St Peter's CofE Academy

Inspection of St Peter’s CofE Academy Fenton Manor, Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST4 2RR

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 8 and 9 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have designed a broad curriculum that sets out the key knowledge pupils need to know. Pupils usually build on their knowledge over time and achieve well. Pupils can explain how their previous learning helps them in their current work. However, at times, teachers do not explain clearly enough what they want pupils to do, including pupils who speak English as an additional language (EAL).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. However, there are times when pupils’ behaviour is not as good as it should be. There are clear expectations about how pupils should behave but some pupils do not treat others with respect and use derogatory language. Staff monitor pupils’ behaviour around the school, including at social times. However, some staff do not address and deal with pupils’ poor behaviour well enough.

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What is it like to attend this school?

‘Life and soul’ days deliver the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum. These days promote pupils’ understanding of important values such as respect, kindness and inclusivity. Some pupils have responded well to this learning, others less so.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that aims to give pupils a broad and ambitious education. They have identified the important things that pupils need to know to succeed. Leaders plan the key knowledge in the right order so that pupils’ understanding builds over time. Most teachers check what pupils have learned and adapt their teaching well so that pupils build on what they know and can do. However, sometimes teachers do not check what pupils know and remember well enough. When this happens, teachers do not spot if pupils fall behind or miss chunks of learning. This leads to pupils having gaps in their knowledge. This is especially so for pupils who speak EAL.

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better?

Leaders have recently simplified their behaviour expectations for pupils to six key points. Pupils know what these are and how leaders expect them to behave. Some pupils do not follow these expectations during social times and occasionally in lessons. Some staff do not deal with incidents of pupils’ inappropriate behaviour effectively.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are generally supported well. Leaders identify their needs accurately. Teachers make suitable adaptions for individual pupils to access their learning.

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better?

Reading is a priority for leaders. They ensure that pupils who are at the early stages of reading receive the support they need to become fluent readers. This support includes the school’s approach to reading in form times and lessons. Leaders are developing more opportunities for all pupils to read widely and often. 8 and 9 November 2022

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The PSHE education curriculum is underdeveloped, for example in terms of how it intends to develop pupils’ respect for others. Pupils do not all have a clear enough understanding of positive relationships. They say that some pupils are unkind and lack respect. Leaders have carefully planned an effective careers advice and guidance curriculum. Pupils benefit from listening to a range of external speakers. They also attend events to promote different career pathways. Pupils welcome this. There is a wide range of clubs available for pupils which enhance their personal development. These include dance, Latin, modern foreign languages and sports clubs.

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Leaders, including those responsible for governance, do not have an accurate view of some aspects of the school’s effectiveness. This includes pupils’ behaviour. This means that their actions to address behaviour issues across the school have not been effective. Leaders do not ensure that all staff consistently apply the school’s behaviour expectations and policy.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding leaders are experienced and well qualified. They have extensive knowledge of the wider risks that pupils face and make sure that all staff know how to spot indicators of harm. Staff record their concerns, which are acted on by leaders quickly. Leaders meet regularly and use a wide range of information to provide early support for pupils and their families where it is needed. Leaders make appropriate referrals to children’s services and follow these up to make sure that pupils get the help they need.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A minority of pupils display poor behaviour, particularly during social times. Some staff do not deal with poor behaviour effectively. This means that there is disruption around the school. Leaders should ensure that all staff deal with poor behaviour in line with the school’s behaviour policy.  The PSHE education curriculum is underdeveloped. Leaders do not ensure that all pupils understand how to treat each other kindly, especially in relation to promoting positive relationships. This means that some pupils lack respect for their peers. Leaders should ensure that the PSHE education curriculum helps all pupils to understand how to show respect and kindness to one another and respect differences.  At times, teachers do not explain clearly enough what they want pupils to do. This means that some pupils, including those who speak EAL, do not understand how to complete their work. Some pupils’ work is unfinished as a result. Leaders

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should ensure that teachers explain precisely what they want pupils to do and check that pupils have understood this before pupils begin their work.  Some teachers do not use assessment strategies effectively enough to check what pupils know and remember. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge in some subjects. Leaders should ensure that all teachers use assessment strategies consistently well to check on what pupils know and can do.  Leaders, including governors, do not have a secure view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. As a result, they have not acted as quickly as they should to address some weaknesses. Leaders and governors should ensure that they gain a more accurate view of the school’s performance and take prompt action to address any identified weaknesses.

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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. 8 and 9 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241537 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,081

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 October 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders make use of three registered alternative providers.  The school is one of six academies within the Woodard Academies Trust.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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.  Inspectors focused on the following deep dives: English, mathematics, geography, and art and design. Inspectors examined leaders’ curriculum planning, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and talked with pupils about the way these 8 and 9 November 2022

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subjects are taught. They also looked at other subjects to check how they are planned and taught.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents. These included information about pupils’ behaviour, attendance, the school’s curriculum and improvement planning. The school’s website was also checked.  Inspectors talked to staff and leaders about safeguarding arrangements. They examined how leaders make employment checks on staff and scrutinised further safeguarding records. They also asked how incidents reported by pupils are recorded and analysed.  Inspectors observed informal times of the day to evaluate safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors held meetings with trust leaders, academy councillors, the principal, senior leaders, lead professionals, teachers and pupils. They also talked informally to pupils and staff to gather information about school life.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey,

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and the free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and pupil questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Stuart Clarkson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sultanat Yunus His Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 November 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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