St Peter's CofE Academy

Inspection of St Peter’s CofE Academy Lord’s Mead, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN14 0LL

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

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The headteacher of this school is Gordon Nunn. This school is part of the Blue Kite 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), Gary Evans, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Pauline Miller. 3 and 4 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to attend this inclusive and nurturing school. They describe it as a fun and welcoming place. Pupils know how the school’s values help them to understand the importance of showing care and respect to others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Despite this, the quality of education that pupils receive is too variable across different subjects. Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and struggle to recall what they have learned previously. This means they do not learn as well as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff ensure that pupils understand the importance of following the school rules of ‘ready, respectful, safe’. Most pupils meet these expectations. This starts in early years where children listen carefully and follow the routines that are in place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. They form trusting relationships with staff. Pupils know that staff will listen and help them with any worries or concerns that arise. Trained staff provide effective support to pupils who struggle to manage their emotions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of opportunities such as martial arts, a residential visit, and the annual talent show. They take pride in carrying out their leadership roles, which include worship and school council. Pupils know how these roles help them to improve their school.

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

Since the last inspection, there has been significant senior leadership and staffing change. The oversight of the multi-academy trust has brought stability and renewed challenge to the school. Robust plans are now in place to bring about the necessary improvements. However, it is too early to see the impact on the quality of education that pupils receive.

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

The school is developing its approaches to evaluating the impact of its actions. Where this is effective, the school uses this information to bring about positive changes. For example, following a detailed review, leaders have ensured that the curriculum now clearly identifies the important knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn and when. However, the school’s approaches for checking how well pupils learn the curriculum are not sufficiently precise. As a result, it makes it difficult for the school to address any shortcomings that may exist, including any issues with pupils’ progress through the curriculum.

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

In some subjects, teachers have the subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum well. This enables pupils to build their knowledge effectively. In mathematics, for example, children in Reception Year confidently create number sentences up to 10. Older pupils use their knowledge of shape to solve problems involving angles. However, in some other subjects, staff’s knowledge is less secure. Learning is not adapted well enough to meet pupils’ needs. The systems to check that pupils learn and remember the intended curriculum are not fully embedded. This hampers the progress pupils make through the curriculum. 3 and 4 June 2025

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Reading is the highest priority for the school and begins in the early years. Staff in Reception Year deliver the phonics curriculum effectively. Most children learn and remember new sounds well. If pupils fall behind, they receive the support they need to help them to catch up quickly. Pupils enjoy reading and read a range of texts with increasing accuracy and fluency.

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There are an increasing number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) who attend the school. The school accurately identifies the needs of these pupils. However, the support that some pupils with SEND receive varies across the school. Where this support is effective, pupils with SEND achieve highly. For example, older pupils with SEND use words such as ‘forlornly’ to describe emotions in their writing. Where this is not the case, some pupils with SEND do not receive the support they need. This affects how well these pupils progress through the curriculum.

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Most pupils display positive attitudes towards school. Children in Reception Year eagerly share their ideas during class discussions. Pupils behave well during social times. They enjoy accessing the range of equipment on offer to them and spending time with their friends.

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The school monitors attendance rigorously. It uses the knowledge of individual families to provide effective support to those pupils whose attendance is a concern. Most pupils attend school regularly and persistent absence is reducing year on year because of this.

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The school supports pupils’ personal development effectively. Most pupils know why fundamental British values such as democracy give people a voice. They develop their character by raising money for a local search and rescue charity. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Trustees and local governors are committed to improving the school. They offer appropriate support and challenge. Staff’s morale is high. Staff appreciate the school’s consideration of their well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, learning is not adapted well enough to meet pupils’ needs. Where this is the case, pupils, including those with SEND, do not develop their knowledge well enough across the curriculum. The school needs to ensure that learning is suitably adapted so that all groups of pupils progress through the curriculum well. 3 and 4 June 2025

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 Assessment is still being developed in some wider curriculum subjects. Where this is the case, it is not used well enough to check that pupils have remembered what they have been taught. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge and do not build it well over time. The school needs to ensure that assessment is used effectively to identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge and to help pupils to learn and remember the curriculum successfully in all subjects.  The school’s approaches for evaluating the impact of its work do not provide leaders with a clear enough view on how well the curriculum is implemented in some subjects. This affects how well the school understands the impact of the curriculum on pupils’ learning. The school should ensure that it has clarity about how well the curriculum is taught and how well pupils learn and use this information to bring about the necessary improvements to the quality of education that pupils receive.

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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). 3 and 4 June 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 November 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 St Peter’s CofE Academy converted to become an academy school in September 2014. Until December 2024, it was part of the Diocese of Bristol Academies Trust. The school joined the Blue Kite Academy Trust in January 2025.  The current headteacher was appointed to their substantive post in May 2025, having been the co-headteacher from September 2023.  The school is a Church of England school, within the Diocese of Bristol. The last section 48 inspection took place in January 2023.  There is a before- and after-school club, which the governing body manages.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision. 3 and 4 June 2025

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the acting assistant headteacher, subject leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. They also met with groups of staff and pupils, and representatives from the local governing body, including the chair of governors.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the trust, including the chief executive officer and the chair of trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, looked at samples of pupils’ work and spoke to pupils about their learning.

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Information about this inspection

 An inspector spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, they spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration the online Ofsted staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Ben Jordan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lizzy Meadows Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 June 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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