculum is being taught. However, the monitoring of some other subjects is not as well developed. This is because a few aspects of the monitoring of these subjects were paused due to the restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic. 10 and 11 November 2021

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In some subjects, there are detailed systems in place to monitor pupils’ progress as they learn more and remember more. However, these systems are at an early stage of development for a small number of the foundation subjects, for example music and modern foreign languages. As a result, leaders do not have an accurate overview of how well pupils are achieving in these subjects within year groups.

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Leaders have placed reading at the heart of the school’s curriculum. Children are introduced to the joy of listening to stories and reciting rhymes and poems as soon as they start in the Nursery class. Books are everywhere in the early years and staff give careful attention to developing children’s language.

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Leaders have implemented a new approach to the teaching of phonics. Well-trained staff deliver this new phonics programme well. Teachers carefully match reading books to pupils’ phonic knowledge. Leaders make sure that those who are struggling to keep up with the reading curriculum get the support that they need to catch up quickly. Older pupils enjoy reading. They talk eloquently about their favourite authors and the different types of books they like to read.

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Most pupils listen well in class. They talk avidly about what they have already learned in the different subjects. For example, older pupils talked knowledgeably about Robert Peel, whom they had studied in key stage 1. Pupils show how their knowledge in one subject is supporting their learning in another. For example, pupils in key stage 2 could describe in detail how an experiment based on friction and resistance was then recorded using an accurate bar chart.

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Pupils with SEND are fully involved in the life of the school. They said they are treated ‘fairly and equally’. Through additional support from staff and the use of relevant resources, pupils with SEND learn alongside their friends in class.

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The curriculum is enhanced further through a wide range of opportunities. Pupils talked excitedly about a recent visit from a Maya archaeologist. They enjoy a varied range of clubs after school, which are well attended. Pupils’ mental and physical health is promoted well. They learn about different faiths and cultures and raise money for charitable causes.

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Governors are supportive of the senior leaders. They hold them fully to account for all aspects of the school’s work, including the quality of education.

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Staff enjoy working at the school and morale is high. They appreciate all that leaders do to support their well-being and reduce their workload. 10 and 11 November 2021

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff recognise that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Leaders provide regular safeguarding training for all staff. As a result, staff are knowledgeable about the signs of abuse or neglect. They understand the procedures to follow should they have a concern about a pupil.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and pastoral staff work closely with other agencies to make sure that families facing challenging circumstances receive the support they need in a timely manner.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe when online. They understand that adults are there to help them if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils understand that behaviours such as peer-to-peer abuse are not acceptable.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few subjects in the curriculum are not well embedded across the school or monitored effectively by subject leaders. This means that some pupils are not achieving as well as they should in these areas of the curriculum. Also, these subject leaders do not know if the curriculum in their area of responsibility is being delivered effectively. Leaders need to ensure that these subjects are embedded and monitored to the same high standard as other areas of the curriculum.  Systems to monitor the progress that pupils make as they move through the school are at an early stage of development in some of the foundation subjects. This means that leaders do not have an accurate understanding of how well pupils are achieving in different year groups. Leaders should develop these systems so that they give them an accurate overview of how well pupils are achieving in all the foundation subjects as they move through the school.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 10 and 11 November 2021

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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. 10 and 11 November 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Sherridan Matthews

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 May 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator and early years leader have been appointed since the previous inspection.  A significant number of new teachers have recently been appointed.  The school’s last SIAMS (Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools) was completed in October 2017.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and members of staff. 10 and 11 November 2021

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 Inspectors met with three governors and with a representative from the local authority. An inspector also held a telephone conversation with a member of the governing body.  The lead inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative from the Diocese of Manchester.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documentation, including that relating to safeguarding and governors’ minutes. Inspectors also spoke to staff about safeguarding.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in class, in the dining hall and in the outdoor play areas. They also spoke with staff about their well-being and workload.  Inspectors talked with parents as they dropped their children off at school. They also considered the responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, and to the online staff and pupil questionnaires.  Inspectors conducted deep dives into early reading, mathematics, science, art and design and geography. Inspectors spoke with subject leaders and teachers.

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They visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector observed pupils reading with a familiar adult. Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders and pupils about some other subjects.

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Inspection team

Sheila Iwaskow, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jeremy Barnes Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 November 2021

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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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