St Peter's Church of England Aided School

Inspection Report St Peter's Church of England Aided School

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113553 Unique Reference Number Devon LEA 279200 Inspection number 8 March 2006 to 9 March 2006 Inspection dates Carole Raymond HMI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Quarry Lane School address Comprehensive Type of school Exeter Voluntary aided School category Devon EX2 5AP 11 to 16 Age range of pupils 01392 204764 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01392 204763 Fax number 1256 Number on roll Mrs H Morgan Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr M Perry Headteacher 3 April 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279200 8 March 2006 - 11 to 16 9 March 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and four Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

St Peter’s is a popular and oversubscribed school of above average size with a distinctive Christian ethos. Attainment on entry is above average. Very few students have English as an additional language and the percentage of students with learning difficulties or disabilities is low. The percentage of students eligible for free school meals is below average. The school is designated a specialist school in languages and has received national awards for some of the work in this area. It is also involved in a local teacher training partnership.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Peter's Church of England Aided School, 8 March 2006 to 9 March 2006

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory education for its students and the guidance and support they receive is a strength. This is particularly important in the challenging environment in which the school currently works. It is undertaking major reorganisation, taking in Year 7 students for the first time and soon to relocate to new buildings. Governors and senior staff are leading this process effectively. The school believes its overall effectiveness is good; inspectors believe it to be satisfactory. Although students’ standards of attainment are high, their achievement in relation to their capabilities and to the context of the school is satisfactory. In order to meet its target for 2006, the school is offering additional support for a significant number of students who are underperforming. Since the last inspection, behaviour management, the school’s curriculum and access to computers have all improved.

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Grade: 3

However, more work is needed to improve other areas. For example, the uses of assessment data to inform learning remains too variable and, apart from a rise in 2004, standards have remained broadly the same. The recent restructuring of the senior management team and recruitment of new subject managers have brought a fresh approach to addressing the inconsistencies across subjects; both in the use of data to inform learning and action taken to raise students’ achievement. This action gives every confidence that this is a school which has the capacity to improve. The specialist school status is improving the quality and range of provision in modern foreign languages and across the school. It has helped to raise standards in languages and strengthened links with primary schools and community groups through outreach work.

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What the school should do to improve further

In order to improve the progress students make the headteacher and governors should ensure: •all staff understand the data with which they are provided and use it consistently and effectively to improve students’ progress •the quality of teaching is consistently good within and across subjects •more rigorous self-evaluation focuses on the effects on students’ achievements of management’s actions and of styles of teaching and learning.

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Grade: 3

Standards of attainment are high. However, students’ achievement in relation to their capabilities and to the context of the school is satisfactory. The school’s results have been consistently above average at the end of Years 9 and 11. Students reach high standards in this respect. However, in 2005, given their above average attainment on entry, students had only made satisfactory progress by the end of Year 9 and their progress in science was inadequate. Although Year 11 students made good progress in 2004, the progress measures for the last three years show that 2 Inspection Report: St Peter's Church of England Aided School, 8 March 2006 to 9 March 2006 students generally make satisfactory progress. Individual education plans are reviewed frequently so students with learning difficulties and disabilities progress at least as well as expected. The few students for whom English is not their first language make

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Grade: 3

good progress. There are no significant gaps between girls’ and boys’ attainment. In 2005, Year 11 students obtained inconsistent results across subjects, so that those who achieved well in English and mathematics, for example, performed significantly less well in science and several other subjects. The school did not meet its most recent target for A*–C grades. In order to meet its target for 2006, the school has identified a significant number of students who are underperforming. However, further constructive management actions are required to ensure that inconsistencies between subject performance and in the quality of teaching are ironed out. Although standards are high, many students could be challenged more and make better progress.

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Grade: 2

Students’ personal development and well-being are good. Students enjoy their education and feel they make a positive contribution to school life through the school council and various consultations on travel and catering. Attendance is satisfactory and the school is developing its strategy to improve this. Students’ behaviour is satisfactory. It is good in lessons and this shows an improvement since the last inspection. Behaviour around the school, outside lesson time, is more variable with reported instances of stone throwing and general pushing, shoving and pulling of bags when moving around the corridors. This, in part, explains why a minority of parents disagree that behaviour in school is good. Students respond well to opportunities to reflect on some of life’s issues. For example, the Initiatives in Christian Education drama group engages students in practical workshops on big issues. They have a good sense of right and wrong and their sense

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Grade: 2

of moral responsibility is good. Links with their own Church and with the Roman Catholic Church and discussions about world religions help students develop a good spiritual understanding. Students have a good awareness of the importance of staying healthy and being safe. They know and understand about a range of issues related to sexual health and relationships and engage in some mature and sensitive discussions in personal, social and health education (PSHE) lessons. Students also gain a clear understanding of the world of work through work experience and through the programme of careers guidance. 3 Inspection Report: St Peter's Church of England Aided School, 8 March 2006 to 9 March 2006

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall but with some variations in quality. Although there were many notable good features, there was a lack of outstanding teaching. However, all the teaching seen was at least satisfactory. Teachers use a range of strategies to manage most students’ behaviour effectively. These are notable improvements since the last inspection. In good lessons, a range of tasks involve students in the learning process and some teachers use information and communication technology (ICT) effectively to motivate students and improve their learning. The use of video conferencing with a partner school in Germany is particularly successful in enriching students’ learning in languages. In some lessons, teachers make good use of assessment data to ensure new learning consolidates and develops students’ knowledge, understanding and skills. This was especially notable in Year 11 chemistry, Year 10 geography and lessons in modern

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Grade: 3

foreign languages. In less successful lessons, teaching methods lead to a slower pace of teaching and teachers’ low expectations limit students’ learning. Teachers’ planning does not always take into account the range of learning needs within the class, so that the level of work set is for those of average ability, and some students are not sufficiently challenged as a result.

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Grade: 2

The school offers a good curriculum that meets statutory requirements. Weaknesses identified in the last inspection have been resolved. Students in Key Stage 3 appreciate the opportunity to study drama and those in Key Stage 4 value the good range of options, including vocational courses and work related learning opportunities, which help to meet their individual needs. A course in international studies is a distinctive feature. A strength of the personal education programme is the way that the school meets the range of students’ needs through good cooperation with outside agencies, including the health service, the police and the Exeter Drugs Project. Students and parents place a high value on the extensive range of activities outside lessons which help to broaden their education. The opportunity to participate in the Combined Cadet Force is particularly popular. The specialist schools status is improving the quality and range of provision in modern

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Grade: 2

foreign languages and across the school. All students study two foreign languages in Years 8 & 9 and at least one foreign language and increasingly two or three at Key Stage 4. The school is particularly successful in developing languages with multicultural aspects of the curriculum through its links with Germany, France, Poland and Malawi. Students have very good opportunities to develop their language skills still further by participating in exchanges and school trips abroad. Language college status is also 4 Inspection Report: St Peter's Church of England Aided School, 8 March 2006 to 9 March 2006 strengthening links with primary schools and community groups through outreach work.

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Grade: 2

The quality of care, guidance and support for students is good. There are appropriate procedures for child protection, risk assessment and health and safety. Incidents of racism or bullying are rare and students appreciate how these are dealt with seriously by staff. Students feel safe because there are adults to whom they can turn, including a school nurse and a school chaplain. Support for vulnerable students is good. Good support in preparing for GCSE enables many students to raise their attainment. All students receive good guidance about the next steps for learning or careers. Senior students benefit from good cooperation with the Connexions service and Exeter College. There are very good arrangements for reporting students’ attainment to parents. However, not all students are well informed about their personal targets or understand how to raise their achievement. There is no register of able students.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory with good features. The school is oversubscribed and valued by parents, particularly for its Christian ethos. It is undertaking a major reorganisation, taking in Year 7 students for the first time last September and soon relocating to new buildings. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and governors are leading this process effectively. Financial procedures are good and the school provides sound value for money. Self-evaluation is satisfactory and shows that the school has an accurate and detailed view of its effectiveness in some areas, notably personal development and well-being, curriculum provision and care, support and guidance. In other areas, the picture painted by the school is more positive than that found by inspectors. For example, the school believes that achievements and standards are good, teaching is good and the overall effectiveness is good. Inspectors judge these areas to be satisfactory, recognising

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Grade: 3

some good features. This is because the monitoring and evaluation of management actions and teaching and learning are insufficiently focused on their impact on students’ achievement. The school’s judgements on standards and achievement have been clouded by the standards pupils attain, rather than using the data on pupils’ performances against their capabilities and the context of the school. The school has detailed systems, undertaking biennial reviews of provision in subjects and half-yearly reviews of progress. Students and parents are fully involved through questionnaires and discussions with governors. While these processes provide a lot of information and highlight good practice, development points are not focused on the outcomes of actions on raising students’ achievement and improving the quality of provision. Monitoring of teaching is not rigorous enough to provide robust feedback 5 Inspection Report: St Peter's Church of England Aided School, 8 March 2006 to 9 March 2006

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Grade: 3

to teachers on students’ progress and so increase the proportion of good teaching. The school failed to meet its GCSE target in 2005. The energetic and committed governing body plays a key role in maintaining the school’s Christian ethos, linking with the wider community, setting priorities and reviewing the school’s work. It provides effective challenge and support to senior staff. Since the last inspection, behaviour management, the school curriculum and access to computers have all been improved. Standards have remained broadly the same, with science and art still areas of comparative weakness. The use of data to inform learning remains too variable. The senior leadership team has been restructured recently. Newly appointed assistant headteachers are providing a renewed focus on improving learning by line managing subjects and year groups. In the last inspection report, some subject leaders were criticised. Many of the current subject leaders are relatively new. There

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Grade: 3

is as yet limited evidence of their influence. New senior and middle leaders have brought fresh ideas and started to address weaknesses. These recent actions indicate that the school has the capacity to improve. 6 Inspection Report: St Peter's Church of England Aided School, 8 March 2006 to 9 March 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: St Peter's Church of England Aided School, 8 March 2006 to 9 March 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA NA The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 3 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 3 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams Yes Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form Yes Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I would like to thank you for the help you provided to the inspection team when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed discussing the work you were doing and listening to your thoughts about your education at St Peter’s. As a result of our inspection, we believe the school provides you with a satisfactory education. We have made this decision because, although your standards of work are high, we believe many of you could be challenged still further and achieve more in some subjects. The good features of the school are: •The school offers a broad curriculum which gives you a good choice and a wide range of additional experiences. •Teachers and other adults help you to feel safe and secure and encourage you to lead healthy lifestyles. •The specialist language status has brought many benefits, not just for you but for primary schools and people in the community. It has also helped you gain further insights into other countries. We believe your school needs to:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

•Challenge you still further because your achievement is not as good as it should be •Ensure all teaching is challenging to ensure you all learn more. You will soon be moving into the new school buildings and we believe this will give you all a new beginning to work with your teachers to achieve more.

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