Edward Peake CofE VC School

DRAFT – not for publication The inspection was carried out because concerns had been raised with Ofsted about standards of education and the effectiveness of leadership and governance.

p.1

During the focused monitoring inspection, inspectors considered the following evaluation areas:

p.1

 Safeguarding  Leadership and governance  Curriculum and teaching  Achievement

p.1

Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.

p.1

Leadership and governance

The school is an inclusive and harmonious place to be. Positive relationships exist between staff, pupils, and parents and carers. Leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and the aspects it needs to improve. They have taken effective action to address identified weaknesses. These include pupils’ low attainment in national assessments at the end of key stage 2, particularly in writing. Leaders have introduced a whole-school approach to teaching literacy, which is improving writing across the curriculum.

p.1

Edward Peake CofE VC School

Potton Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, SG18 0EJ

p.1

monitoring inspection report:

24 February 2026 Monitoring inspection report: Edward Peake CofE VC School 24 February 2026 Leaders have taken appropriate steps to ensure that staff have the expertise to teach their subjects to pupils in key stage 4, so that these pupils achieve well. For instance, leaders and staff have had suitable training, sought guidance and support from other secondary schools, and acted upon specialist external advice. This has improved staff’s knowledge, for example, of GCSE assessment and examination criteria. Staff have a better understanding of what effective provision in secondary schools looks like. They typically feel well supported to carry out their roles effectively. Staff appreciate the consideration that leaders give to their wellbeing and workload.

p.1

monitoring inspection report:

Governors know their school and have appropriate processes in place to check that pupils are safe. However, they acknowledge that more work is needed to ensure that all governors have the expertise required to provide consistently robust, rigorous challenge and to drive up standards of education across the school.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching

The school provides a broad, ambitious curriculum for pupils. Leaders have thought carefully about what pupils need to know to achieve well, including subject-specific vocabulary, and the order in which this knowledge should be learned. This content is revisited to help pupils remember it.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching

Staff typically have secure subject knowledge. They use this to introduce new learning clearly and engagingly. Staff are often skilled at checking what pupils know. Staff use information from these checks to adjust the curriculum to address any misunderstandings or gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Sometimes, staff do not check pupils’ learning well enough. Consequently, gaps and errors in pupils’ understanding are not closed as effectively as they should be. Leaders know this. They are providing appropriate support to staff to ensure that teaching is consistently effective.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching

Pupils who find reading hard are identified and supported to improve. Staff are aware that some pupils struggle to write well. Increasingly, pupils get useful opportunities to practise and develop their extended writing.

p.2

Curriculum and teaching

Staff know the needs of pupils well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff use this information to adapt their teaching and, where necessary, provide additional support so that all pupils can access learning successfully.

p.2

Achievement

Typically, pupils, including those pupils with SEND, learn the intended curriculum. Across a range of subjects, they know and can recall important subject knowledge. Where teaching is particularly effective, pupils develop the breadth and depth of knowledge they need to achieve highly. Pupils often produce high-quality work. When teaching is less effective, pupils do not always build key knowledge as securely as they could. Monitoring inspection report: Edward Peake CofE VC School 24 February 2026 Staff create opportunities across the curriculum for pupils to read often and widely. Consequently, pupils build their competence and confidence. Most pupils write clearly and well. As a result of leaders’ actions to improve pupils’ literacy, and their writing in particular, pupils can communicate their ideas in a range of ways with growing accuracy and clarity.

p.2

Achievement

Pupils increasingly understand what they need to do to achieve well in national examinations at the end of key stage 4. Staff prepare them effectively to do so. Pupils learn first hand about careers and the world of work. They are prepared for the wider world when they cover topics, such as staying safe online, and social issues, such as misogyny.

p.3

Next Steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance should, in addition to the next steps raised at the school’s last full inspection:

p.3

Next Steps

 Leaders should continue to further develop the knowledge and skills of governors, so that they are equipped to provide consistently rigorous challenge to leaders across all aspects of the school’s work.

p.3

About this inspection

This inspection was conducted under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and in accordance with Ofsted's published procedures for focused monitoring inspections.

p.3

About this inspection

The inspection team spoke to senior leaders and members of the school’s local governing board. The lead inspector also spoke to a representative from the local authority. Inspectors visited lessons, met with staff, spoke to pupils and observed their behaviour at breaktime and lunchtime.

p.3

About this inspection

Ofsted surveys were opened for this inspection. Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and took account of responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff and pupils.

p.3

About this inspection

Since the previous inspection, the age range of the school has changed. The school moved from operating as a middle school to a secondary school in September 2025. The oldest pupils in the school are currently in Year 10.

p.3

Team inspector

Jane Burton Ofsted Inspector Monitoring inspection report: Edward Peake CofE VC School 24 February 2026

p.3

applicable)

No Monitoring inspection report: Edward Peake CofE VC School 24 February 2026 regulates and inspects to 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.

p.4

applicable)

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.5

applicable)

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.5

applicable)

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.5

applicable)

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.5