St Peter's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Peter’s Church of England Primary School Minniecroft Road, Burnham, Buckinghamshire SL1 7DE

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 February 2022

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Outcome

St Peter’s Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ expectations are high. Staff and pupils rise to them. Pupils are happy and behave exceptionally well. Lessons are free from disruption. Pupils understand the school’s values, such as courage and effort. They demonstrate them in the way they behave, work hard and try their best. Pupils love receiving a ‘joy to teach’ award for working well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They are not concerned about bullying. Many pupils could not remember it ever happening. Pupils know what to do if they have any worries. Leaders carefully investigate any incidents and make sure pupils have the support that they need. They teach pupils how to resolve conflict.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their responsibilities. They enjoy their roles as nutrition leaders, school councillors and house captains. Pupils care about their community and social issues. They recently campaigned to ensure that the grave of Baron Grenville, the Prime Minister who introduced the law to abolish the slave trade, was better commemorated in their local church.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers praise the school and all it offers. As one parent wrote about their son, echoing the views of many, ‘He comes home bubbling with new information every day and enjoys a good range of activities.’

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

‘Every child a success’ is deeply embedded in the curriculum at St Peter’s. Leaders have planned an ambitious curriculum, tailored to meet the needs of all pupils. This includes the most able and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have carefully mapped out the knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn in all subjects from Nursery to Year 6. Occasionally, teachers do not link lessons closely enough to the subject content that leaders intend pupils to learn. Instead, they focus too heavily on writing skills. 15 and 16 February 2022

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Leaders are working on making sure that teachers teach the curriculum consistently well. The COVID-19 pandemic has slowed their monitoring and evaluation of the curriculum. Some subject leaders have not had the chance to check how well the intended curriculum is being delivered or how well pupils know and remember key knowledge. Others have not yet had the training needed to develop their roles.

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Staff teach reading well. Pupils enjoy reading and talk enthusiastically about their favourite books and authors. Staff in the Nursery classes develop children’s speaking and listening skills effectively. This means children are ready to learn to read right from the start of Reception. Staff are experts in teaching early reading. Phonics teaching is clearly structured and well paced. Teachers ensure that pupils read books that match the sounds they learn in phonics lessons, and pupils quickly learn to read. Any pupil who falls behind receives precise support to help them catch up.

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Mathematics is a popular subject with pupils. Teachers follow a mathematics curriculum that builds up pupils’ knowledge in small steps. They present new learning clearly, building on what pupils already know. Teachers check pupils’ learning carefully and make well-considered changes to what they teach when needed. Staff plan activities that help pupils recall and practise learning. For example, in Reception, the inspector saw children playing the game ‘What’s the time Mr Wolf?’ The children counted their steps confidently. This included numbers beyond 10.

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Pupils with SEND achieve well. Leaders identify pupils’ individual needs quickly and accurately. They work well with parents to gain their views. Teachers provide these pupils with the support they need to learn well alongside their classmates. Leaders use external experts if they need further advice.

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Pupils benefit from a well-sequenced personal, social and health education curriculum. Leaders are determined to give pupils the skills and support to flourish emotionally. Children in the early years learn to name and recognise their feelings. They are confident to approach their key person for reassurance. Highly trained staff support pupils who need extra help with managing their anxieties and emotions.

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Pupils learn about different faiths, cultures and families. For example, pupils in Year 6 study a book about the Empire Windrush ship. Pupils spoke about wanting to understand discrimination. One pupil said, ‘If you hide this issue, people will not change.’ This prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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Governors have received useful training. This has given them the required skills to provide strong support and effective challenge for leaders.

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Staff know that leaders value what they do. The headteacher considers their views and workload when introducing new initiatives. Staff appreciate what leaders do to support their well-being. They are proud to work at St Peter’s, and morale is high.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 15 and 16 February 2022

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Safeguarding is a priority. Everyone understands their part in keeping pupils safe. Staff are well trained and highly vigilant. They listen to pupils. They notice changes in pupils’ behaviour and unpick what this may mean.

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Staff report any concerns immediately. Leaders keep detailed records. They act quickly to provide support for vulnerable pupils and their families.

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The curriculum helps pupils understand how to stay safe in many situations. For example, older pupils learn not to send inappropriate photos and what to do if they receive one.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leadership of the foundation subjects is underdeveloped. As a result, leaders do not always pick up when the curriculum is not taught as intended or know how well pupils are learning in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that staff have training and support to develop their subject leadership skills further so that they can ensure that the curriculum is being implemented effectively.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

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 . 15 and 16 February 2022

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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. 15 and 16 February 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stpeterscofe.org Date of previous inspection 30 November and 1 December 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up her post in September 2019.  The school’s leadership structure has changed since the previous inspection. The two assistant headteacher roles have been replaced by a deputy headteacher. Following an internal promotion, the deputy headteacher started her role in September 2021.  There is nursery provision for two- to four-year-olds.  The last section 48 inspection took place in April 2016.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector held a wide range of meetings with the headteacher and other leaders in the school, including the two special educational needs and disabilities coordinators. 15 and 16 February 2022

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She met with five governors, including the chair of the governing body. The inspector also spoke with representatives from the local authority and the Diocese of Oxford.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. Deep dives included visiting lessons, looking at pupils’ work and talking to leaders, teachers and pupils. The inspector heard pupils read to an adult from the school.  The inspector also examined curriculum thinking, pupils’ work and spoke to leaders about some other subjects, including geography and art and design.  The school’s safeguarding arrangements were reviewed. This included safer recruitment checks and record-keeping of concerns, as well as speaking to pupils and staff.  The inspector also gathered evidence to explore the impact of pupils’ behaviour on learning, the school’s wider curriculum offer and how well leaders support staff with

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their workload.  Responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and free-text comments were considered by the inspector. She also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Lea Hannam, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 February 2022

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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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