St Peter's CofE Primary School

Inspection of St Peter’s Church of England Primary School Shrubbery Gardens, Wem, Shrewsbury, Shropshire SY4 5BX

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 16 and 17 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Peter’s Church of England Primary School is a happy and safe place for pupils to learn. Pupils feel well cared for. Bullying is rare, but if it happens, pupils trust adults to sort it out quickly. Pupils talk confidently about the different adults that they can go to for help if anything worries them or if they want to speak to someone. Relationships between pupils are strong. Leaders and staff aim to create an environment that ‘empowers each and every unique person to dream, believe, achieve and flourish’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend their school. Most children display an eagerness to please and a motivation to learn. Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils play well together at social times and usually concentrate during lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils enjoy accessing a range of after-school activities that develop their interests. These include clubs for sports, science, sewing and woodwork. Pupils are keen to take on extra duties that contribute positively to school life. They speak enthusiastically about positions of responsibility, such as those of librarians, house captains and anti-bullying ambassadors. They take this very seriously and understand the importance and impact of these roles.

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better?

The school has been through a lot of change over the last two years. In addition to the disruption caused by the pandemic, the leadership structure has altered, and new staff have joined. This includes the appointment of a new headteacher and deputy headteacher. Since these appointments, leaders have implemented many changes across the school, which has ensured that pupils benefit from a good quality of education.

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better?

Leaders have developed a curriculum that is broad and ambitious. Across all areas, including early years, leaders have created a well-sequenced and logical curriculum that aims to build on what pupils already know and can do.

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better?

There is a structured approach to reading across the school. Pupils read regularly at home and in school. They also enjoy story time at the end of each day. Older pupils talk about their favourite books and authors with understanding and pleasure. Pupils read a wide range of texts from different genres. The school’s phonics programme is well planned. Staff have had training in the teaching of phonics so that they can support pupils effectively with their reading. However, phonics sessions are not delivered consistently well across the school. Where this is the case, staff lack the confidence or ability to quickly identify errors or misconceptions. This affects the progress that pupils make.

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better?

The mathematics curriculum is well thought through. Leaders have broken key learning down into small steps, and knowledge builds across year groups. Children get off to a good start in early years with engaging mathematics activities, and this 16 and 17 March 2022

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continues through the school. The curriculums in other subjects, such as art and geography, are also well sequenced and ambitious. However, on occasions, teachers do not interpret this correctly and this leads to inconsistent outcomes for pupils. For example, sometimes activities selected are too challenging for pupils to complete or do not enable pupils to achieve the intended learning outcomes. Work produced does not always reflect subject leaders’ expectations.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective support. Leaders and teachers work with parents and carers to put suitable plans in place. Leaders and staff understand pupils’ needs well. Teachers make appropriate adaptations so that pupils with SEND can access the curriculum, such as additional adult support or practical equipment to help pupils learn.

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Staff work collaboratively with colleagues across the trust in a variety of ways. This includes the co-production of curriculum documents and in the moderation of work. This reduces workload. Staff appreciate having this time to collaborate and share expertise. Subject leaders have received training to help to develop their leadership roles. However, some have not yet received sufficient support and training to understand and carry out their roles fully.

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Personal development is a priority for this school. Pupils demonstrate a responsible and respectful attitude to life at school. Pupils talk confidently about values such as respect, teamwork, care, ambition, fairness and honesty. They understand how these values have an impact on their own and others’ lives. British values thread through the school and pupils understand their importance.

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Staff feel that they are well supported. They say that leaders consider their well- being and work–life balance. The school and governors value opportunities to share expertise across the multi-academy trust (MAT). The local governing body and the MAT understand and fulfil their roles in governance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school. They are confident that any adult in school will help to resolve any issues or worries. Leaders make sure that pupils develop the knowledge they need to keep themselves safe.

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Safeguarding

Leaders maintain the belief that ‘it could happen here’. They ensure that appropriate policies and procedures are in place to protect children. Staff receive regular training that ensures that they can identify any problems that pupils may face. Staff have confidence in leaders to deal effectively with concerns they have raised. 16 and 17 March 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff do not deliver the phonics programme consistently well. As a result, pupils, particularly those who are weaker readers, struggle to combine the sounds they know to be able to read fluently. Leaders must make sure that staff deliver the phonics programme well so that all pupils are able to read with fluency, accuracy and confidence.  Some subject leaders have not checked how well their subject curriculum is being taught and delivered. As a result, some teachers deliver activities that do not help pupils to build on prior learning well enough, which limits pupils’ progress through the intended curriculum. Senior leaders should provide subject leaders with further support and development to help them identify where the implementation of the curriculum needs to improve, and the support that teachers need to do this.

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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 .

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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. 16 and 17 March 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This is the first inspection of the school since it became part of the Empower Trust in 2018. The trust consists of eight primary schools.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  Over the last two years, there have been significant staff changes, including the appointment of a new headteacher and a deputy headteacher.  The school received its most recent Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools in October 2017. Although another inspection is due, this is unlikely to be before 2023 due to disruption caused by the pandemic.

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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 had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 16 and 17 March 2022

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 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders.  Inspectors met with representatives of the local governing body and the trust.  The inspection focused on reading, mathematics, geography and art. Inspectors met subject leaders for these subjects and undertook joint visits to lessons. They also talked to pupils and teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to safeguarding arrangements, behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors also reviewed the school’s evaluation of its own performance and the school’s development plans.  Inspectors talked to staff about their role in keeping pupils safe.  Inspectors held informal and formal discussions with pupils.  Inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including additional free-text comments. They also took account of responses to Ofsted’s

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online surveys of staff and pupil respectively.

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Inspection team

Emma Gater, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ellen Taylor Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 March 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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