St Peter's Droitwich CofE Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Peter’s Droitwich CofE Academy Church Lane, The Holloway, Droitwich Spa, Worcestershire WR9 7AN

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024

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Outcome

St Peter’s Droitwich CofE Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Tracey O’Keeffe-Pullan. This school is part of The Rivers CofE Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Matt Meckin, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andy Jobbins.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy warm relationships with the staff at this caring school. They know they can share any worries they have, which enables them to thrive. They can readily articulate the school values. Pupils appreciate the broad range of opportunities that supplement their learning. The school has high ambitions for all pupils. A carefully chosen curriculum enables pupils to achieve well, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy in school and enjoy their time there. They are polite and friendly and willingly share their feelings and experiences with visitors to the school. St Peter’s is a calm and orderly place. Pupils know the importance of keeping themselves physically and mentally well. Pupils benefit from digital technology to enhance their learning at home and school. Therefore, the school has ensured that pupils learn about risks they face online and know to seek the support of trusted adults should they feel vulnerable.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and pupils enjoy the many opportunities, such as the ‘Curriculum in Action’ events, to involve families in school life. Other activities, such as outdoor learning, trips and taking part in community events, enrich pupils’ experiences beyond the classroom. 19 and 20 November 2024

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has devised a broad and balanced curriculum across all subjects. The well-sequenced curriculum is ambitious. Links to the local area, such as the history of Droitwich, help bring the curriculum to life for pupils. The youngest pupils get off to a strong start. They access a purposeful curriculum to enable them to develop their early English and mathematics skills. Pupils make progress through the curriculum. However, for a small number of pupils and in a minority of subjects, there is some variability in how well pupils can recall and then use their prior learning. The school is reducing this variation effectively. Across a range of subjects, most pupils build their knowledge securely over time and achieve well.

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

The school recognises the increasing number of pupils with complex SEND. Therefore, it prioritises providing training for all staff to develop their expertise further in adapting learning to enable all pupils to do well. The school is quick to identify concerns and offers a wide range of support, which enables pupils to make the progress they are capable of.

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

Early reading is a priority. Pupils develop a love of reading from an early age and also build their fluency through a well-organised approach to teaching phonics. The school’s systematic approach means that almost all pupils learn the sounds they need to blend words and develop their reading skills. Where this is not the case, the school is relentless in providing pupils with additional support to help them become more confident, fluent readers.

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

The school emphasises staff training, which positively affects the implementation of the curriculum. Staff skilfully support pupils with their sentences when responding to questions. Teaching focuses on enriching pupils’ subject-specific vocabulary. This develops pupils’ oracy well. Staff check on pupils’ understanding during and after lessons, and this is particularly effective within English and mathematics lessons. This enables them to identify areas that need further practice or support.

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

There are high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and attitudes. Pupils want to do their best and most behave well in classrooms and around school. Promoting regular attendance is a key priority in school. While some pupils still miss school too often, many are now attending more regularly than they were previously.

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

The school is rightly proud of the wealth of wider extra-curricular opportunities it offers to pupils. There are a range of elected leadership opportunities for pupils. Annual events, such as St Peter’s Wimbledon tennis championships and a talent show, as well as the weekly ‘Chance to Shine’ assembly, enable pupils to develop and celebrate their individual talents. Undertaking litter picks in the local area, links with a nearby residential home and a commitment to the United Nations Sustainability Goals further enrich the offer to pupils. This is an inclusive school, and uniqueness is valued. However, a small number of pupils are less secure in their knowledge of how people can be different. The school has a wide- ranging programme of personal development in place to teach this. 19 and 20 November 2024

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Leaders at all levels are highly ambitious and relentless in their drive to improve their school. Staff enjoy working at this school, and value the support from leaders. Parents and carers speak favourably of the school and appreciate the work of staff.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A small number of pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means that they do not benefit from all that the school has to offer. The school should continue to refine the attendance systems and procedures that it has in place, to ensure that all pupils can fully access the curriculum and the wider development opportunities that the school provides.

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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 predecessor school, St Peter’s CofE First School, to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2014. 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 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). 19 and 20 November 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, teachers, the assistant headteacher, the leader in charge of SEND and early years, trust leaders and subject leaders.  The inspector met with the CEO, a group of trustees and a governor advocate. 19 and 20 November 2024

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  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.  The inspector examined a range of school documentation.  The inspector considered the responses to the staff survey and spoke to a range of staff about their views of the school.  The inspector spoke with parents at the start of the school day and took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. The inspector also considered responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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 During the inspection, the inspector met with groups of pupils both formally and informally during different parts of the day.

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Inspection team

Donna O’Toole, 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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