St Peter's Elwick Church of England Primary School

Inspection of St Peter’s Elwick Church of England Primary School North Lane, Elwick, Hartlepool TS27 3EG

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Not previously inspection 28 and 29 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend St Peter’s Elwick and to be part of the school family. Leaders are relentless in their efforts to teach every pupil to value themselves and others. They ensure that the vision ‘to give all the opportunity to be who God created them to be and have fullness of life’ influences everything that happens in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a curriculum that prepares them well for life. They are encouraged to make links between their learning and future careers. A wide range of groups, including the junior leadership team, Anne Frank ambassadors and digital leaders, provide pupils with meaningful opportunities to take on responsibility and to lead. They learn to do the right thing, even when it is difficult. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in the life of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the very beginning, pupils learn how to behave and show respect for others. Pupils behave well all the time. They are very well supported by adults. Older pupils are strong role models. Bullying is not a problem in this school. Pupils are confident that adults will sort it out if it does happen.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are very positive about the school. They appreciate the learning opportunities and high expectations for all. They welcome the wide range of after- school clubs that are available. Parents particularly value the caring, nurturing environment in the school.

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better?

Leaders are determined to ensure that the curriculum is ambitious and relevant for all pupils. They make excellent use of research, expert advice and best practice to ensure that this is the case. Wherever possible, learning is underpinned by practical experiences, trips and visitors. This helps pupils to engage with and enjoy their education. Pupils often talk about what they have learned through such activities.

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better?

Right from the early years, leaders have identified the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn. They ensure that the curriculum is coherently sequenced so that pupils can build their knowledge and vocabulary over time. Leaders provide staff with well-informed guidance, professional development and resources to ensure that the curriculum is taught consistently. In many subjects, pupils achieve well. For example, by upper key stage 2, pupils can talk in mature and informed ways about aspects of physical and human geography or about the techniques that they have used to produce artwork. However, this is not currently fully established in all subjects.

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better?

Teachers adapt the curriculum to ensure that pupils with SEND are able to access the key knowledge that they need to learn in different subjects. Where necessary, they have extra adult support. This can happen before, during or after the lesson. 28 and 29 March 2023

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Specific resources are available to meet the particular needs of pupils.

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Leaders place reading at the heart of the curriculum. A well-chosen range of books supports pupils to make connections between aspects of their learning and to learn about the wider world. Pupils value and enjoy reading.

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The leadership of early reading is strong. Staff are trained in how to teach phonics. They check that each pupil is keeping up. Pupils who need extra support receive the help that they need. Pupils at an early stage of learning to read have books that are closely matched to the sounds that they know. More experienced pupils are supported effectively to read an increasingly wide range of books. As a result, pupils achieve well.

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Behaviour is exemplary. Staff model high expectations and notice when pupils make the right choice. Pupils learn to be polite and courteous as a result. They support each other to behave in line with adults’ high expectations. For example, some older pupils help nursery children to learn appropriate table manners.

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The curriculum to promote pupils’ personal development is exceptional. Leaders go above and beyond to ensure that all pupils are able to participate in curricular and extra-curricular activities which foster their talents and interests. Pupils are taught to debate and explore different points of view. By the time they leave the school, pupils have a highly developed understanding of equality and democracy. From the early years onwards, pupils are guided to learn the knowledge and skills to become successful citizens in modern-day Britain.

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The headteacher is a strong role model. She provides highly effective leadership. This is enhanced by well-informed, coordinated support from the trust and governors. In turn, staff feel valued and supported. They appreciate the opportunities for professional development. They know that their workload and well- being are considered.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupil welfare is at the heart of this school’s culture. Pupils know that they can talk to adults in school and their concerns will be taken seriously. The staff team take care to develop effective relationships with parents. They know pupils and their families well. This means that they can respond quickly when help is needed.

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Safeguarding

Leaders maintain thorough records of actions taken. They refer concerns to outside agencies. Regular training ensures that staff can fulfil their responsibilities to keep pupils safe.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that recruitment checks are carried out for adults who work in school. 28 and 29 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Although the curriculum has been thoughtfully designed and sequenced, the curriculums in some subjects are not currently consistently embedded. As a result, pupils sometimes cannot recall what they have learned, so they are unable to build on it successfully. Leaders should ensure that in all subjects, pupils are supported to embed key concepts, use knowledge fluently and develop their understanding over time.

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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. 28 and 29 March 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school has not previously been inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  St Peter’s Elwick Church of England Primary School converted to become an academy in November 2018. When its predecessor school, St Peter’s Elwick Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is a member of the Northern Lights Learning Trust.  The school’s religious character is Christian. The diocese inspects this separately under section 48 of the Education Act 2005. The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in March 2022. It was judged to be excellent.  The headteacher has been in post since September 2022.  Most members of the governing body are new to post since the last inspection.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education 28 and 29 March 2023

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 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 met with the chief executive officer of the trust, the director of education for the trust, the executive headteacher, the headteacher, curriculum leaders and staff to discuss the quality of education. The lead inspector held meetings online with representatives of the trust and the local governing body, including the chair.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and design and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans in computing, French and music. They

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met with leaders, spoke to some pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work for a range of subjects.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead. They looked at the single central record of recruitment checks and other safeguarding records. The inspectors talked to pupils, governors, trust representatives and staff about safeguarding.  Inspectors met with parents and carers at school. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey, including free-text responses.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lesson visits, breaktime and worship. They spoke to pupils about their views on behaviour. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  Inspectors met with staff to discuss their well-being and workload. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Gill McCleave, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Katie Lowe Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 March 2023

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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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