Boxted St Peter's Church of England School

Inspection of Boxted St Peter’s Church of England School Carter’s Hill, Boxted, Colchester, Essex CO4 5YN

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Inspection dates: 30 November and 1 December 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 30 November and 1 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Boxted St Peter’s Church of England School are confident, kind and happy. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary across the school. During lessons, pupils listen to their teachers with interest and talk enthusiastically about what they are learning. Pupils enjoy their learning and can concentrate well. Pupils say that bullying is rare, and they feel safe at school. They know that adults will always listen to their worries and deal with any incidents quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The behaviour of pupils is exemplary. Pupils aim high and are keen to meet the high expectations of behaviour and of learning that are set for them. Pupils enjoy the rewards they receive for going above and beyond leaders’ expectations. Pupils look forward to receiving certificates and are especially excited to receive an invitation to have hot chocolate with the headteacher.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel respected and valued. They know that being a member of the sport council or school council is a responsibility they need to earn. Pupils know that their voice is heard through these councils. This helps pupils to shape the life of their school, including deciding which fundraising events to take part in.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils access a wide range of interesting clubs on offer. They enjoy activities which keep them healthy and improve their sporting skills, such as football and running.

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better?

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum that helps to build on pupils’ knowledge in a logical and progressive way. Leaders have also identified the key vocabulary pupils need to be successful in each subject. Pupils are taught to make connections with knowledge they learn, and this helps strengthen their understanding. This can be seen in their work in geography using atlases. Pupils connect information about the continents with their wider knowledge of the world and the experiences of different people.

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better?

Teachers are typically effective at checking what pupils know and can do. Where this is the case, the gaps in what pupils know are identified and changes made to lessons to help address these gaps. However, this work is not fully developed across the whole curriculum. In some subjects, the checks being made are in their infancy. This means that in a few areas of the curriculum, some pupils do not understand subject concepts consistently well.

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better?

Reading is a priority across the school. Staff receive training that ensures they teach phonics effectively. Pupils who fall behind with reading are quickly identified and get the support they need. This helps pupils become fluent and successful readers. Books pupils choose from are carefully selected to match their interests. Hearing their teachers read aloud also inspires pupils and encourages them to read regularly. 30 November and 1 December 2022

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well to access the full curriculum. Their needs are identified and supported by well- trained adults. Through carefully designed interventions when needed, all pupils with SEND access the same learning as well as their peers. Pupils’ personalised daily tasks support them to enjoy learning and be proud of what they can do.

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Children in the early years get off to a positive start in school. The curriculum is well planned and is effectively delivered. Staff design meaningful activities for children to explore and apply their new knowledge. Children explain their choices with clarity because adults effectively model the language children need. They settle quickly and are enthusiastic learners. This contributes towards children in Reception being well prepared for Year 1.

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Pupils behave exceptionally well across the school, both in and out of lessons. Leaders set high expectations and teachers apply these consistently. During lunchtimes, pupils enjoy socialising together. They play games ensuring that everyone is included. The leaders provide successful support for individuals that struggle with their behaviour. This ensures all pupils learn in a calm, orderly environment with no disruption to their learning.

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Leaders ensure that pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain. Each year group has planned trips that enrich the subject learning taking place. Residential visits are an important part of pupils’ wider experiences. Knowledge of spiritual concepts are supported through weekly assemblies, linked to school’s Christian ethos. Pupils have opportunities to discuss current global affairs in lessons. This is supported by an effective and well-planned personal, social, and health education curriculum.

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Governors know the school well and perform their statutory duties effectively. They make regular visits, for example, to attend or lead school assemblies. Working with leaders, governors accurately identify areas for school development. They ensure that their plans include the views of the whole-school community.

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Staff are complimentary about support they receive from leaders. They feel that leaders give them opportunities to develop professionally at all stages of their careers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff have safeguarding training and receive regular updates. Leaders carry out appropriate checks on adults who work at the school. There is a strong culture of safeguarding at school and staff are clear that keeping pupils safe is everyone’s responsibility. They know what to do to raise concerns about pupils’ safety and well-being. 30 November and 1 December 2022

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Leaders make sure that safeguarding records are detailed and take appropriate actions swiftly when needed. Leaders work with external partners to ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families are supported.

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The curriculum content informs pupils well in knowing how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment routines in a small number of subjects are not fully developed. As a result, teachers in these lessons do not always check that the most important knowledge that pupils need has been secured in their memory. Leaders should complete their plans to ensure that teachers across the full curriculum check regularly what pupils know and can do. This will support teachers to prioritise lessons based on the content pupils need more practice with to learn and remember more.

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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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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

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 School leaders do not currently use alternative provision for any pupil.  The school has before- and after-school provision run by a separately registered and inspected provider.  The school is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Chelmsford. As a school designated as having a religious character, it was subject to a separate section 48 inspection in June 2017 and was judged to be good. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place within eight years of the previous inspection.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors 30 November and 1 December 2022

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discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited sample lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. An inspector also listened to a sample of pupils read to her.  Inspectors held meetings with leaders, including the headteacher, special education needs coordinator, five governors, and a local authority representative who works with the school.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead. The inspector looked closely at safeguarding systems, processes and records. Inspectors also spoke to pupils, staff and governors about safeguarding.  To gather the views of pupils, the inspectors observed their behaviour in lessons, and at breaktimes. Inspectors also held discussions with groups of pupils. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.  The inspector considered the 74 responses made by parents to Ofsted Parent

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View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, including 73 free-text responses. The inspector also considered 18 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Bozena Laraway, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Sue Cox Ofsted Inspector 30 November and 1 December 2022

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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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