St Peter's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Peter’s Church of England Primary School Muriel Street, Rochdale, Lancashire OL16 5JQ

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Inspection dates: 30 November and 1 December 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?

Pupils, including children in the early years, thrive at this popular and welcoming school. They love to come to school each day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have created a caring community where pupils feel valued, happy and safe. Pupils are confident that there are many trusted adults in school to whom they can go if they have any worries or concerns. Younger pupils also appreciate the help and support that the Year 6 pupils provide, for example helping them to find friends and join in with games at breaktimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have very high expectations of pupils’ conduct and behaviour, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils work hard to meet these expectations in all aspects of school life. Pupils’ manners are impeccable. They treat each other with the utmost respect. Leaders make sure that there are effective systems in place to deal with any incidents of bullying swiftly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have designed an engaging curriculum for all. They expect pupils to work hard and to try their best during lessons. Children and pupils listen attentively to their teachers. They are highly eager to learn. As a result, the majority of pupils learn well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils greatly value the wealth of activities that leaders provide to enhance the curriculum and to prepare them for life in modern Britain. Pupils love to spend time in the school’s extensive and well-resourced grounds. They spoke fondly about taking part in woodland walks and looking for frogs in the school’s pond.

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

Leaders and staff have worked hard to create an ambitious and broad curriculum which ignites pupils’ interest in their learning. 30 November and 1 December 2022

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Leaders have considered carefully when children and pupils will learn new concepts. They have made sure that they are introduced in a logical order from the beginning of early years to the end of key stage 2. They have also made sure that there are strong connections between prior learning and later learning. Teachers explain new concepts well. They check to make sure that pupils grasp new learning successfully. This helps the majority of pupils, including those with SEND, to learn well and to deepen their understanding over time.

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Leaders have the same high ambition for pupils with SEND as for other learners. There are robust systems for identifying the needs of pupils with SEND. They quickly get the support they need to be successful learners. Pupils with SEND learn alongside their classmates. They relish the many clubs and activities on offer.

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Staff appreciate the opportunities that leaders provide to hone their subject knowledge. Consequently, teachers deliver most curriculums consistently well. However, in a very few subjects, some teachers do not always teach new content in the way that leaders intend. This means that some pupils have gaps in their knowledge.

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Leaders are resolute in their determination that every pupil will leave the school as a confident and fluent reader. Right from the start, children experience a wealth of books, songs and rhymes to foster a love of reading. Leaders ensure that there are inviting reading areas to capture pupils’ interest and to encourage them to read.

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Leaders have implemented a phonics programme which enables children and pupils to successfully learn new sounds as soon as they start school. They read books which exactly match the sounds that they have learned in class. As a result, pupils read unfamiliar words confidently.

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Leaders make sure that weaker readers get the practice and support that they need so that they can keep up with their peers. By the end of Year 6, pupils have developed strong comprehension skills. They read with expression and fluency. Pupils have extremely positive attitudes to reading.

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Pupils behave extremely well both in lessons and at breaktimes. They are conscientious about their learning and do not distract their classmates. On school trips and visits, pupils act as proud ambassadors of their school.

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Leaders go out of their way to provide pupils with an extensive range of activities to develop pupils’ emotional health, physical well-being and character. Pupils spoke very proudly about when they visited Manchester with their headteacher to give out goodwill messages to members of the public, as part of the ‘random acts of kindness’ team. Pupils are highly respectful of other faiths and cultures. They also understand the importance of democracy and the rule of law.

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Governors share leaders’ high aspirations for pupils. Governors have a range of skills and experience to perform their roles effectively. They are keen to further develop their skills, 30 November and 1 December 2022

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particularly with regard to the wider curriculum, so that they can make rigorous checks on pupils’ learning in a greater range of subjects.

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Staff are very proud to work at the school. They feel valued as part of a close-knit team. Leaders are very mindful of their work-life balance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders leave no stone unturned in their quest to ensure that pupils are safe. Leaders make sure that staff are highly trained and vigilant so that they can quickly spot any pupil who may be in danger from abuse, neglect or harm. They report any concerns quickly. Leaders work tirelessly to make sure that pupils and their families receive effective and timely support. Leaders engage extremely well with a wide range of external agencies.

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Safeguarding

Through the curriculum, pupils learn about different aspects of safety, including when using the internet. They also learn about the importance of keeping themselves healthy, both physically and emotionally.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a very small number of subjects, some teachers do not consistently deliver the curriculum in the way that was intended by subject leaders. This means that there are some gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Governors and leaders should ensure that staff are supported to deliver these curriculums consistently well so that pupils know more and remember more in the longer term.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2017. 30 November and 1 December 2022

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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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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. 30 November and 1 December 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 April 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a voluntary-controlled Church of England school which is part of the Diocese of Manchester. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in December 2019.  Leaders provide a breakfast club.  Leaders do not make use of 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 carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector met with leaders, discussed curriculums, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and reviewed samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 reading to a familiar adult. 30 November and 1 December 2022

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 The inspector also considered several other subjects on the school’s curriculum. She talked to the leaders who lead these subjects. The inspector also spoke to pupils about their learning in these subjects.  The inspector held discussions with the headteacher, other leaders and staff.  The inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector spoke with different groups of pupils to gather their views of the school, including their behaviour and learning. She also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at playtimes.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. She spoke to several parents at the start of the school day. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  The inspector met with those responsible for safeguarding at the school. She

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scrutinised a range of documentation in relation to safeguarding. The inspector also spoke with governors, staff, parents and pupils about safeguarding.  The inspector considered a range of documentation provided by school leaders and staff. This included the school development plan, minutes of governing body meetings, headteacher reports and the leaders’ self-evaluation document.

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Inspection team

Louise McArdle, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 30 November and 1 December 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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