St Peter's Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Leaders should ensure that all teachers provide pupils with precise guidance on how to set out and record their learning in mathematics.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The new headteacher took up post in September 2015. Her determination and vision have transformed the school into an outstanding place to learn. Academic excellence is now complemented by a rich and exciting curriculum which inspires and challenges pupils in all subjects.
• The headteacher has developed a well-trained and effective staff team who share her high expectations. Together, they work relentlessly to ensure that all pupils excel in all areas of their education.
• Parents are full of praise for the school, describing it as ‘brilliant’ and ‘amazing’. They particularly value the way leaders know and celebrate every child as an individual.
• Middle leaders are highly effective. They check the quality of teaching regularly. As a result, leaders identify quickly where practice needs strengthening. For example, they have provided teachers with precise guidance to ensure that middle-attaining pupils develop their skills and knowledge in greater depth. Careful monitoring of pupils’ progress helps leaders to evaluate the impact of their work and take further action where necessary. As a result, all groups of pupils achieve equally well.
• Leaders and staff ensure that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are identified quickly. Effective partnerships with external agencies ensure that pupils’ needs are assessed thoroughly. Additional funding is used wisely to ensure that pupils receive support pinpointed to their needs. As a result, these pupils make progress that is at least in line with, and often better than, that of their peers with similar starting points.
• The pupil premium funding is spent effectively. The majority of funding has been invested in providing additional staff to work alongside pupils in the classroom. Staff are deployed carefully in order to maximise pupils’ progress from their different starting points. The most able disadvantaged pupils receive bespoke support which enables them to excel. Lower-attaining pupils benefit from one-to-one or small-group support to help them catch up quickly. As a result, the vast majority of disadvantaged pupils make rapid progress. In 2016, disadvantaged pupils did better than other pupils nationally in the key stage 2 assessments. This was particularly evident in mathematics, where all pupils attained the expected standard.
• The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about different faiths and describe how this helps them understand that ‘everyone is different’. They demonstrate respectful attitudes and consider how they can learn from those who have different opinions.
• The school’s ethos promotes pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development exceptionally well. This is exemplified in the way pupils are keen to serve and help others. For example, Year 6 pupils take great pride in their roles as ‘buddies’ to the Reception children, including the time they spend reading together. They are keen to pass on their love of books and ensure that all pupils feel well cared for in school.
• The headteacher has transformed the curriculum at the school. Pupils benefit from high-quality teaching in all subjects, including in the arts, languages and sport. One in four pupils learns to play a musical instrument. Their achievements are celebrated in special assemblies. Themed weeks or days broaden pupils’ skills and experiences further. For example, during ‘International Day’ pupils learned about different countries and cultures. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about these experiences, describing them as ‘ways to find out more about the world we live in’.
• Extra-curricular activities enable pupils to explore and develop their different skills and talents successfully. Leaders ensure that there is something that will appeal to everyone. Clubs on offer include music theory, Mandarin and karate. Leaders ensure that pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds have equal access to these extra-curricular activities. The pupil premium funding is used well to subsidise any additional costs of clubs.
• The sports premium funding is spent wisely. Pupils have access to a wide range of sports taught by specialist coaches, for example in gymnastics. Pupils also regularly attend competitive events. Pupils are proud of their sporting achievements and told inspectors they have ‘very strong sports teams’. Pupils described how they always ‘cheered each other on’, even when they are not part of the school team.

Governance of the school

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders ensure that all staff working in the school understand that ‘safeguarding is everybody’s responsibility’. For example, the headteacher has placed posters in every room to remind staff what they should do if they are worried about the welfare of a child.
• Leaders carry out all the necessary checks to ensure that adults are suitable to work in the school, including volunteers. The school’s record of these checks is well maintained.
• Regular training ensures that staff are clear about their roles and responsibilities to safeguard pupils. Staff understand the different factors that represent a risk to pupils’ safety, including gang involvement, radicalisation and female genital mutilation.
• School records show that staff are vigilant and report concerns promptly. This includes volunteers who are working on site. Leaders have ensured that records of concerns are appropriately detailed, including the action taken and the reasons why. Concerns are monitored carefully. As a result, leaders take action promptly if there are signs that the well-being or safety of a pupil is at risk.
• The designated safeguarding leads are tenacious in their work to protect the most vulnerable pupils in the school. They work constructively with families and external agencies to ensure that pupils’ needs are assessed quickly and thoroughly. As a result, these pupils access the right level of additional support and protection, such as that available from the local authority’s Early Help service.
• Leaders are proactive in ensuring that school systems are rigorous. For example, they recently arranged for the local authority to audit their practice. As a result, school procedures are continually reviewed and strengthened.
• Pupils feel safe and well cared for in school. The vast majority of the 102 parents who completed Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, agreed that their child felt safe, happy and well looked after in school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Pupils across the school demonstrate an innate thirst for knowledge. They take great pride and enjoyment in their learning. One pupil told inspectors: ‘I am always disappointed when it’s breaktime because I don’t want my learning to stop.’
• Challenging teaching ensures that all pupils produce their very best work. This includes disadvantaged pupils, the most able and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils are eager to meet teachers’ high expectations. They appreciate the ways they are stretched in their learning. As one pupil put it, ‘Lessons are great because teachers always have something to push us further.’
• Teaching is outstanding because it enables pupils to develop a deep understanding of the subjects they study. Pupils complete tasks which make them think hard. For example, in a Year 5 mathematics lesson pupils used their knowledge of prime and triangular numbers and the Fibonacci sequence to solve a complex problem. Pupils derived a great deal of satisfaction from working out the answers.
• Teachers are skilled in questioning pupils to help them explore their ideas. They target questions carefully to support pupils from all ability groups to think deeply and contribute their ideas to class discussions.
• Teachers know individual pupils well. They are clear about what pupils need to learn next to build swiftly on their existing skills and knowledge. As a result, the teaching is organised effectively to ensure that pupils, including the most able, move on to more demanding learning as soon as they are ready.
• Teachers have excellent subject knowledge which they share extremely well with pupils. When explaining the learning, they use subject-specific vocabulary precisely. Teachers expect pupils to use this vocabulary accurately. As a result, pupils explain their thinking with clarity. In a Year 2 art lesson, pupils described how they were creating a collage, considering the ‘tone’ and ‘texture’ of the materials. The most able pupils explained how ‘translucent’ or ‘opaque’ materials contributed to the overall effect of their collage. In a Year 6 English lesson, pupils used terms such as ‘stanza’ and ‘rhyming couplets’ to analyse the structure of a poem.
• Pupils read demanding texts which stretch their vocabulary and comprehension skills. Pupils appreciate how this helps them improve the standard of their writing. For example in Year 6, pupils produced high-quality writing linked to their class novel, ‘The hobbit’ by J.R.R. Tolkien.
• Adults provide well-targeted support to ensure that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities do not fall behind. For example, in a Year 1 lesson adults provided clear examples so all pupils were able to write descriptively using similes.
• Typically, pupils present their work to a high standard. However, in mathematics there are occasions where pupils do not record their learning accurately or clearly.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• Leaders’ work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils are confident, resilient learners who appreciate the importance of learning from their mistakes. One pupil told inspectors that, ‘Getting things wrong is a good thing because it helps you get it right next time.’
• Pupils are keen to share their ideas and learn from each other. For example, in a Year 1 class pupils helped each other use their phonic knowledge to spell words accurately.
• Adults are excellent role models. They support pupils to develop respectful and caring attitudes. Pupils are encouraged to take on responsibility and serve the school community. For example, at lunchtime, Year 6 pupils help out in the dining hall. They enjoy looking after the younger pupils and helping adults with the tidying up.
• Incidents of unkind or discriminatory behaviour, including bullying, are rare. Pupils are confident that adults take any concerns seriously and that staff resolve any issues quickly and fairly. This matches the school’s logs of behaviour.
• Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when they use the internet. Older pupils are supported with their transition to secondary school. For example, Year 6 pupils attended a workshop to help them recognise and manage potential risks when they travel to and from school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is exemplary. One pupil told inspectors that behaviour in the school was ‘better than good’. They were right.
• Leaders, staff and pupils have high expectations of behaviour. As a result, pupils conduct themselves around the school in a calm and sensible manner. For example, pupils demonstrate maturity and self-discipline when they walk to and from the school hall, which is located on a separate site to the main building.
• Pupils are quick to settle to their learning and are rarely distracted. This reflects their consistently positive attitudes to learning. The vast majority of parents agree that the school ensures that pupils are well behaved.
• Pupils’ enjoyment in their learning is reflected in their regular attendance. Very few pupils are persistently absent from school. Regular letters to all parents reinforce the importance of good attendance. Leaders analyse absence rates carefully, both for individuals and groups of pupils. They are quick to provide families with further support to ensure that all pupils attend school as regularly as they should.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Pupils are well prepared for secondary school. They are curious, confident learners who are eager to make the most of the opportunities their education provides.
• From their different starting points, pupils make consistently excellent progress and as a result, attain high standards. In 2016, the proportion of Year 6 pupils who achieved the expected standard in the reading, writing and mathematics assessments was above the national average. This was particularly the case in mathematics, with all pupils in the cohort attaining the expected standard in the national test.
• In key stage 1, Year 2 pupils attained similarly high standards in 2016. The proportion of pupils working at the standard expected for their age was above the national average in all subjects.
• School assessment information shows that the current pupils are making swift progress. As a result, the vast majority of pupils are achieving, and in many cases exceeding, age-expected standards.
• All groups of pupils achieve equally well. This includes pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. In 2016, the small cohort of pupils who sat the Year 6 tests made rapid progress from their different starting points.
• Disadvantaged pupils do as well and in many cases better than their peers nationally. In the 2016 key stage 2 mathematics and reading test, the average score of these pupils was significantly higher than the national average. This pattern of strong achievement is also evident in key stage 1. All disadvantaged pupils in Year 1 attained the expected standard in the 2016 national phonics check.
• Leaders analyse carefully the achievement of different groups and cohorts. They act quickly to ensure that no individuals or groups are left behind. For example, in key stage 1 leaders accurately identified that too few girls with average prior attainment were working at greater depth in mathematics. As a result, leaders have ensured that teaching is challenging these pupils to achieve the standard of which they are capable.
• Teachers’ high expectations ensure that the most able pupils excel. In the 2016 assessments, the proportion of pupils working at the high standard was significantly higher than the national average in all subjects. This was particularly the case in reading, with almost half of all pupils attaining the high standard in the national test.
• Pupils of all ages read widely and often. Excellent phonics teaching ensures that younger pupils are fluent readers and have the confidence to tackle unfamiliar words. Older pupils show a genuine passion for reading. They told inspectors they like to challenge themselves by reading different genres and authors. The range and standard of books read by pupils is impressive.
• High standards are evident across the curriculum. For example, in the 2016 key stage 2 assessments, all pupils achieved the expected standard in science. Disadvantaged pupils did better than other pupils nationally. Assessment information shows that the current pupils are making excellent progress in all subjects. This matches the work inspectors typically saw in pupils’ books, on display and during visits to lessons.
• Pupils routinely apply their English and mathematics skills to support their learning in other subjects. For example, Year 5 pupils used their knowledge of tessellation and geometric shapes to create art inspired by the Renoir painting ‘The umbrellas’.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Leaders have ensured that children make rapid progress from their different starting points. Teachers assess children’s starting points accurately and review their progress regularly. Teaching is continuously adapted to ensure that the needs of pupils are fully met. As a result, the proportion of children who achieve a good level of development by the end of the Reception is at least in line with, and often above, the national average.
• Leaders have rightly ensured that the most able, including those that are disadvantaged, are challenged to exceed the standard expected for their age. Assessment information shows that a greater proportion of children are working above age-related expectations, particularly in their reading, writing and number work.
• Well-established routines help children to manage their behaviour with increasing independence. Children are clear about how to learn and play together well. For example, they share resources considerately and are keen to help tidy up when they have finished an activity. Relationships between children and staff are nurturing and caring. This means children are confident tackling challenging activities and persevere, even when they find the learning difficult.
• Excellent teaching ensures that children are quick to develop the basic skills they need to be well prepared for their learning in Year 1. For example, in mathematics groups of children confidently created their own tally charts and were able to explain what the tally chart told them. In phonics, children make rapid progress because adults model accurately the sounds letters make. Children are confident using their phonics knowledge to record their ideas in writing.
• Staff are quick to spot and support children who need extra help to be successful in their learning. Disadvantaged children and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive bespoke support. As a result, they make the same swift progress as their peers.
• Parents are kept well informed about their child’s learning. They appreciate the way the school fosters their involvement as ‘partners’ in their child’s education.

School details

Unique reference number 100352 Local authority Hammersmith and Fulham Inspection number 10003419 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary aided 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 208 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Emma Bruce Karen Frazer 020 87487756 www.stpetersce.lbhf.sch.uk admin@stpetersce.lbhf.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 29–30 May 2012

Information about this school

• St Peter’s is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The school meets the government’s floor standards.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium varies considerably between year groups. Some year groups have a much higher or much lower proportion of disadvantaged pupils than the national average.
• The school serves pupils from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils whose first language is not English is above the national average.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Since the previous inspection, the school has completed building works that enable all classrooms to be located on the main school site.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited lessons in every year group and observed a variety of subjects. Leaders accompanied inspectors on the majority of the visits to lessons.
• Pupils’ behaviour during lessons, at playtimes and around the school was observed. Inspectors also scrutinised the school’s records of poor behaviour, including bullying logs.
• Inspectors spoke informally to pupils about their learning during breaktimes and in lessons. They also met formally with groups of pupils to hear them read and to discuss their experiences at the school.
• Inspectors held meetings with leaders to evaluate the impact of their work to improve pupils’ outcomes and strengthen the quality of teaching. This included meetings with subject leaders and the leader with responsibility for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• A meeting was held with members of the governing body. Inspectors also met with the school’s improvement partners from the local authority and from the diocese.
• Inspectors reviewed work in pupils’ books to evaluate the quality of learning in different subjects. They also scrutinised the school’s current assessment information on how well pupils achieve in different subjects.
• A range of documentation related to safeguarding was scrutinised. This included the single central record of pre-employment checks and records relating to the school’s work to safeguard pupils at risk of harm.
• Inspectors spoke to parents informally before school. They also took account of letters written to the inspection team and the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys. This included 21 responses from staff, 48 responses from pupils and 102 responses from parents.

Inspection team

Sarah Murphy-Dutton, lead inspector Kanwaljit Singh Julian Grenier

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector