St Peter's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of St Peter’s Catholic Primary School Coxes Farm Road, Billericay, Essex CM11 2UB

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 February 2024

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The headteacher of this school is Katherine Parker. This school is part of Christus Catholic Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Joanna Seymour, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Bertrand Okechukwu Emecheta.

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

St Peter’s Catholic Primary School converted to an academy in April 2020. The predecessor school, also called St Peter’s Catholic Primary School, was inspected in July 2009 and judged as outstanding. 13 and 14 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Peter’s is a highly inclusive school. Pupils benefit from the excellent quality of education. They achieve exceptionally well. Warm and respectful relationships between staff and pupils are at the heart of the school. Pupils are safe and very happy. They are confident to ask for help if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils. They rise to meet these expectations and behave incredibly well. Pupils are consistently thoughtful, kind and considerate towards their peers and adults. From the time they start in Reception, children are taught the importance of learning behaviours. They learn to be resilient and curious. Pupils embrace the exciting learning challenges that staff plan for them. Pupils are proud of their achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Carefully planned school clubs, competitions, trips and visits broaden pupils’ range of experiences. They learn how to care for themselves with the ‘five well-being tools’, including being active. Pupils develop responsibility through roles such as librarians, junior disciples and sports captains. They learn about the values of integrity and service. Pupils know that their voice is important for making their school a better place. They share their views and opinions with staff to bring about change, such as making the school more sustainable.

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better?

The school has created a curriculum that is of a high quality. It carefully maps out what pupils will learn and do, so they build knowledge over time. From the early years, children learn key skills quickly and effectively. Staff have strong subject knowledge to teach each subject well. They adapt learning for pupils where needed. Pupils know and remember in great depth. They connect this to new learning successfully. Pupils achieve exceptionally well across the curriculum.

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better?

Staff are highly skilled at teaching the well-embedded phonics programme. Pupils quickly learn the sounds that letters make and become confident readers. Teachers quickly spot pupils who are not keeping up with the pace of learning. They get the support they need to catch up and keep up. The school has created a love of reading from Reception. Children regularly revisit familiar stories and songs to develop their language and vocabulary. Pupils of all ages are very enthusiastic about the books they read. They debate passionately their favourite books.

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better?

Staff at all levels are well trained to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They adapt the curriculum with precision for pupils so that they learn in line with their peers. Pupils with SEND achieve consistently well over time. The school works effectively with external agencies, ensuring that pupils get the support they need to learn successfully.

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better?

From early years, pupils benefit from the well-established routines that help them to behave positively in and out of lessons. They are keen to know new things and 13 and 14 February 2024

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share confidently what they have been learning. Pupils are actively involved in lessons through discussions and questions. They discuss their ideas in a calm and considerate manner. Children in the early years are highly focused and show determination to complete tasks. Staff have consistently high expectations of pupils. Staff address any behaviour that does not meet their expectations swiftly to ensure that pupils can focus on learning.

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The detailed programme for personal development permeates other areas of the curriculum. This enables pupils to connect their learning and experiences. For example, the food technology curriculum encompasses world foods and cultures. This helps pupils develop their understanding and respect for different cultures and traditions. Pupils relish taking on responsibility through leadership roles. They develop their confidence and public speaking through roles such as eco council, key holders and mental health ambassadors. Pupils learn to believe in themselves because staff support and encourage them to succeed.

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Staff at the school feel extremely well supported. They have high-quality training that enables them to teach the curriculum exceptionally well. Staff appreciate how their workload and well-being constitute a priority. Governors know the school’s strengths and areas for development. Together with the trust, they reflect the high ambition and exceptional inclusion that makes the school so effective.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (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). 13 and 14 February 2024

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School details

Chair of trust Bertrand Okechukwu Emecheta

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School details

Website www.stpeterscatholicprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 St Peter’s Catholic Primary School converted to an academy in April 2020. The predecessor school, also called St Peter’s Catholic Primary School, was inspected in July 2009 and judged as outstanding.  The school is part of the Christus Catholic Trust, a multi-academy trust of seven schools.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is in the Diocese of Brentwood. It has not yet received a section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 13 and 14 February 2024

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, art and music. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum information in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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.

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 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other leaders, including leaders who work within the trust and representatives from the board of trustees. Inspectors also met with leaders with responsibility for SEND, behaviour and attendance, and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents and carers, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Nerrissa Bear, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ania Vaughan Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 February 2024

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