St Peter's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Peter’s Catholic Primary School Goresbrook Road, Dagenham, Essex RM9 6UU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 20 and 21 June 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have developed a culture in the school where everyone feels a strong sense of community. Pupils are extremely happy in the school. They enjoy learning and take pride in their achievements. Leaders have created a place to be where all pupils are safe and nurtured.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum is ambitious, and pupils enjoy being challenged.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders’ development of pupils’ character is exceptional. Pupils are confident, polite and kind. Leaders provide pupils with great care and guidance. Pupils have been taught a sense of collective responsibility, which ensures they look after each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know their pupils extremely well. Pupils are well behaved during lessons and around the school site. In early years, children follow instructions well and have developed clear routines to ensure they are ready for Year 1.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a range of wider opportunities in the school. These include choir, football and coding clubs. There is also a range of opportunities for pupils to develop their leadership skills and contribute to the school community. Pupils can join various committees, including the student chaplain, eco-club and student council.

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better?

Leaders ensure that the curriculum is broad and balanced. All subjects meet the ambition of the national curriculum. Leaders ensure that the curriculum is designed to build knowledge over time. In Reception, leaders have planned carefully to ensure children develop across all areas of learning successfully.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and present information clearly. Sometimes, teaching does not check or deepen pupils’ understanding. This means that, on occasion, pupils do not commit knowledge or key vocabulary to their long- term memories.

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better?

Leaders identify pupils with SEND effectively. Staff adapt work to ensure all pupils with SEND can access the curriculum confidently. They make sure that they develop pupils’ academic skills alongside providing social and emotional support.

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better?

Leaders have a focus on pupils learning to read from when they first join the school. They use assessment information carefully to identify pupils who are falling behind the pace of the phonics programme. Leaders put in place extra support for these pupils to help them to catch up swiftly. Teachers read to pupils every day. Leaders promote reading well so that pupils develop into confident and fluent readers. As a result, pupils take great pleasure from reading. In the early years, staff develop 20 and 21 June 2023

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pupils’ communication and language skills effectively. Children enjoy rhymes, stories and songs.

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Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. Systems to manage behaviour are clear and effective, and staff use these consistently. Pupils value the rewards systems in place, which staff use regularly to celebrate positive contributions made by them. Staff address any low-level disruption quickly so that lessons continue uninterrupted. In early years, staff enable children to grow in confidence and understand how to take turns and share.

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Leaders have developed an extremely high-quality personal development programme. They provide bespoke support for pupils so that they grow in confidence. Staff help pupils to develop deep knowledge about healthy relationships and keeping healthy. They revisit key concepts with pupils so that they have very secure knowledge and understanding. Pupils access a rich set of wider opportunities. They take part in a range of visits each year. These include visits to an outdoor pursuits centre, a cathedral and the Tower of London. A wide range of external speakers regularly visit the school, including a medieval history group and the community police. Pupils are taught how to keep safe while riding bikes.

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Leaders look after the health and well-being of staff. They are conscious of the pressures of workload and explore strategies to minimise this where possible.

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Leaders have developed strong working relationships with parents and carers. They organise a wide range of community events, including fetes, coffee mornings and parental workshops. These take place on a range of themes, including online safety, reading and multiplication. The governing body understands the strengths and priorities of the school and carries out its role effectively. It provides appropriate challenge and support to leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding, which ensures that everyone takes responsibility. Staff receive regular training and know procedures well. Clear systems are in place, and staff understand how to identify and report any concerns. Leaders work effectively with a range of external agencies to provide specialist support for pupils.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe and how to recognise and report any concerns. Leaders understand potential local safeguarding risks. They are proactive in addressing any emerging concerns.

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 Sometimes, teaching does not check or deepen pupils’ understanding and identify misconceptions quickly. This means that pupils do not commit knowledge or key vocabulary to their long-term memories. Leaders should develop the expertise of all teachers so that they identify and address any gaps in pupils’ understanding and develop a deep understanding of relevant subject vocabulary.

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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. 20 and 21 June 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255387 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school has a specialist centre for pupils with moderate to severe learning difficulties and complex needs. It caters for up to 12 pupils across all phases.

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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 met with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, and a range of staff. They also met with members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority and diocese. 20 and 21 June 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors spoke to subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The curriculum in other subjects was also considered.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leads, as well as with pupils and staff. Records of pre-employment checks and other relevant documentation were also reviewed.  Inspectors considered the views of parents, pupils and staff, including through responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Simon Conway, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rob Fenton Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 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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