Peak Dale Primary School

Inspection of Peak Dale Primary School School Road, Peak Dale, Buxton, Derbyshire SK17 8AJ

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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 1 and 2 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This small village school is ‘full of heart’. It has a shared vision for all its pupils to achieve highly, both academically and in their personal development. Pupils work hard to fulfil these expectations. The school wants to ensure that every child is well prepared for their next stage in education, as well as for life in wider society.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Every pupil benefits from ‘curriculum gift’ experiences during their time at the school. They enjoy opportunities to create art on canvas, participate in sports events and perform poetry to live audiences at local theatres. There is a keen focus on pupils learning outside to support their physical and mental health.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and proud of their school. They love being able to play and learn together. They behave well in lessons and around school. Pupils respond readily to teachers’ expectations and show positive attitudes to their learning. They feel safe and trust that the adults in school will look after them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers appreciate the support that their children receive. As one parent typically commented, this is, ‘A caring primary school that does its best to develop well- rounded young people.’

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

The school has undergone a period of rapid change. It now has a well-considered curriculum that is ordered in a logical way. Subjects link together in a cohesive manner. Pupils learn and build their knowledge gradually so that they are ready for the next stage of their learning. The school supports staff to develop their expertise so that they can deliver the whole curriculum consistently well.

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

The early reading programme is taught well. In addition, the school provides parents with useful information to help their children read at home. Most pupils learn how sounds can be put together to make words. Those who need additional help have a specific programme that is matched to their needs. As a result, most pupils learn to read with accuracy and fluency. The spelling and writing curriculum are closely aligned with what pupils can read. Pupils often apply their reading knowledge to their writing as a result.

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

Teachers provide work that captures pupils’ interests and helps pupils learn the curriculum. Staff check what pupils can recall from their previous lessons. If pupils have any gaps in their knowledge, teachers adapt the lesson to resolve them. Occasionally, the activities that pupils complete do not help them to deepen their knowledge of a subject. Staff work with other schools to develop their expertise, for example, in matching learning to the specific needs of pupils. This support also helps staff to manage their workload.

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

The interests of all pupils are at the centre of the school’s decisions. This is evident in the school’s work to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The needs of these pupils are identified quickly. When necessary, advice from external organisations is used to understand and reduce the barriers to learning that pupils with 1 and 2 October 2024

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SEND may face. Occasionally, the knowledge that these pupils need to know is not broken down into small steps. This means that pupils with SEND are not always secure in the knowledge that they are expected to know and recall.

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Children in the early years benefit from a well-designed curriculum that is tailored to their needs. Most children develop their early communication and vocabulary well. They speak with confidence and learn to use grammatically correct sentences. For example, children learn words such as ‘cluttered’ and ‘recycle’. The school’s ongoing work is helping to improve the delivery of the early years curriculum.

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Attendance and punctuality are a focus for the school. Over time, frequent absences from school have decreased. The school works closely with families to help pupils come to school on time each day.

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The school has a broad and well-considered personal development programme. Pupils take on roles and responsibilities to enhance the wider life of the school. They access a range of popular extra-curricular activities. Some of these activities link to their interests and talents, including ribbon dancing, archery and orienteering. Pupils understand the importance of treating everyone equally and learn about different communities found in modern Britain. This aspect of the curriculum is woven into all parts of school life, including the books that pupils read.

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Governors have ensured that the school has the capacity to keep improving. They fulfil their statutory responsibilities with diligence.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, the activities that pupils complete do not help them to deepen their understanding of the subject. This leads to inconsistencies in how well pupils learn the curriculum. The school must ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently so that the depth of pupils’ knowledge of the intended subject content is secure.  Adaptations to the curriculum to support the needs of pupils with SEND are sometimes not as precise as they could be. These pupils are not always ready for their next step in learning. The school must ensure that the curriculum is carefully and precisely adapted to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

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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 1 and 2 October 2024

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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). 1 and 2 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher James Handley (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 February 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Create Federation in September 2024. The local governing body and the executive headteacher have oversight of the three schools in this federation.  The executive headteacher took up the position in January 2022.  Since the previous inspection, there have been significant changes to the school’s staff.  The school does not 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.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 1 and 2 October 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.  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.  Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher and other leaders. The lead inspector met with representatives of the local governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and

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looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, in assembly, around the school and at social times. They also considered the school’s offer to support pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors spoke with staff, parents and pupils on site. They considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff and the views of parents expressed through Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Katherine Chadbourne Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 October 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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