St Peter's Church of England Controlled Primary School and Nursery

St Peter's Church of England Controlled Primary School Inspection report

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123474 Unique Reference Number Telford and Wrekin Local Authority 314607 Inspection number 17 °18 October 2007 Inspection dates Lois Furness Reporting inspector

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

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Primary Type of school Voluntary controlled School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 183 School The governing body Appropriate authority Gareth Lamb Chair C Hawkins Headteacher 1 January 0001 Date of previous school inspection Stackyard Lane School address Edgmond Newport TF10 8JQ 01952386680 Telephone number 01952386684 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 17 °18 October 2007 Inspection dates 314607 Inspection number .

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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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This smaller than average school draws most of its pupils from an area of social and economic advantage. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. The current headteacher was appointed in January 2006. The school has Investors in People status.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: St Peter's Church of England Controlled Primary School, 17 °18 October 2007

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Grade: 2

This popular school provides a good education for its pupils which results in them being well prepared for the next stage of their education. All staff are very committed to raising academic standards while still providing an interesting, relevant and creative curriculum. Pupils appreciate this and say, 'Lessons are fun because we do lots of exciting things.' Their enjoyment of school is clear as they very enthusiastically take part in lessons and in the many extra-curricular activities, including sporting, which are offered to them. Well above average attendance confirms these very positive attitudes. Each pupil is valued as an individual and staff provide effective pastoral care. This successfully influences pupils' personal development, which is good, and their outstanding behaviour. The good emphasis on leading a healthy lifestyle means that pupils have a clear understanding of the need to eat sensibly and take regular exercise. They know how to keep themselves safe.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are proud to take on jobs around school and to help others by raising money for charity. Involvement with the church community contributes greatly to their enjoyment and their good social, spiritual and moral development. Pupils say they feel safe, knowing an adult will always listen to them. Parents also recognise the good quality care and comment on the warm and happy atmosphere that is evident whenever you visit the school. Provision for children in the Reception class is good, which means they get off to a good start to their school life. By the time pupils leave in Year 6, standards are above average in English, mathematics and science, and achievement is good. However, progress in mathematics is not as good as in English and science, because activities do not always meet the needs of all pupils and are sometimes too easy for them. Writing standards improved considerably in 2007, as a result of teachers helping pupils understand how to improve their work. Teaching is good, and

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Grade: 2

the use of strategies such as sharing the learning intention for the lesson, and how to achieve this by knowing the 'success criteria', are proving effective. In English, pupils are provided with clear guidance about the good features of their work and how they can make it even better. This good practice is not as evident in other subjects. In mathematics in particular, pupils are less aware of how to attain higher standards. Teaching assistants are deployed well to ensure that pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are included in all lessons. The headteacher provides clear direction for the school's work. A real strength of her leadership is the way she has established good quality teamwork which ensures everyone plays an integral part in moving the school forward. A particularly good feature is the rigorous monitoring and evaluation procedures which accurately identify strengths and weaknesses in provision. Once

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Grade: 2

identified, the strategies put in place are effective, as can be seen by the improved writing standards. The headteacher has also rightly identified that, although the indoor curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is good, opportunities for outdoor learning are not sufficiently well developed. In view of the good improvement since the previous inspection and the enthusiasm and commitment of staff, the school has good capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 2

When starting school in Reception, children's skills are above those expected for their age. As a result of good teaching, progress is good. By the end of Reception, children are working securely within the goals expected with a significant majority attaining above these goals. A 4 of 11 Inspection Report: St Peter's Church of England Controlled Primary School, 17 °18 October 2007 high priority is given to children's personal, social and emotional development. This means children settle quickly. Although in school for only a few weeks, they are happy, confident to work together and have very good attitudes towards learning. Teachers make learning interesting, adding fun whenever possible. The indoor curriculum is good, but opportunities for learning outdoors are not developed well enough. Induction procedures are good and parents appreciate the way these young children are welcomed into school. Comments from

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Grade: 2

parents such as 'My child has settled in wonderfully and enjoys every minute' were typical.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve pupils' achievement in mathematics, by ensuring that activities meet the needs of all pupils. ■ Extend the good assessment practice that is evident in English to other subjects, especially mathematics, to ensure pupils always know how to improve their work. ■ Improve the outdoor curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage.

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Grade: 2

By the end of Year 2 and Year 6, standards are above average in English, mathematics and science. Achievement is good overall. In English and science, pupils make good progress and in 2007, standards in English were high. A notable strength is the above average writing standards. This improvement is mainly due to the effective way in which teachers involve pupils in knowing how to improve their work. Pupils are very clear about what is necessary to write clear, explicit instructions or an interesting, exciting piece of narrative, for example. In mathematics, progress is satisfactory. Although improving as a result of the better use of assessment information, activities do not consistently meet the needs of all pupils. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress because teaching assistants ensure that they are included effectively in all lessons.

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Grade: 2

Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and have very good attitudes towards their work. Their well above average attendance and good punctuality supports this evaluation. Behaviour is outstanding and pupils feel safe in school. They say bullying is rare and if any incidents do occur, they are sorted out quickly. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong and are aware of the importance of consideration of other people's needs, both locally and worldwide. The 'buddy' scheme, for example, enables older pupils to support new arrivals, so they feel welcome and get to know school routines. Participation in local community initiatives such as achieving the 'Helping Hand' award and supporting various fund-raising activities are carried out with enthusiasm. Pupils know how to keep safe and speak knowledgably about the dangers of smoking, drugs and speaking to strangers. They understand the importance of taking regular

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Grade: 2

exercise and eating healthily. However, their eating choices do not consistently reflect this good understanding. Good personal and academic skills mean that pupils' preparation for the next stage of their education is good. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: St Peter's Church of England Controlled Primary School, 17 °18 October 2007

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Grade: 2

Teachers promote very good relationships with pupils which result in outstanding behaviour and very positive attitudes to learning. Pupils say that most lessons are fun. Their involvement in lessons is good and effective strategies such as 'talk partners' or the use of whiteboards ensure that all are able to contribute their ideas. Teaching assistants provide effective support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Throughout the school, clear explanations at the start of lessons ensure pupils know what they will be learning. In English, pupils know how to achieve this learning because teachers share the 'success criteria' with them. This good practice is not always evident in other subjects, including mathematics.

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Grade: 2

Pupils experience a wide range of interesting learning activities which for the most part builds well on what they have learned before. However, this is not as successful in mathematics, where sometimes pupils are given work that they themselves say is too easy. There is a good emphasis on creativity and the exciting, imaginatively planned curriculum that is established in Years 1 and 2 is now being extended into Years 3 to 6. An extensive range of clubs and events outside normal lessons, including sports clubs and residential visits, supports pupils' personal development and their enjoyment of school well. The good links with other local schools effectively helps to extend pupils' curricular opportunities. For example, the school works closely with the local secondary school to maximise pupils' learning in information and communication technology.

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Grade: 2

Good quality pastoral care contributes well to pupils' progress and their very positive attitudes towards learning. Year 6 pupils comment, 'We like being here because it's friendly and teachers are helpful.' Staff know pupils very well and relationships are very good. This creates a climate in which pupils grow in confidence and have good self-esteem. Parents are very pleased with the care provided. They are confident that their children are safe at school. Procedures for safeguarding all pupils are rigorous and securely established. Detailed records about pupils' achievements enable teachers to monitor progress carefully and set learning targets for improvement. This practice is working well in English. In mathematics, however, pupils do not know clearly enough how to improve their work, and marking and feedback does not consistently provide them with clear advice about next steps of learning.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher provides good leadership. She is committed to raising standards and the quality of provision and has created an ethos where staff work effectively together. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: St Peter's Church of England Controlled Primary School, 17 °18 October 2007 Self-evaluation is accurate and there are good procedures in place to monitor all aspects of the school's work. This means that staff and governors are very clear about the school's strengths and its development areas. For example, the school knows that pupils' progress in mathematics should be better and has identified strategies to improve this. The governing body is supportive and their role of challenge is improving. The majority of parents appreciate the school's work. However, a minority think that the leadership does not involve them enough, for example, in making changes to established procedures. The headteacher agrees that parents have not been consulted enough about change

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Grade: 2

and has good plans in place to rectify this. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: St Peter's Church of England Controlled Primary School, 17 °18 October 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: St Peter's Church of England Controlled Primary School, 17 °18 October 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: St Peter's Church of England Controlled Primary School, 17 °18 October 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: St Peter's Church of England Controlled Primary School, 17 °18 October 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

19 October 2007 Dear Children Inspection of St Peter's C of E Primary School, Newport, TK10 5QG Thank you for making us feel so welcome, and helping us to find out so much about you and your school. We agree with you, your school is a good one. The staff care for you well and we were glad to know you feel safe and adults will always listen to you. We agree with you when you said you do lots of fun things in lessons. I know I saw some of you making biscuits and that looked like really good fun. I also saw the shoe box museum of Victorian artifacts ° I thought this was most impressive. You all attend school very regularly ° well done and keep this up! You know how to lead a healthy lifestyle and how to keep yourself safe. You are right to think that taking exercise is important and you enjoy attending the after-school activities, including the many sporting clubs. You do a good job in looking after others, and receiving the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

'Helping Hand 'award must make you feel very proud. Your teachers do a good job in telling you what you are going to learn. In writing lessons in particular, you have a good idea how to achieve this learning. For example, some of you are able to tell the teacher the things you must do to write a good set of instructions. I enjoyed hearing Year 2 pupils tell their teacher to use 'bossy' words such as 'put' when writing instructions. Teaching assistants help you all to take a full part in all lessons. Your new headteacher has lots of good ideas and she, the staff and the governors are very keen to make things better for you. We have suggested three things to help them do this. First, although you attain standards above those found in most schools, we think that you could do better in mathematics. Sometimes, the activities are too easy, and we know that some of you think this yourself. Second, although you are very clear about how to do well in English,

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

particularly writing, you are not as clear when you are working in other subjects. Finally, although those of you who are in Reception do lots of interesting things in the classroom, we think you should have many more opportunities to work outdoors. Your headteacher agrees with this. Finally, with your outstanding behaviour and excellent attitudes towards learning, you are a great credit to your school, your parents and yourselves, so please keep up the hard work. Well done! Yours faithfully Lois Furness Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: St Peter's Church of England Controlled Primary School, 17 °18 October 2007

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Annex B

Inspection of St Peter’s C of E Primary School, Newport, TK10 5QG

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Annex B

Thank you for making us feel so welcome, and helping us to find out so much about you and your school. We agree with you, your school is a good one. The staff care for you well and we were glad to know you feel safe and adults will always listen to you. We agree with you when you said you do lots of fun things in lessons. I know I saw some of you making biscuits and that looked like really good fun. I also saw the shoe box museum of Victorian artifacts – I thought this was most impressive. You all attend school very regularly – well done and keep this up! You know how to lead a healthy lifestyle and how to keep yourself safe. You are right to think that taking exercise is important and you enjoy attending the after-school activities, including the many sporting clubs. You do a good job in looking after others, and receiving the ‘Helping Hand ‘award must make you feel very proud.

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Annex B

Your teachers do a good job in telling you what you are going to learn. In writing lessons in particular, you have a good idea how to achieve this learning. For example, some of you are able to tell the teacher the things you must do to write a good set of instructions. I enjoyed hearing Year 2 pupils tell their teacher to use ‘bossy’ words such as ‘put’ when writing instructions. Teaching assistants help you all to take a full part in all lessons.

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Annex B

Your new headteacher has lots of good ideas and she, the staff and the governors are very keen to make things better for you. We have suggested three things to help them do this. First, although you attain standards above those found in most schools, we think that you could do better in mathematics. Sometimes, the activities are too easy, and we know that some of you think this yourself. Second, although you are very clear about how to do well in English, particularly writing, you are not as clear when you are working in other subjects. Finally, although those of you who are in Reception do lots of interesting things in the classroom, we think you should have many more opportunities to work outdoors. Your headteacher agrees with this.

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Annex B

Finally, with your outstanding behaviour and excellent attitudes towards learning, you are a great credit to your school, your parents and yourselves, so please keep up the hard work. Well done!

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Annex B

Yours faithfully Lois Furness Lead inspector

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