St Peter's CofE Primary School

St Peter's CofE Primary School

Address: Shrubbery Gardens, Wem, Shrewsbury, Shropshire, SY4 5BX Unique reference number (URN): 145790

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific 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, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders' work in establishing and sustaining regular attendance and positive behaviour is effective. Leaders identify and evaluate patterns in pupils' absence to determine the support that pupils need to attend well. Pupils' attendance is broadly in line with the national average. Leaders’ work to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is having a positive impact. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND is improving.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Generally, pupils behave well. Pupils settle to their work quickly. They are kind and polite and treat others respectfully. Pupils typically move around the school quietly and in a well- ordered way. Pupils respond positively when adults remind them of the school's expectations of their behaviour. The school does not tolerate bullying. Any issues of bullying are dealt with effectively. Pupils feel confident to speak to an adult at school if they have any concerns. At social times, pupils behave well. Adults arrange games in the playground. Pupils enjoy playing these games and mix well with their peers, showing care for others.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils in early years make appropriate progress from their starting points. Leaders have planned a curriculum that includes suitable content on the 7 areas of early learning. The curriculum is sequenced to help children build their skills and knowledge over time. Early years staff review children's progress and development regularly. This informs children's next steps in learning and enables children to develop their knowledge and skills securely.

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Early years Expected standard

The school provides a nurturing and safe environment for early years children. Children form positive relationships with adults and enjoy a calm and purposeful environment. Well- established routines mean that children know what is expected of them. Children grow in independence and engage well in the activities that adults plan for them.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff are skilled in watching and listening carefully to children. Staff know when to interact to develop children's language or skills and when to let children work things out for themselves. Staff carefully model language. As a result, children's language skills develop well, especially the language skills of disadvantaged children and children who are at the earlier stages of language development. Staff also ensure that children use the outdoor space purposefully to continue to develop children's skills through play.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders provide a suitable range of activities and opportunities to support pupils’ wider personal development. Leaders track pupils' participation in extra-curricular activities to ensure that disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities take part alongside their peers. Pupils' participation is rising.

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Needs attention

Leaders work to ensure that all pupils benefit from a variety of enrichment activities and educational visits. Opportunities include residential visits, careers activities, music tuition and participation in pupil leadership teams. These activities broaden pupils' experiences and help pupils to develop confidence and responsibility. Pupils particularly value the Friday enrichment programme and speak positively about the clubs and activities available to them.

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Needs attention

Pupils learn about democracy and citizenship through activities such as visits to the Houses of Parliament, the school council and school elections. The school’s work as a 'School of Sanctuary' reflects leaders’ commitment to creating a welcoming environment for all pupils. Pupils value the school being a kind and welcoming place to be. Pupils demonstrate the values of tolerance and respect.

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Needs attention

Pupils learn about different faiths, cultures and communities through the curriculum and wider experiences. However, more work is needed to ensure that pupils gain a deeper understanding of cultures beyond their own.

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Needs attention

The school provides pupils with age-appropriate relationships education. Pupils know how to keep themselves healthy and safe, including online. Pupils know who to go to should they have any concerns. They feel that school is a positive place to be. Pupils are confident that adults would help them if they had any problems. Leaders ensure that staff have the training to support pupils' social and emotional needs. The school's work to support pupils with social and emotional needs is well developed.

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Achievement Needs attention

Many pupils achieve well in reading and mathematics at the end of key stage 2. However, a significant minority of pupils develop gaps in their knowledge as they progress through the school. This limits pupils' achievement, both from their individual starting points and in key stage 2 national tests. This is particularly the case for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and for disadvantaged pupils.

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Achievement Needs attention

The school does not secure basic knowledge and skills well enough for some pupils, both in reading and writing. This is because of weaknesses in the curriculum and teaching. In reading, some pupils do not secure a basic phonics knowledge quickly enough. In writing, some pupils do not master the basic skills before teachers move on to more advanced work. The school does not support some pupils to develop a secure pencil grip. This means that some pupils struggle to write with accuracy and fluency. As a result, some pupils are not sufficiently well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

School and trust leaders have a clear view of the strengths and weaknesses of the curriculum and teaching. Leaders are taking appropriate action to improve the quality of teaching. For example, leaders are introducing new learning objectives in lessons so that pupils are clear about what they are learning. However, school leaders' actions are recent. There has not been sufficient time for leaders' actions to have the desired impact.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Some pupils lack the foundational knowledge and skills that they need to achieve well. For example, some pupils are not making enough progress in learning to read, particularly some disadvantaged pupils and some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Sometimes, the books that the school gives pupils to read are not appropriate because they contain sounds that pupils do not know well enough. Phonics teaching does not meet the needs of some pupils who require additional support to secure basic phonics knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Also, the school's curriculum does not support the development of pupils' writing well enough, including with regard to pupils' handwriting and sentence structure. These weaknesses in the curriculum mean that some pupils do not make appropriate progress in securing and developing their writing skills.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The school has processes in place to identify pupils who need extra help to succeed. Leaders provide training for staff to support these pupils, such as training to adapt teaching so that all pupils can make appropriate progress. However, this training is recent. It has not yet led to teachers consistently meeting some pupils’ needs. This is particularly the case for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers and other staff do not provide some pupils with SEND with the support that they need to make appropriate progress from their starting points.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders do not fully evaluate their use of the school's additional funding for disadvantaged pupils. Leaders have not identified precisely enough the reasons why disadvantaged pupils' achievement is below that of their peers nationally. As a result, disadvantaged pupils' achievement remains a priority for improvement. Leaders are beginning to address disadvantaged pupils' achievement by improving the quality of teaching in the school. However, it is too soon to see the impact of this work.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The school works collaboratively with a range of external agencies and professionals. For example, it partners with organisations who support pupils known or previously known to social care and their families so that these pupils can engage positively with school.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Those responsible for governance and trust executive leaders know the school well. They recognise that the school has recently had a period of turbulence in staffing, especially in senior leadership. They have identified that their work to ensure that the extra funding for disadvantaged pupils is spent well has not been as effective as it needs to be.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Trustees and trust leaders have taken actions in the best interests of pupils to improve leadership, teaching and curriculum in the school. They are passionate about the school and are determined that it improves. However, it is too soon to see the impact of this action because most of the strategies are relatively new. Leaders have implemented a programme of professional development which matches the school's development needs. However, this has not translated into teachers’ ability to consistently meet the needs of more vulnerable pupils. Leaders have not yet evaluated the strategic plans for disadvantaged pupils in terms of their impact on pupils’ achievement.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff are positive about the way in which leaders help them manage their workload. However, as a result of turbulence in leadership, staff are not clear about the school's main priorities and strategic direction.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The school works collaboratively and positively with a range of external partners. This benefits pupils well.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils at St Peter's like coming to school. Most pupils attend well and enjoy the school's welcoming environment. Leaders have created a school where pupils feel safe and valued. Leaders and staff have high aspirations for pupils. Pupils enjoy building relationships with staff. They know that there is always an adult to help them when needed. Pupils have caring attitudes and they are kind to one another. Bullying doesn't happen often. If it does happen, teachers sort it out quickly. Generally, pupils behave well and act responsibly in school. Pupils are respectful to staff and to each other.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities that support their personal development and enrich their learning. Pupils fulfil the school's vision for them to flourish as individuals. Pupils help others through schemes such as 'breaktime buddies' and by becoming first aiders. Pupils also help people in the wider community by raising money for charities. Pupils enjoy visiting speakers, sporting opportunities and a range of trips to local museums. Younger pupils particularly like developing their physical skills in the outdoor forest areas. However, pupils do not gain enough experience of cultures and traditions outside of their own.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Most pupils achieve well at school. Children in early years make a successful start to their learning, quickly gaining confidence and building their skills. However, at key stage 1 and 2, some disadvantaged pupils and some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not achieve as well as they could. The school does not provide effective enough support to help some pupils keep up or catch up with their peers.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently adapt the curriculum and teaching to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and the needs of disadvantaged pupils, more effectively. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in reading and writing is planned and implemented effectively so that pupils quickly become accurate and fluent readers and writers.

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Team inspectors:

Keri Baylis, His Majesty's Inspector Barry Yeardsley, His Majesty's Inspector Luke Bridges, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

Leaders should ensure that pupils gain a deep understanding of cultures beyond their own so that pupils are better prepared for life in modern Britain. Trustees should ensure that the school's pupil premium strategy is planned, implemented and evaluated rigorously so that the use of the school's pupil premium funding has a positive impact on disadvantaged pupils' achievement. Leaders should ensure that they provide high-quality training and professional development for staff in pedagogy, and meeting the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils so that these pupils achieve more highly.

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About this inspection

This school is part of the Empower Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Carla Whelan, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Bunting.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with trustees, governors, trust leaders, school leaders and school staff during the inspection.

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About this inspection

This school is registered as having a Church of England religious character. It is in the Diocese of Lichfield. Its last section 48 inspection was In October 2025.

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About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school also, under the same registration, runs a nursery at the same address as the school.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Cathy Davies This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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About this inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 6 May 2026

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2024/25 (final) 60% 62% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 60% 61% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 60% 60% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (final) 71% 75% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 74% 74% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (final) 74% 72% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 74% 72% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 68% 71% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 75% 73% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 67% 73% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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average

2022/23 (final) 33% 44% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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national average

2023/24 (final) 53% 62% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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average

2023/24 (final) 47% 58% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 47% 58% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 53% 59% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 5.3% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.4% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.3% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 12.8% 13.0% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 14.3% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 13.5% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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