St Peter's Catholic School

Inspection of St Peter’s Catholic School Whitefields Road, Solihull, West Midlands B91 3NZ

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Sixth-form provision Outstanding

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The headteacher of this school is Stuart Shelton. This school is part of Our Lady and All Saints Catholic Multi Academy Company, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The company is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Peter Davis, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Bentley. 18 and 19 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils receive an exceptional quality of education at this school. All pupils, including students in the sixth form, have an impressive thirst for knowledge and success. This is underpinned by a culture of high expectations, compassion and care. Staff and pupils have created an inclusive and welcoming environment. The school’s five virtues of ‘faith filled’, ‘attentive’, ‘intentionally loving’, ‘truthful’ and ‘hopeful’ are lived every day by pupils, staff and the whole school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils meet the school’s exceptionally high academic standards. Pupils have a strong desire to continually improve upon their previous best. Results from public examinations at GCSE and A level are extremely high. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are exceptional and this is evident in the pride they take in their written work. Pupils are encouraged to celebrate differences in society and think of those less fortunate than themselves. The development of pupil character is one of the many strengths of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils participate in a wide range and varied selection of activities and educational visits. In the sixth form, all students take part in a range of enrichment activities that complement their academic curriculum. Sixth-form students act as excellent role models for younger pupils, acting as mental health ambassadors and supporting them with their reading.

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

The school has designed and implemented a highly ambitious curriculum. This is under constant review to ensure it meets the needs of all learners. The school has carefully thought about the knowledge it wants pupils to have. The approaches the school takes to checking this knowledge help teachers to do this expertly. The curriculum, at all key stages, provides rich opportunities for pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding. Teachers are specialists in their subjects. Misconceptions are addressed promptly, and teachers adapt their lessons to ensure barriers to learning are removed.

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

The school identifies intelligently and swiftly those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result of careful and highly appropriate adaptations in lessons, pupils with SEND thrive. Staff receive extensive training on how best to support pupils with SEND. Consequently, pupils with SEND achieve well.

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

The school places reading at the heart of its curriculum. Pupils, including in the sixth form, are enthusiastic about the importance of reading, both to support their learning and for pleasure. The work that the school does to support those pupils who join the school with a reading age below their chronological age is truly impressive. The bespoke support for these pupils mean they make rapid gains in their reading abilities. As a result, these pupils access the wider curriculum confidently.

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

The school has extremely high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and conduct. These expectations are commonly shared and understood by all. Pupils are excellent 18 and 19 March 2025

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ambassadors for their school. They care deeply about one another. There are strong, mutually respectful relationships between pupils and staff. All pupils know that staff care for them and do everything they can to help them succeed.

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The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development is exceptional. The school teaches pupils important knowledge about staying safe, maintaining healthy relationships and looking after their own mental health and well-being. The work that the school does to promote careers education across all year groups is highly organised and impressive. Pupils receive timely, interesting and relevant opportunities to develop their understanding of a wide range of careers and apprenticeships. This excellent career programme is complemented by an impressive range of external speakers. Pupils receive a vast array of meaningful encounters with the world of work. This includes different sectors such as politics, finance, engineering and journalism.

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Sixth-form students play an active role in the school and benefit from excellent opportunities to experience life beyond the classroom; they relish these opportunities with pride. The school is meticulous in providing rich and varied experiences, which complement their academic studies.

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Trustees, directors and local governors support the school exceptionally well. They have pinpoint precision of the school’s strengths and areas for development and challenge the school intelligently. Leaders from the multi-academy company (MAC) work alongside the school to support its continual desire for improvement. The school is outward-facing and regularly supports other schools within the MAC and beyond.

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Staff are justifiably proud to work at the school. The school has a harmonious and collaborative family culture. Staff know that school leaders care about them and do everything they can to support their workload and well-being. As one staff member summed up, echoed by many others, ‘I couldn’t imagine working anywhere else.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 18 and 19 March 2025

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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). 18 and 19 March 2025

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1313

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form

Date of previous inspection 19 to 20 November 2014 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 This is a Catholic school and is part of the Archdiocese of Birmingham. The school’s religious character was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 on November 2019.  The school uses three registered providers of alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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The inspector(s) 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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 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspection team met with senior leaders, a selection of subject leaders, teachers and support staff. They also spoke to pupils, including those in the sixth form, throughout the inspection.  Inspectors met with the representatives of the multi-academy company, including the chair, the CEO and representatives of the local governing board. The lead inspector also held a telephone call with a representative from the diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, science, history, modern foreign languages and design and technology. For each deep dive,

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inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subject areas.  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 scrutinised a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans.  The views of pupils, parents and carers and staff were considered through discussions and a review of Ofsted’s surveys, including Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Neil Warner, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Wayne Simner Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 March 2025

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Gwen Onyon Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 March 2025

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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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