St Peter's Church of England Academy

Inspection of a good school: St Peter’s Church of England Academy Mountbatten Way, Raunds, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire NN9 6PA

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Outcome

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

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Mark Currell. This school is part of Nene Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Chris Hill, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jenna Weedon.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a very happy school where pupils say they feel safe and well cared for. They say that being here means they are part of a strong community where staff set them examples of how to learn and behave. They love getting their merits and becoming the ‘VIP for a day’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils wear their uniform with pride. The school teaches every child how to ‘let your light shine’. This means working hard to learn lots, sharing their knowledge, skills and talents with others. It also requires them to be highly respectful young people who contribute to the world as young citizens. Pupils are polite and thoughtful. Everyone supports each other. The school’s moral development of pupils is a strength of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that the curriculum they get is exciting. Teachers make lessons fun. Pupils love learning mathematics. They become fluent readers. They learn computer programming and study environmental regions in geography. In history, pupils find out about the Windrush generation. Music provision is of a particularly high quality, and every pupil learns an instrument – many play more than one. Pupils also enjoy the many trips they attend, such as visiting the National Space Centre.

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

The school’s high academic expectations for every pupil are clear. Staff have planned an ambitious and broad curriculum that meets the needs of pupils. Teachers are skilled in delivering it. As a result, pupils make progress and achieve well across all subjects. They are fully prepared for secondary school. 11 and 12 June 2024

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All staff have been well trained in teaching phonics. Staff give any weaker readers extra daily support so that they become fluent readers quickly. These pupils are soon able to read more complex words unassisted. This helps pupils to build their comprehension skills and make progress in other subjects.

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Teachers adapt their lessons, when needed, for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils learn alongside others. They say that the support they get helps them to understand and remember what they have been taught.

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Pupils’ mental mathematical skills are secure. They know their times tables and can calculate with accuracy and speed. The music curriculum and its wider provision is of high quality. Pupils engage well in music lessons. They are proficient in their use of pitch, tempo and melody when playing instruments. They are proud to perform, whether as members of school bands or the choir. Pupils enjoyed performing at the Birmingham Arena and the Spinney Hill Theatre.

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Last year, pupils in Year 6 did not make as much progress as they could have in writing. However, teachers are ensuring that pupils are now making good gains in this subject. Pupils’ writing is original and creative. However, it is not quite as good as it could be. Staff do not give pupils enough opportunities to do extended pieces of writing across the curriculum. Pupils do not receive sufficient chances to edit and improve their work.

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Across the curriculum, pupils are industrious. They pay close attention in class and complete lots of work. They know fully that this is what is expected of them. This means that teachers do not need to remind pupils in class to do their best.

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Around the school, and at breaktimes and lunchtimes, pupils behave sensibly and kindly. They can explain, and fully support, the school’s values, such as perseverance and compassion. Pupils pin messages on the school’s ‘wonder wall’, such as ‘I hope to be a good person and help the homeless.’ The school’s work to help develop pupils’ character is excellent. It is complemented by an effective relationships education. This teaches pupils how to make safe, well-informed decisions. The school provides a wide range of much-enjoyed clubs, such as coding, dance and chess.

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Staff work as a united team, and all actions and decisions are made in the best interests of pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 11 and 12 June 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils do not receive sufficient opportunities to do extended pieces of writing or to practise editing their work. This means that although their writing skills are improving, they are not as good as they could be. The school should ensure that pupils have regular opportunities to write at length in different subjects and to refine and improve their work.

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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 May 2015.

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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). 11 and 12 June 2024

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CEO of the trust

Date of previous inspection 9 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The principal took up his position in February 2023. At the same time, he also became the principal at the neighbouring Raunds Park Infant School.  The school is part of Nene Education Trust.  The school is part of the Diocese of Peterborough. The school received a section 48 inspection in June 2023. Section 48 inspections normally take place every five years.  The school offers both a breakfast club and an after-school club to pupils.

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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 his evaluation of the school. 11 and 12 June 2024

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, he 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. He heard pupils reading to a familiar adult. He also looked at other subjects of the curriculum, such as writing.  The inspector met with members of the local governing body and the coordinator for SEND. He spoke with representatives of the multi-academy trust. The inspector scrutinised a range of school documents. He also visited the school’s breakfast club.  The inspector took note of the responses to Ofsted Parent View and considered the response to the Ofsted staff questionnaire. He met pupils from different year groups to ask about their views of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single

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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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Inspection team

Roary Pownall, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 June 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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