St Peter's Roman Catholic Primary School, Newchurch

Inspection of St Peter’s Roman Catholic Primary School, Newchurch St Peter’s Road, Newchurch, Rossendale, Lancashire BB4 9EZ

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 October 2024

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

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since November 2014. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 15 and 16 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this happy school. They benefit from the caring relationships that they enjoy with staff, who look after them extremely well. At the start of each day, staff greet pupils with kind words and a smile. Pupils enjoy the calm and comforting presence of Fable, the school dog.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has the highest aspirations for the achievement of all its pupils. It aims, and succeeds, in ‘unlocking potential with the keys of love, respect and friendship’. These aspirations start in the early years. Children are immersed in an ambitious and engaging curriculum which is particularly well designed to prepare them for the demands of Year 1. These aspirations continue within and throughout every class to the point when pupils leave the school, ready to face the future.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is a joy to behold. They are consistently respectful and kind to each other and to adults. Older pupils take pride in being ambassadors for the school. Pupils flourish in the school’s friendly and harmonious atmosphere.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides pupils with an extensive range of extra-curricular opportunities. It diligently ensures that these experiences enhance pupils’ talents and interests. Pupils enjoy taking part in outdoor and adventurous activities during residential stays. They become confident and independent young people.

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

Governors deploy their expertise to strong effect to offer high levels of challenge and support to the school. They have highly effective processes in place to ensure that they have an accurate and comprehensive view of the quality of the education at the school. They ensure that the school provides a welcoming and inclusive environment for all pupils.

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

The school has set out a highly ambitious curriculum. The knowledge, skills and key vocabulary that pupils will learn have been clearly set out from the early years, where children make a very strong start. The school has an innovative and highly successful approach to ensuring that all pupils learn well in its mixed-age classes. It has carefully designed the curriculum to ensure that pupils in the different year groups make strong progress across the range of subjects. The curriculum prepares pupils exceptionally well for each stage of their education.

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

The school has made certain that staff have a thorough knowledge and understanding of the subject curriculum content that they teach. They make checks on what pupils know, remember and can do. Staff use this information promptly to address any gaps or misconceptions that pupils may have. This ensures that pupils build their knowledge securely over time. 15 and 16 October 2024

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The school ensures that it identifies and assesses pupils with additional needs promptly and provides effective support. Teachers design engaging and appropriate activities to ensure that pupils with SEND can access the curriculum alongside their peers. This ensures that these pupils are very well prepared for their next steps.

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The school prioritises the development of pupils’ language, communication and reading skills. Older pupils speak enthusiastically about the books that they have read and enjoyed. They have an intricate knowledge of the characters and plots. For example, they can talk confidently about the different literary themes that they have encountered such as ambition, conflict and relationships. This learning makes an impressive contribution to pupils’ wider development.

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Pupils show exceptional levels of motivation towards their learning. The school ensures that pupils develop the resilience that they need to attempt new challenges. Pupils learn how to stay safe, including online, and how to look after their physical and mental health. Almost all pupils attend school regularly and are punctual.

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Pupils know that all people, regardless of their background or beliefs, should be treated with respect and accepted into the community. Staff take great care to ensure that pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships and how their bodies change as they grow.

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The school’s approach to supporting pupils’ personal development is exceptional. It provides a wealth of opportunities for all pupils to engage in enriching clubs, activities and competitions which develop their talents and interests. These give pupils the physical, mental and social skills and confidence to become resilient, happy and fulfilled individuals.

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All pupils have a strong involvement in school life and in the wider community. They take on an extensive range of responsibilities. For instance, some older pupils are caring champions and buddies who look after the younger pupils. Other pupils are trained playleaders who organise games at breaktimes and lunchtimes. Pupils also help to design improvements to the school grounds and raise funds for a range of charitable causes.

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Staff appreciate the consideration that the school has for their well-being. For example, they are given the time and resources that they need to carry out their duties effectively. Parents and carers appreciate the wealth of information that they receive about their children’s experience in the school. Parents, rightly, hold the school in very high regard.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 15 and 16 October 2024

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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). 15 and 16 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 November 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This Roman Catholic school is part of the Diocese of Salford. The last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in July 2023. The next section 48 inspection will take place by 2028.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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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. 15 and 16 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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other school leaders.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector observed some pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors discussed the curriculum and reviewed pupils’ work 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

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector held a meeting with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors. She spoke to representatives of the diocese and the local authority.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They considered responses from staff and pupils to Ofsted’s online surveys.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their experiences of school and their views of behaviour and bullying. They observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being.

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Inspection team

Cleo Cunningham, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Cath Cooke Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 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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