St Peter's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of St Peter’s Church of England Primary School Mount Pleasant, Aylesford, Kent ME20 7BE

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 September 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 September 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel valued and safe at this welcoming, happy school. One pupil summed up the feelings of many by saying ‘You are never alone here, there is always someone looking out for you.’ Pupils, parents and carers, and staff proudly describe the school as being like a family.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard, respect others and behave well in line with the school’s expectations. Children starting in Reception learn that this is the ‘St Peters Way’. Pupils get along together well. Any minor fall outs or unhelpful behaviour is quickly resolved. In lessons, pupils are settled and focused. They try their best, listen to their teachers and are keen to offer up their ideas. Pupils generally achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel well supported and cared for This helps them develop confidence to try new things. They are keen to take on roles of responsibility, such as house captain, subject ambassador or being a buddy for younger children. Pupils approach their roles with maturity and discharge their responsibilities diligently. They are proud to make an important difference in their school.

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

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum, which builds knowledge successfully towards national curriculum endpoints. It has a broad and balanced range of subjects. The school is in the process of reviewing and refining what pupils learn and when in each subject. This is helping to further connect strands of knowledge from Reception to Year 6. The curriculum for mathematics and modern foreign languages has undergone significant revision already. In these subjects, pupils remember and apply their knowledge particularly well.

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

Teachers present information clearly. They routinely recap on prior learning and swiftly identify where pupils are confused or have gaps in their knowledge. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs quickly identified. Staff ensure that pupils with SEND are given the support they need to access the curriculum and learn well.

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

Children are encouraged to begin to make marks and explore writing for a wide range of purposes in Reception. Recently, the school has changed its approach to the way it develops pupils’ writing skills. This is helping pupils to develop their letter formation, grammar and spelling. The impact of this can be seen through the work of younger pupils. A small number of older pupils still find writing difficult. Staff have been trained to further support these pupils, using a range of assessment tools.

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

Pupils learn to read quickly and well. Phonics is taught right from the start of Reception. Children in their first weeks of school excitedly hunt for words and objects starting with the letter sound that they had been learning. Teachers use regular assessments to identify any pupils who fall behind in learning their phonics. These pupils are given the help that they need to catch up quickly. The school carefully matches reading books to 24 and 25 September 2024

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the sounds that pupils know so that they experience success and grow in confidence and fluency.

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The curriculum for personal development has been well developed. In addition to their lessons, pupils benefit from a wide range of additional opportunities. A large selection of clubs suits all interests and talents. School trips and residentials are memorable and meaningful for pupils.

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Pupils have a strong understanding of democracy and how it operates, both within school and wider society. For example, pupils take part in elections for house captains. Pupils who are nominated carefully compose speeches and deliver them with conviction and passion.

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The school behaviour policy is clear. Staff apply the policy consistently throughout the school. Children benefit from well-established routines, which support them in developing their independence. For example, staff encourage children in Reception to have a go putting on their coveralls for forest schools before offering a helping hand if it is needed. Pupils attend school well. The school monitors pupils’ attendance and offers support where necessary.

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Staff value the well-chosen training they are given to help drive the school forward. They say that leaders consider their workload and that they are well supported in their teaching. Governors ensure that they have the information they need to understand the school fully and to hold leaders to account effectively.

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Parents are very happy with the school, which they describe as friendly and inclusive. They are positive about the support the school provides to help their children thrive in all aspects of their development. One parent, summing up the views of many, described how the school had given their child a ‘thirst for knowledge’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not have secure transcription skills in key stage 2. This hampers their ability to write because they cannot spell well or form their letters correctly. The school have developed the curriculum and supports to address this. This is beginning to have an impact. The school should fully evaluate the effectiveness of these changes as they embed and check that all pupils can write clearly and well. 24 and 25 September 2024

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 A few subjects are awaiting curriculum revision. In these subjects, teaching sequences sometimes lack clarity and do not always build well enough on prior knowledge. This means that pupils do not retain knowledge as effectively as they do in most subjects. The school should continue to review and refine the curriculum to ensure that it supports pupils to connect and build on prior knowledge as effectively in all subjects.

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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). 24 and 25 September 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stpetersaylesford.kent.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is voluntarily controlled by the Church of England. The last statutory inspection of Anglican and Methodist schools (SIAMS) at this school took place in October 2019.  The school is part of the Diocese of Rochester.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 24 and 25 September 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in the evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspectors met with school leaders. The lead inspector also talked to representatives of the governing body, had a separate meeting with a representative from the local authority and had a telephone conversation with a representative from the Diocese of Rochester.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, English and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at

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samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects. The lead inspector listened to pupils read as part of the early reading deep dive.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders and staff; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupil’s interests first.  The inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online parent survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also considered responses to the online pupil and staff surveys.  The inspectors talked to staff to gather their views about the school, including their workload and well-being. As well as speaking to pupils during lessons, playtimes and at lunchtime, the inspectors met with several groups of unaccompanied pupils.

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Deborah Perkins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Martin Hacker Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 September 2024

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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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