St Peter's Church of England Middle School

Inspection of a good school: St Peter’s Church of England Middle School Crimp Hill, Old Windsor, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 2QY

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Outcome

St Peter’s Church of England Middle School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Peter’s is a welcoming and nurturing school, where pupils are known as individuals. There is a strong community feel, in which pupils play an integral part. The school values of ‘Wisdom, Integrity, Trust, Compassion and Fellowship’ underpin learning and daily life. Leaders have high expectations of how pupils should conduct themselves around the school. Nearly all pupils manage to live up to these expectations. The vast majority of pupils behave calmly and politely.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the range of wider opportunities available to them such as Spanish, rowing and DJ clubs. These help to develop pupils’ interests well. Pupils love residentials and trips such as visiting parliament. These experiences play an important part in growing pupils’ confidence, resilience and understanding of the wider world.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers expect pupils to work hard and focus on their learning. Pupils value the range of facilities in the school. They benefit from subject-specialist teaching. In areas such as design technology, pupils relish developing their food and textiles skills. Teachers make sure that projects are relevant and interesting.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are regular opportunities for pupils to learn about other how people from different cultures or faiths live. Pupils have mature attitudes around equality and diversity. They accept each other and understand that everyone is different. As one pupil said, ‘Every person has good in their heart.’

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

Leaders are ambitious that all pupils study a broad range of subjects and achieve well. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have planned a curriculum that builds logically on what pupils already know. There is a coherent journey between learning in key stage 2 and key stage 3. During lessons, teachers make it clear what they want pupils to learn. In some subjects, such as mathematics, leaders also identify the precise vocabulary that pupils should know and 13 and 14 June 2023

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use. This approach helps pupils, particularly those with SEND, learn well. However, it is not yet in place across all subjects.

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Reading is a priority. Leaders have spotted that some pupils are not yet confident readers. Leaders make sure that they have extra phonics, comprehension and spelling practice. This helps pupils to develop their reading fluency well. In English, pupils are confident speakers and use an impressive range of vocabulary, notably in key stage 3.

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Teachers have good subject knowledge. Most teachers explain things clearly and check regularly that pupils have understood. However, a small minority of teachers do not teach as well as the best. Sometimes they do not plan activities that help pupils understand and remember important knowledge. This means that some pupils, including some with SEND, achieve less well.

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Pupils are polite and considerate of each other. During lessons, they are keen and interested learners. However, a very small minority of pupils do not always behave respectfully. Staff act swiftly when this happens. Nonetheless, this poor behaviour has a negative impact on the otherwise calm environment around the school.

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Leaders promote pupils’ wider development well, including providing strong pastoral support. Pupils serve the local community and undertake fundraising to improve life for other people across the world. Pupils are taught about well-being, managing risks and healthy relationships, which they find helpful. There is a range of pupil leadership roles such as prefects, librarians and student leaders available to pupils. However, these are not sufficiently well understood by pupils. Pupils want to play an active part in school life and, as such, would like the leadership roles to be clearer. While the curriculum enrichment offer has now returned following the pandemic, trips and visits for older pupils have been less regular than for younger pupils.

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Trustees and local governors have a clear and realistic view of the school. Trust staff provide helpful support to school leaders. Staff, including those new to the profession, describe the school as a supportive and caring community. They are proud to work here. Most parents support the work of the school. However, some parents note that further improvements could be made.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a culture of safeguarding vigilance in the school. The experienced safeguarding team knows pupils well. Leaders make sure that staff have regular training and updates on keeping children safe. Staff feel confident to report any concern, however small, that they have about a pupil. Staff act appropriately if they have concerns about an adult. Leaders liaise effectively with external partners to get the most appropriate support for pupils and their families. Recruitment checks on staff and volunteers are thorough and timely. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe in the local area and when online. 13 and 14 June 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A small minority of pupils do not always behave well. While staff deal with this when it happens, it nevertheless impacts negatively on the purposeful atmosphere in the school. Leaders should ensure that effective strategies are put in place to support pupils to improve their behaviour.  A few teachers do not have strong enough teaching expertise. They do not always use the most appropriate strategies to help pupils learn. This means that in a few subjects, pupils, including some with SEND, achieve less well. Leaders should ensure that they strengthen teaching so that it is equally strong across all subjects.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2017.

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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. 13 and 14 June 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 and 14 September 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust.  The headteacher has been in post since 2016. He currently supports another school in the trust for part of the week. The deputy headteacher acts as head of school in his absence.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other school leaders, trust leaders and staff in school.  The lead inspector met remotely with three local governors.  The lead inspector talked to the school’s linked trustee.  The inspectors undertook deep dives in the following subjects: English, mathematics 13 and 14 June 2023

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and design technology. Inspectors also looked more broadly at foundation subjects. Inspectors met with subject leaders, teachers and groups of pupils. They reviewed planning, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work.  The inspectors spoke to leaders about curriculum development in personal, social and health education and wider personal development.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspectors checked the single central record, reviewed safeguarding records and spoke to leaders, staff and pupils. The inspectors considered how well the school manages safer recruitment and how it manages allegations against adults.  The inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including the school development plan and local governing board meeting minutes. They also reviewed reports from the trust.  The inspectors talked to pupils about their learning, what behaviour is like in the school and whether they feel safe.

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 The inspectors spent time with pupils during breaktime and lunchtime.  The inspectors considered the 49 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. They also considered the 17 staff survey responses. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Maria Roberts, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Peter Fry Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 June 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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