St Peter's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Peter’s Catholic Primary School Horton Road, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL1 3PY

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Outcome

St Peter’s Catholic Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong culture of community and family at St Peter’s Catholic Primary School. The mission statement, ‘we live, love and learn together as a school family to build a better world’, underpins everything the school does. Pupils enjoy the opportunity of playing with children across different year groups. They talk avidly about the school and its environment, particularly the outdoor space.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils form strong relationships with their peers and with the adults who work with them. This starts in the early years. Staff quickly get to know children as they start in Reception Year. They ensure that the classroom environments and learning activities match children’s needs and interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Pupils enjoy school. They say that bullying is rare. Pupils know that there are adults in school who will help them if they have a worry.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s values help pupils to learn about compassion, love, kindness and wisdom. As a result, pupils understand how to treat one another. Pupils enjoy taking part in a range of extra-curricular clubs, and attending trips and visits. These opportunities help pupils to widen their experiences beyond the classroom.

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

This inclusive school strives to meet the needs of all pupils. There is high ambition for all. Teachers adapt learning effectively for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This means all pupils learn the same broad and balanced curriculum.

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

The school is improving its curriculum. In many subjects, leaders have carefully considered the knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn and remember. They 4 and 5 October 2023

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ensure knowledge develops over time so that pupils build on what they have already learned. However, this is not yet consistent in all subjects. As a result, some pupils do not have a secure recall of their learning. The school has not yet ensured that the curriculum builds coherently and sequentially in all subjects.

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Children learn to read from the start of Reception Year. There is a consistent approach to the teaching of reading. Books match the sounds that pupils know and have learned. Pupils who fall behind quickly receive the help they need to catch up. As a result, pupils learn to use the phonics code well and read with fluency and confidence.

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Pupils enjoy listening to stories in class. They talk about the books their teachers have read to them. However, when reading for pleasure, some pupils do not read widely. The school provides a range of opportunities for pupils to develop a love of reading. These include visits to the school library and taking part in the local reading festival.

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In mathematics and early reading, teachers check what pupils know and remember. They identify where there are gaps in pupils’ learning. However, this is not the case for all subjects. Assessment information is not yet used well to address gaps in pupils’ knowledge and to inform the next steps in their learning. There are high expectations for behaviour. Most pupils understand the expectations. The school has recently adapted the behaviour policy so that it closely matches the school’s ethos and values. Most pupils are polite and well mannered. A minority of pupils do not behave well on the playground. Pupils say that staff help when these issues occur. Most lessons are calm and purposeful.

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The school has a strong programme for personal development. Pupils’ learning goes beyond the academic. They learn how to become responsible and respectful citizens. Pupils learn about communities and cultures different to their own. They understand the importance of supporting others who are in need, for example through raising money for disaster funds.

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, in school, in the community and online. They learn to keep themselves healthy, including their mental health. Pupils understand the importance of looking after themselves and asking for help if they need it.

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Pupils take on leadership roles, such as the school council, eco council and chaplaincy team. These help them to learn about responsibility. Pupils vote their peers into these positions. They recognise that it is important to choose the person who will help make a difference. They understand that this is a democratic process. However, pupils have a limited understanding of other fundamental British values.

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Parents are positive about the school. They say that staff are supportive and encouraging.

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Staff enjoy working at the school and work well together. They feel well supported by leaders. Staff appreciate the consideration given to their workload and well-being. 4 and 5 October 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment is still being developed in some subjects. It is not yet used well enough to check what pupils remember and understand. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment effectively across all subjects and use this information to inform future learning.  Some subjects in the wider curriculum are not yet coherently planned and well sequenced. This means pupils struggle to build successfully on their prior learning. The school should ensure that it reviews and refines the curriculum to ensure that pupils build the knowledge they need across all subjects so that they are fully prepared for the next stages in their education.

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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 school to be good in March 2014.

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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. 4 and 5 October 2023

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 4 and 5 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 April 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 St Peter’s Catholic Primary is part of the Diocese of Clifton. The school had its last denominational education inspection under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in March 2016, where it was judged to be outstanding overall.  St Peter’s Catholic Primary is a larger-than-average primary school.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.  The chair of governors is new in role.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education 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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 4 and 5 October 2023

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 The inspector spoke with the headteacher and other members of the school’s senior leadership team. They held meetings with governors, representatives from the local authority and the diocese.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in music and geography.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey

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for parents. They also spoke with parents at the end of the school day. The inspector considered the responses to surveys for staff and pupils.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.

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Inspection team

Nicky McMahon, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 4 and 5 October 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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