Our Lady of Peace Catholic Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Our Lady of Peace Catholic Primary and Nursery School Derwent Drive, Slough, Berkshire SL1 6HW

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Outcome

Our Lady of Peace Catholic Primary and Nursery 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 are proud to be part of this nurturing school and look forward to attending every day. They understand the school’s high expectations, which are reinforced right from the start in Nursery. Pupils strive to live out the school’s values. They delight in achieving certificates through school assemblies for their kindness and willingness to help others. The school knows pupils well and understands exactly what they need to succeed socially, emotionally and academically. Pupils thrive, feeling valued and secure. No matter what their starting point, pupils achieve highly and are ready for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave calmly, considerately and responsibly. Staff set clear routines for behaviour, which are followed consistently throughout the school. Pupils contribute enthusiastically during lessons, work cooperatively with others and try hard to live up to the school’s high expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff actively look for ways to develop pupils’ confidence such as organising games for younger pupils at social times and singing with the school choir in the local community. Pupils rightly trust staff and know that they can turn to adults for help and advice or to share their concerns. Pupils learn that everyone should be treated with compassion and equity. As a result, pupils feel welcome in this school.

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

The school has developed a broad and ambitious curriculum from Nursery to Year 6. The curriculum has been further refined so staff know precisely what pupils must understand to develop a rich body of knowledge securely. Pupils are inspired as they learn about 29 and 30 April 2025

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notable scientists, mathematicians and artists from different cultures and how they contributed to society. In each subject, the school has identified key technical vocabulary and its meaning. Pupils use this vocabulary frequently during discussions. This benefits pupils who are at the early stages of learning English and those who need extra practice particularly effectively. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified quickly. The school is ambitious that pupils with SEND will achieve well and gives them expert support to do so.

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In a minority of foundation subjects, where the teacher’s subject knowledge is less well developed, pupils do not have regular opportunities to extend their thinking and, as a result, do not learn in as much depth as they could. Most subjects are well established, and staff have expert subject knowledge. Activities are well designed and adapted so all pupils can learn the same curriculum. Staff routinely check what pupils remember from previous lessons and revisit concepts where necessary. New ideas are explained clearly so all pupils can keep up with the curriculum. Staff use questioning highly effectively to promote pupils’ thinking and reasoning and to identify any misconceptions. Pupils build their learning securely from lesson to lesson. Pupils make connections between subjects and achieve exceptionally well.

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The school checks pupils’ learning effectively. More formal checks are used to identify areas of the curriculum where pupils’ understanding is less secure so that pupils revisit these as needed. During lessons, staff take opportunities to check that pupils understand their learning before moving on to more difficult areas of the curriculum. Teachers notice if anyone is struggling to keep up. They adapt their teaching and use resources so all pupils are supported to build their confidence and achieve well.

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Reading is taught well. As soon as pupils start in Reception, they learn the sounds that letters make and how to write them independently. Any pupils who struggle are supported by expert staff to keep up in lessons or catch up through additional teaching in small groups. The school offers many incentives for pupils to develop strong reading habits. By the end of Year 2, most pupils read fluently and are ready for key stage 2. Pupils read many high-quality books by a wide range of authors and love to read independently.

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Pupils are encouraged to value and respect everyone. They learn about working together and understand that everyone should be treated fairly. Pupils raise funds for local and international charities. The school teaches pupils how to be good citizens through roles of responsibility in the school and visiting local care homes for senior citizens. Pupils learn how to build positive relationships and how to look after themselves in the real world and on the internet.

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The school does all it can to help pupils overcome any barriers to attendance. Staff understand pupils and their families well. Patterns of attendance are analysed closely, and support for families is offered immediately where needed.

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The interim executive board members understand their strategic roles and contribute knowledgeably to the shared vision for the school. They are determined that all pupils will get what they need to overcome any barriers to learning and achieve well. The school 29 and 30 April 2025

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ensures that staff well-being and workload stay high on the agenda. Staff are proud to be part of this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of foundation subjects, pupils do not consistently have sufficient opportunities to extend their thinking. As a result, pupils’ understanding of these subjects is not as deep as it could be. The school should support staff to further develop their subject knowledge and enable pupils to meet the school’s ambitious expectations equally well in all subjects.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2019.

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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. 29 and 30 April 2025

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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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority Interim executive board

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 March 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Governance is currently provided by an interim executive board of expert practitioners to support the school through a period of change.  The school runs its own Nursery.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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 the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. She also met with members of the interim executive board and representatives from the local authority and the diocese.  The inspector met with some pupils to discuss their learning. 29 and 30 April 2025

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 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’ interest first.  The inspector considered parents’ views expressed through Ofsted Parent View, including any free-text comments.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Throughout the inspection, the inspector met with groups of staff. She also considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Jo Brinkley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 29 and 30 April 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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