St Peter's CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Peter’s C of E Primary School Vicarage Road, Swinton, Manchester M27 0WA

p.1

Inspection dates: 24 and 25 January 2023

p.1

Outcome

St Peter’s C of E Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school are happy and make lots of friends. Pupils who join the school at different times of the year are always made very welcome. Pupils really appreciate their teachers. They said that teachers explain things clearly to them and give lots of help to anyone who does not understand something first time. Pupils feel safe because leaders and staff care for them. Pupils respect differences between themselves and other communities. Bullying is rare. Should it happen, leaders resolve it quickly.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are polite to adults and to each other. In lessons, pupils are keen to learn. They settle down to tasks quickly. The playground is full of smiling faces. Pupils enjoy using the wide range of newly installed play equipment.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are determined that all pupils will succeed, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils try hard to live up to these high expectations. They enjoy their lessons and progress well through the curriculum.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are passionate about providing pupils with opportunities to enrich their wider learning. Pupils enjoy a wide range of sporting and musical opportunities. All year groups visit places of local interest to learn more about the area in which they live. The highlights of the school year for pupils in Years 4 and 6 are the residential trips to Lancashire and North Wales.

p.1

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

Leaders and governors have developed a broad curriculum, which is well established. Pupils, including those with SEND, learn a broad range of subjects. Leaders have thought carefully about how the key knowledge of each subject is sequenced. This helps pupils to make connections between their current learning and what they have learned previously. Leaders and teachers have a secure understanding of what children in the early years need to know so that they are well prepared for the key stage 1 curriculum. 24 and 25 January 2023 Teachers deliver the curriculum well. They have strong subject knowledge and they explain topics and concepts clearly to their pupils. Children in the early years benefit from well-thought-through approaches to developing speech, vocabulary and an understanding of numbers. Teachers in key stages 1 and 2 use a wide range of teaching strategies to capture the interest of their pupils. Pupils respond enthusiastically to these strategies.

p.1

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

Teachers know their pupils well. They are conscientious in checking at the end of a lesson that pupils have understood what has been taught. However, in a few subjects, teachers do not identify across a series of lessons where gaps in pupils’ knowledge remain or if all pupils fully understand a key idea which is crucial for the next steps in learning. As a result, in these subjects, some pupils are not fully secure in their understanding of aspects of the important knowledge or concepts essential for their future learning.

p.2

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

Recently, leaders have made significant changes to the phonics curriculum in the early years and in key stage 1. These changes mean that pupils, including those with SEND and those who are disadvantaged, are becoming more confident and fluent readers. Teachers identify at an early stage any pupils who are in danger of falling behind. Well-trained staff support these pupils so that they catch up quickly. Leaders recognise the importance of reading for all pupils. They have thought carefully about which high-quality books pupils should read as they move through the school. Pupils in both key stage 1 and 2 said that they enjoy reading and read widely and often, both in school and at home.

p.2

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

Leaders and governors have high aspirations for pupils with SEND. Leaders identify the needs of these pupils accurately. Staff are confident in using the information that leaders provide to support pupils with SEND to learn well. These pupils access all aspects of the curriculum, including the activities, visits and residential trips that the school has to offer.

p.2

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

Children settle quickly into the early years classes. Almost all listen well to their teachers. Staff provide effective support to those children who find it more difficult to concentrate. Children participate enthusiastically in the well-designed activities prepared by their teachers. They make good use of the indoor and outdoor learning areas. Across the school, pupils are attentive and work hard in lessons. They are keen to learn more about the full range of curriculum subjects.

p.2

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

Governors and leaders give high priority to providing pupils with an extensive extra- curricular programme. For example, the school’s minibuses are well used, taking pupils to places of local interest linked to the school curriculum. Pupils participate in many local sports competitions and communal music events. They support local charities. These experiences enhance pupils’ learning and prepare them well for life beyond primary school.

p.2

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

Pupils learn to be responsible citizens. In lessons and assemblies, pupils learn about important issues. For example, pupils could recall in some detail recent discussions about human rights, mental health and the use and abuse of mobile phones.

p.2

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

Leaders take workload issues into account when making decisions. Staff appreciate leaders’ efforts to support them. Governors are proud of the inclusive ethos of the school. They take 24 and 25 January 2023 their responsibilities very seriously and draw on their various areas of expertise to support the school in as many ways as they can.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders place a high priority on keeping pupils safe. Staff are well informed about the issues that pupils may face. Leaders and staff know pupils and their families very well. Staff are well trained to spot the signs that pupils may be at risk of harm. They report any safeguarding concerns quickly so that pupils can get the timely help that they need. Staff work closely with other agencies where needed.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, pupils learn how to keep safe online.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teachers do not clearly identify the gaps in pupils’ knowledge at the end of units of learning. As a result, in these subjects, pupils are sometimes not fully secure in their understanding of some of the important knowledge essential for their future learning. Leaders should ensure that, in all subjects, teachers employ accurate and effective assessment procedures to identify gaps in pupils’ learning and use this information to provide effective and timely support for pupils.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2012. 24 and 25 January 2023

p.3

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 24 and 25 January 2023

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10226223 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 19 April 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Leaders do not use any alternative provision.  This Church of England school is a voluntary-aided school. It last received a religious education inspection, carried out under section 48 of the Education Act 2005, in May 2017.

p.5

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 school leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, senior leaders, middle leaders and a range of teaching and support staff. The inspector spoke with six members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector met with the school improvement partner.  As part of this inspection, the inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and science. The inspector met with subject leaders, visited some 24 and 25 January 2023 lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke with pupils and teachers. The inspector observed individual pupils reading to their teachers.  The inspector met with groups of pupils from Years 2 to 6. He also observed breaktime

p.5

Information about this inspection

and lunchtime.  The inspector checked the school’s safeguarding procedures and the checks made on staff. The inspector met with leaders, staff and pupils to evaluate the culture of safeguarding.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including that relating to the school development plans, self-evaluation documents, curriculum documentation and behaviour records.  The inspector also considered the views of the parents and carers who responded to Ofsted Parent View. This included the comments received via the free-text facility. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaires for pupils and staff.

p.6

Inspection team

Timothy Gartside, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 January 2023 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.

p.6

Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspection team

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

Inspection team

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7