St Peter's CofE Primary Academy

Inspection of St Peter’s CofE Primary Academy Reservoir Road, Hednesford, Cannock, Staffordshire WS12 1BE

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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 6 and 7 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Peter’s is a happy and welcoming school. Pupils are chatty and friendly. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Everyone at the school is valued and included, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). An inclusive ethos permeates the whole school environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They know they can talk to staff about any worries they have. Bullying and unkind behaviour can happen occasionally. Leaders take it very seriously. When it does happen, they deal with it swiftly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s motto, ‘Reach for the Sky’, captures leaders’ ambition for pupils. This is realised through pupils’ persistence, resilience and determination in their work. Pupils strive to do their best and are proud of their school. They behave well in lessons and during breaktimes. The small number of pupils who need to improve their behaviour get the help they need to do so.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the wider opportunities provided by the school and trust. Activities, such as musical performances, sports competitions and residential visits, help build pupils’ confidence and character. Other experiences, including the Year 6 visit to Paris for a week with other trust schools, provide lasting memories for pupils.

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better?

Leaders have a clear vision for the school, which is shared by staff and governors. They have high expectations, which are realised in pupils’ work and behaviour. The trust provides strong support for leaders and staff, including early career teachers. Governors challenge leaders effectively. They are well informed and ask probing questions in meetings to assure themselves that the school is being well led and managed.

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better?

Leaders have designed an ambitious and well-structured curriculum, which covers all subjects in the national curriculum. They have identified the skills, knowledge and key vocabulary that pupils in key stages 1 and 2 need to develop step by step. However, leaders have not yet applied this focus to the early years curriculum. Early reading and mathematics are well-thought-through, but other areas of learning are less well sequenced. This means that children are not as well prepared for some subjects in Year 1 as they could be.

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better?

Teachers have good subject knowledge. They use resources well to support pupils’ learning, especially for pupils with SEND. Teachers explain new learning clearly and check that pupils understand. They identify misconceptions and gaps in learning and address these promptly. Staff assess pupils’ learning regularly. However, subject leaders have a limited understanding of the delivery of the curriculum and its impact. This reduces their opportunity to make improvements where needed. 6 and 7 December 2022

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Leaders recognise the importance of reading. They have invested in a new phonic scheme to further improve early reading. Phonics is taught systematically. Children in the early years quickly learn their letters and sounds. They take the same books home that they read in school, so that they can practise and embed their new learning with parents. Pupils who struggle with reading get the help they need. Pupils have a good range of books to choose from to help develop their love of reading.

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Staff receive regular training to support pupils with SEND. They identify pupils early. Leaders ensure that pupils are fully included in school life. Teachers adapt work to meet the needs of pupils, so that they achieve well. Leaders access specialist support for pupils with specific difficulties and liaise closely with parents.

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Pupils know that they are expected to behave well. Almost all do. This ensures that pupils are not distracted from their learning. If there are any difficulties, staff manage the situation calmly, and swift support is provided.

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Leaders place great importance on pupils’ personal development. Pupils are respectful to adults and each other. They recognise that difference is part of society. Pupils have a good understanding of those with different beliefs and those from different cultures. They know that discrimination of any kind is wrong.

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Pupils demonstrate a secure understanding of how to stay healthy. Children in the early years learn about health and hygiene. Older pupils learn about the functions of the digestive system and healthy diets. Both physical and mental health are covered comprehensively in the curriculum.

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Staff enjoy working at the school. They appreciate the support they receive from leaders. They report that some changes, for example introducing a new phonics approach, are adding to their workload. However, they accept that this will reduce as the new system becomes established. They know that decisions taken are in the interests of pupils and are, therefore, happy to support these.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff receive regular training, so that they know how to spot signs that a pupil may not be safe. Staff are aware of particular risks that exist locally. High levels of vigilance from all staff mean that potential issues are spotted early. Concerns raised are acted on promptly. Leaders make appropriate and timely referrals to other agencies to secure the help that pupils and families need. Robust checks are made on staff to make sure they are suitable to work in school.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum helps pupils learn about potential dangers and how to get help if they need it. 6 and 7 December 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The early years curriculum is not as well sequenced, or precise, as the curriculum in the rest of the school. As a result, some children are not as well prepared in some areas of learning for Year 1 as they could be. Leaders should identify the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary they want children to learn, so that children are well prepared for learning national curriculum subjects in Year 1 and beyond.  Subject leaders have limited opportunity to monitor how well the curriculum is delivered across the school. They are unclear about where further improvements are needed or how they can support their colleagues. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders have the skills and opportunities needed to check how well the curriculum is being implemented and how well pupils are achieving.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information 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. 6 and 7 December 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10256945 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 St Peter’s CofE Academy converted to become an academy school in September 2018. When its predecessor school, St Peter’s CofE Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted in 2014, it was judged to be good.  The school is one of five schools in the Future Generation Trust.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2019. He was previously deputy headteacher at the school.  The school’s last section 48 inspection was in June 2017. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next inspection will be within eight years of the last section 48 inspection  The school does not use any alternative provision. 6 and 7 December 2022

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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 school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator and family liaison officer. Meetings were also held with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and members of the multi-academy trust, including the chief executive officer.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in English, reading, mathematics, design technology and religious education. Inspection activities in these subjects included: lesson visits, discussions with staff and pupils, meeting with subject leaders, and work scrutiny. The lead inspector also observed pupils reading.  The inspectors considered a range of documents, including the school’s self-

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Information about this inspection

evaluation and improvement plans. Minutes of governor meetings and reports from external reviews commissioned by the trust were also scrutinised.  Inspectors looked at records of attendance and behaviour. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school and talked to them informally about behaviour, bullying, and welfare  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leader, examined school records and discussed safeguarding cases.  The inspectors talked to parents at the start of the school day and considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and their free-text responses. They also reviewed the responses to the staff and pupil surveys and gathered the views of both groups on site through discussion.

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Inspection team

Heather Simpson, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Josie Leese Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 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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