St Peter's CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Peter’s CofE Primary School Little Green Lane, Wrecclesham, Farnham, Surrey GU9 8TF

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud members of their caring and inclusive school. Each morning, there is a warm welcome at the school gate for everyone. Pupils know that all adults want the very best for them. They relish living up to these expectations, and they achieve well. Through their leadership roles, such as eco-councillors, playtime buddies and monitors, pupils look after others and the environment well. They are happy and know that staff will quickly deal with any worries they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The values of ‘Courage, Inclusiveness and Active Citizen’ permeate all aspects of everyday life. These qualities can be seen and heard in the way pupils and staff interact with each other. Pupils discuss opinions that differ to their own sensitively and celebrate the diversity of their school community. As one pupil said, ‘A good friend is someone who appreciates you for who you are.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ education extends far beyond the classroom. For example, trips and visits to places such as the farm, the local market, the theatre and museums enhance their learning of the curriculum. Pupils enjoy a range of adventurous activities in their forest school sessions. Through these experiences, they learn skills such as resilience, teamwork and perseverance.

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

The school is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve highly in all areas of their education. The curriculum is well considered in all subjects. It is designed to help pupils learn about, and appreciate, their local area and the wider world around them. The school has identified the important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember across the curriculum. Pupils are well- motivated learners who discuss a range of topics maturely. The school provides parents of pupils with SEND timely support, information and resources that they can use to help their children in the home environment. Pupils leave school well prepared for the next stage of their education. 19 and 20 March 2024

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Learning to read, and to love reading, is a top priority. As soon as children start in Reception class, they begin to learn the sounds and letters they need. Expertly trained staff deliver the school’s phonics programme effectively. They carefully check pupils’ phonics knowledge to identify and help those who need extra support. As a result, pupils become confident and fluent readers. The books that pupils read help them to practise the sounds they know. As one Year 3 pupil said, ‘Our teachers make sure that we practise, practise, practise our phonics so we can enjoy reading lots of interesting new books.’

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Teachers value the training they receive. Overall, they use their strong subject knowledge to help pupils develop their ideas and vocabulary in the subjects they study. Pupils with SEND learn the curriculum alongside their peers. The school provides clear support and guidance for staff to help them identify and meet the differing needs of these pupils. However, at times, teachers do not check carefully what pupils understand and remember before introducing new learning. Where this happens, gaps and misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge are not routinely addressed. As a result, some pupils, including those with SEND, do not learn as well as they could.

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Pupils have positive attitudes towards learning. They are proud of their work and are keen to talk about it. The school works tirelessly to ensure that all pupils attend regularly. Despite this, a significant minority of pupils are persistently absent. This means that some pupils do not take full advantage of the good quality of education provided.

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Staff are proud to work at St Peter’s School. They value the support they receive to manage their workload and well-being. A strong sense of teamwork is ever-present across the school. Highly skilled governors understand their responsibilities well. They have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and know what needs to improve next. Governors play their part effectively and provide the school with the right balance of support and challenge.

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The school promotes pupils’ wider development effectively. Pupils learn to look after their mental health and well-being. They know what makes a healthy relationship. Pupils are active citizens. They look after the locality by managing the pond, woodland and garden areas to develop an environment that attracts wildlife. Pupils joyfully participate in events at the church nearby and in the local area. They explore diversity in and beyond their community. This includes visiting places of worship and celebrating cultural differences through regular events and assemblies. Pupils hold insightful debates on themes including refugeehood, disability, social justice, human rights and climate change. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 Sometimes, teachers do not check and address gaps and misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the concepts taught. This means that some pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that all staff are well trained to check and make sure that all pupils, including those with SEND, secure the important knowledge they need to learn and remember well in all subjects.  A significant minority of pupils do not attend school often enough. This means that they miss out on important learning and vital school experiences. The school should ensure that its ongoing work leads to high levels of attendance for all 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 school to be good in June 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.

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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). 19 and 20 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Co-chairs of governing body Bart Caines and Neil Ambrose

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School details

Website www.stpeters-farnham.surrey.sch.uk

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School details

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

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Information about this school

 The school is designated as having a religious character. Its last Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools took place in March 2023, when it received an excellent judgement overall.  The school is currently using two unregistered alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, she 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 pupils’ work. 19 and 20 March 2024

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 The inspector held a wide range of meetings with the headteacher, other senior leaders and teaching staff in the school. She met with four governors, including the co-chairs. The inspector also spoke on the telephone with a representative of the local authority and a representative of the Diocese of Guildford.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during visits to classrooms, during breaktimes and as pupils moved around the school.  The inspector considered the views of parents expressed in Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey for parents. She also considered correspondence submitted by two parents. The inspector considered the views of staff during meetings with them and through the staff survey.  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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Shazia Akram His Majesty’s Inspector 19 and 20 March 2024

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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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