St Peter's Methodist Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Peter’s Methodist Primary School St Peter’s Grove, Canterbury, Kent CT1 2DH

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024

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Outcome

St Peter’s Methodist Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils delight in attending this caring school. They are respectful of the views of others. Pupils are proud of their school. They show a genuine care for one another. Pupils appointed as ‘buddies’ relish the opportunity to look after younger children. There is a warmth to the relationships between pupils, creating a family feel to the school. Pupils are safe and know that the adults are there to help them if they have a worry. As one parent said, ‘St Peter’s is a warm, welcoming and happy school.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Playtimes are joyful and engaging. Pupils ride on scooters, play in the mud kitchen and make up games to play with one another. ‘Eco Warriors’ ensure that the school environment is smart and litter free. Pupils behave well when moving around the school and when at play. They are courteous to adults and kind to one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils. Pupils develop their knowledge and understanding across the curriculum well. They are articulate and engage in class discussions well. Teachers encourage pupils to draw on what they know and use this as a springboard to future learning. This helps most pupils to gain the knowledge and skills needed to succeed.

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

The school provides a curriculum that meets the needs and interests of the pupils well. The steps in learning are clear. This ensures that teachers know what to teach and how 19 and 20 November 2024

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this connects to past and future learning. Teachers receive helpful training that refines the way that they deliver the curriculum. This makes sure that pupils explore the breadth of the curriculum well.

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Leaders support staff well. They help teachers to manage their workload. This enables teachers to focus their time productively in class. The governing body is diligent and ensures that the school acts on the improvements needed.

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The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. Pupils attend sessions in forest school and the nurture class to develop their emotional resilience. This develops pupils’ ability to focus when they return to class. However, not all teachers consistently apply the adaptations needed to support pupils to succeed. This means that some pupils can struggle to learn and can become distracted.

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Pupils develop their reading, writing and mathematical knowledge and understanding well. Older pupils develop a love of reading. They explore a wide range of texts that broaden their vocabulary. They apply what they learn in reading to what they write. Children in the early years learn how to read simple words and practise writing them in class. While some pupils have fallen behind in their reading, the school is aware of this and supports pupils to catch up swiftly.

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Children in the early years develop their knowledge of shape and number broadly well. For example, they sing songs that help them to learn to count. However, the breadth of activities to explore their learning in the outside area is less fulsome. This limits opportunities for some children to rehearse what they have learned in class through play. As pupils progress through the school they gain a strong knowledge of mathematical concepts. They enjoy solving mathematical problems that secure their understanding.

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Teachers check what pupils know and understand with care. They encourage pupils to think about what they have learned before. This helps pupils to retain what they have learned and apply this to strengthen new learning. Teachers use questioning in class to help pupils to clarify their thinking. This also allows teachers to check in on what pupils know and understand.

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Most pupils behave well in class. While some pupils can become distracted in class, teachers swiftly address this to ensure that pupils remain focused. Pupils learn about how to manage their own emotions and to recognise emotions in others. Pupils appointed as well-being ambassadors care for younger pupils in the playground. When bullying happens, pupils and parents are confident the school resolves this swiftly. While attendance has been low in the past, this is improving. The school supports families of pupils whose attendance is low to attend more regularly.

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The school provides a wide range of extra-curricular opportunities for pupils. Pupils attend a diverse range of clubs. These help pupils to develop their talents and interests. Trips beyond the school are commonplace. These link to what pupils learn in class and help to develop their cultural experience. For example, pupils visit a range of historical sites and engage in local events. The school celebrates and supports the cultural diversity of its 19 and 20 November 2024

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pupils. For example, pupils appointed as language ambassadors link with younger pupils who speak English as an additional language.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The breadth of learning opportunities in the outside area limits learning for some children in the early years. This means that children do not fully develop their knowledge and skills when using the outdoor area. The school needs to ensure that there are engaging opportunities for children to explore their interests and embed learning in the outside area.  Teachers do not routinely adapt their delivery of the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This means that some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could. The school should embed strategies so that all pupils are supported to make progress through the curriculum.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in December 2018. 19 and 20 November 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 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 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.st-peters-canterbury.kent.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 December 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a voluntary-controlled Methodist school. A section 48 inspection, to evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of the school, took place in June 2018. The next section 48 inspection is due by 2026.  The school provides a breakfast and after-school club on site.  The school uses alternative provision at Barton Field Farm Equestrian Centre. This is an unregistered provision that operates under the governance of the British Horse Society. The provision offers a programme to develop life skills and foundational mathematics and English skills for pupils at risk of exclusion from schools.

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Information about this inspection

 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 inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 19 and 20 November 2024

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 The inspector met with the headteacher, members of the governing body, other leaders and a range of staff at the school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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 safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector reviewed a wide range of documents, including those related to the governance of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of alternative provision, the inspector: spoke with the school SENCo, a representative of the local authority and proprietor of the alternative provision.  The inspector considered the views of parents and carers through their responses to

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Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector spoke to staff and considered the views of staff and pupils in the staff and pupil surveys. The inspector spoke to pupils and parents during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Graham Chisnell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 November 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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