St Peter and St Paul RC Junior and Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Saint Peter and Saint Paul Catholic Primary School Kingsbury Road, Erdington, Birmingham, West Midlands B24 9ND

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Outcome

Saint Peter and Saint Paul Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this school. They feel safe and secure at school. Pupils like learning new things in their lessons and playing with their friends. Leaders and governors have high expectations for every pupil. Staff share these high expectations of pupils. Pupils work hard in lessons and successfully meet these expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and well mannered in lessons and around school. They are respectful of staff and of each other. Pupils treat others in the way they expect others to treat them. They know how important it is to behave towards everyone in an equal manner. It is rare for pupils to be unkind to each other. Staff deal effectively with any bullying that occurs. Pupils and parents alike value the breakfast and after-school clubs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a wide range of opportunities beyond lessons which are available to pupils. Pupils enjoy attending Irish dancing sessions. The school has a successful choir and a craft club. In addition, pupils attend many sports clubs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are positive about the work of the school. One parent said, ‘Fabulous school, wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to others, every child really does matter’. This reflects the views of many other parents and carers.

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

Leaders have developed a broad curriculum which is ambitious for pupils. The rich and diverse curriculum is well sequenced. It reflects the backgrounds of pupils. Leaders have carefully planned out what they expect pupils to learn in each subject, starting from the early years. The curriculum carefully builds on what pupils have learned before. Subject leaders use their strong subject knowledge to support colleagues to deliver the curriculum well.

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

There are effective systems for leaders and staff to assess what pupils have learned. Most teachers use assessment strategies well and adapt their teaching so pupils can build on 4 and 5 May 2023 what they have learned before. However, in some subjects, teachers do not check what pupils have learned well enough. They do not identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This limits some pupils’ ability to achieve well. Some teachers do not consistently model their presentation expectations for pupils. In turn, some pupils do not take as much pride in their work as they could.

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

Leaders make sure that pupils learn to read well. Children learn phonics as soon as they start school. Pupils who fall behind in their reading receive extra help to catch up quickly. Teachers use the school ‘reading bus’ well to promote reading in school. Leaders have ensured that pupils are well supported to become fluent and confident readers.

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

Leaders are fast to spot those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND receive effective support to access the curriculum. Staff adapt their teaching to ensure all pupils can complete their work. The well-focused extra provision provided for a small group of pupils every morning helps them improve their reading, writing and mathematics skills.

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

Pupils take part in a wide range of opportunities to support their personal development. The school council meets regularly. Pupils read regularly during church services attended by parents. Friendship buddies help when pupils are feeling lonely at breaktimes or during lunchtimes.

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

Staff appreciate the ways that leaders tackle workload. Staff know that if they are struggling, they can turn to leaders for extra support. Governors are also mindful of the workload of staff and leaders.

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

Governors and directors know the school well. They have a clear understanding of the school’s priorities for development. Plans for improvement are well focused on the right priorities. They focus on the correct next steps for the school to improve further. Governors support and challenge school leaders to improve pupils’ learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a robust culture of safeguarding in this school. Staff are vigilant. They are well trained in what signs to look out for to identify any concerns. Staff concerns are carefully logged and followed up.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have made sure that there is a well-qualified team to oversee safeguarding and to support families and pupils. Leaders work with a range of outside agencies to help keep pupils safe. The golden thread of safeguarding runs through the school’s curriculum. Pupils are taught to stay safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

4 and 5 May 2023  Teachers do not check consistently on how well pupils remember key knowledge. This means that some pupils do not remember the key knowledge they need for future learning. Leaders should provide teachers with extra training and support to make sure they check more consistently on what pupils know and can remember.  In some subjects, there is inconsistency in the presentation of pupils’ work. This means that some pupils do not take sufficient pride in their work. School leaders should ensure that all staff model the exact letter and number formation they expect from pupils.

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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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St Peter and St Paul RC Junior and Infant School, to be good in November 2012.

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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.

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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. 4 and 5 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10278831 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

 The school is part of the Saint John Paul II Multi-Academy Company.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school runs a before- and after-school club.  The school is a Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Birmingham. The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in February 2018. This is an inspection of the school’s religious character.  Saint Peter and Saint Paul Catholic Primary School converted to become an academy school in December 2018. When its predecessor school, St Peter and St Paul RC Junior and Infant School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.

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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 leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the executive headteacher, the head of school and a range of staff. 4 and 5 May 2023  The inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body. He also met with representatives of the Saint John Paul II Multi- Academy Company.  To evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, the inspector reviewed school policies, procedures and records. The inspector met with the designated safeguarding leader and spoke with staff, governors, trust representatives and pupils about the school’s approach to keeping pupils safe.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and computing. For

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Information about this inspection

each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, and spoke with teachers and with pupils about their learning. The inspector visited lessons and looked at samples of pupils’ work. He also observed pupils reading to a teacher.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around school. He considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments.  The inspector met with parents, groups of staff and pupils and considered responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Declan McCauley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 May 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.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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