St Peter's Church of England Middle School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further improve the consistency of teaching and assessment of mathematics and writing at key stage 2 so that:
  • disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make stronger progress across Years 5 and 6
  • pupils who are at risk of falling behind are quickly identified and appropriately supported, so that they make or exceed age-related expectations by the end of Year 6.
• Embed the school’s new information and data systems so that:
  • school information is used consistently by teaching staff to inform teachers’ plans and support pupils, including the disadvantaged and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities
  • staff regularly evaluate the progress of different groups of pupils to ensure that all are sufficiently challenged and meet or exceed their school progress targets in all years
  • disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities can improve their attendance.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The new headteacher has focused on creating a positive learning experience by incorporating the Christian values into the ethos of school life. He has changed the behaviour policy which has significantly reduced low-level disruption in lessons. Pupils are now more focused on their learning. They arrive on time, well equipped and ready to learn. Pupils’ behaviour is typically superb.
• The headteacher has galvanised the staff, governors and parents so that they work more effectively to support pupils. As a result, pupils benefit from the relaunched pastoral programme, a more appropriate and balanced curriculum, as well as a variety of extra-curricular opportunities which enhance pupils’ experiences.
• Leaders of mathematics at key stage 3 focus on key topics to extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding. The curriculum has been developed, incorporating both extension material for the most able pupils and catch-up work for those with weaker numerical skills. Well-planned and organised activities ensure that pupils make accelerated progress in Year 7.
• Catch-up funding is used effectively by leaders to support pupils in Year 7. The vast majority of pupils are more able to access the English curriculum at key stage 3 as a result of being part of this programme of support.
• Leaders use sports funding to access the local sports partnership. This provides opportunities for pupils to take part in a raft of different sporting activities including team sports like football and hockey, as well as dance and gym clubs after school.
• Leaders have created a culture of reading. As a result, pupils read for pleasure regularly and visit the well-stocked library weekly. This is helping all pupils to continue to improve their reading.
• The pastoral leader visits tutor groups daily. She works with small groups of pupils to improve relationships, reduce concerns, liaise with parents and improve attendance. The attendance of some pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, has improved as a result of being part of a support group.
• Leaders have recently reviewed how the curriculum is best delivered for their pupils. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 now follow a primary model to support their transition from first school. In Years 7 and 8, pupils follow a secondary approach, delivered by a series of subject specialists. This has helped Year 7 and 8 pupils improve their organisation skills in preparation for the next phase of their secondary schooling.
• Middle leaders work regularly with local schools to develop the school curriculum and moderate their work. This has led to a change in how staff teach and assess writing across the school. In Years 7 and 8, teachers plan thoroughly to ensure that pupils learn to write for different audiences. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are more engaged in their learning, and this is accelerating improvement in the quality of their writing. Approaches to writing in Years 5 and 6 require further planning, so that pupils improve not only their grammar, punctuation and spelling but also the quality of their writing.
• The newly appointed special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works closely with her team of teaching assistants to monitor the progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They know these pupils well and record the progress made in lessons. This helps to ensure that these pupils stay on track and in class. Support plans are in place and identify strategies for improvement for these pupils. These are used effectively by most staff members.
• Leaders have benefited from the support received from Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust school improvement adviser and executive headteacher. They have helped to build leadership capacity, helping school leaders identify key areas for improvement. As a result, some leaders are now better equipped to drive school improvement.
• Leaders have revisited their teaching and learning policy. They have reinforced with staff what they expect to see in lessons and how staff measure pupils’ progress in lessons. A programme to check how effective teaching and learning are in the classroom, in the light of these changes, is planned for this academic year.
• Teachers’ performance management is rigorous and staff are set clear targets on pupils’ outcomes as well as other school improvement priorities. Leaders have adopted a coaching model, in line with their school policy, to support colleagues and improve classroom practice. This is helping new colleagues improve their classroom practice.
• Leaders and governors are clear about the priorities for improvement and recognise that pupils’ progress at the end of key stage 2 in mathematics and writing needs to be further improved. Changes in staffing and difficulties in recruitment have hindered the progress and led to some legacy issues. Leaders are now tackling these issues by grouping pupils differently. They have identified pupils, on entry, who need further support and those who need more challenging extension work. This is beginning to have an impact for the most able pupils in mathematics in Year 6. However, further work is needed to ensure that all pupils in Years 5 and 6 make sufficient progress to reach or exceed age-related expectations by the end of key stage 2 in both mathematics and writing.
• Leaders have adopted the information systems used by the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust to measure progress. Some teaching staff are not yet as familiar as others with the system. As such, they are not adapting their planning sufficiently to ensure that pupils reach their school targets by the end of the academic year.

Governance of the school

• Governance is highly effective and there is a good breadth and depth of expertise on the governing body. The experienced local governing body provides both support and challenge to school leaders. Governors have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They recognise that the school has gone through a period of change in recent years with many changes of staff. However, they are keen to drive up standards for all pupils, including the disadvantaged.
• Governors have welcomed the new headteacher’s open and honest approach to school leadership and his vision for the school. Consequently, governors are clear on the key areas for improvement. They understand what actions are being taken, and are aware how these are adding value.
• All governors visit the school regularly, both formally and informally. They know the school well and carry out their statutory duties diligently. The governor responsible for checking safeguarding vigilantly checks school records and policies as well as whether the procedures are understood by both staff and pupils.
• Governors meet regularly with the trust’s school improvement adviser and the executive headteacher. Collectively, they review how actions taken are improving teaching and learning.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Appropriate checks are carried out to ensure that staff are safe to work with pupils. The recording of these checks meets statutory requirements.
• There is a culture of keeping pupils safe right across the school. All staff are trained appropriately and understand their responsibilities. Pupils say they feel very safe in school.
• School leaders ensure that vulnerable pupils are well supported in school. School staff work very well with parents and the local authority to protect those in need of care and support.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved significantly since the inspection of the predecessor school, and is now consistently good in almost all subjects and year groups in the school. Most teachers use their strong subject knowledge to plan effectively and use probing questioning in lessons to check on pupils’ understanding.
• Most teachers have high expectations of their pupils and set challenging activities in lessons. In key stage 3 English and mathematics, teachers consistently plan focused activities which are pitched appropriately to challenge all pupils, irrespective of their starting points. As a result, all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, make accelerated progress.
• The vast majority of pupils enjoy learning about music, as well as playing and composing. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are encouraged to take an active role in extra-curricular activities like ‘St Peter’s got talent’, the ‘battle of the bands’ and school performances.
• Teachers regularly give feedback to pupils both formally and informally in lessons. There are very positive relationships between teachers and pupils. Pupils respond well to challenging activities and this was observed in an English lesson in Year 7 where pupils used a variety of resources to support both sides of the argument. However, there are inconsistencies in the feedback some pupils receive on extended pieces of writing for spelling, punctuation and grammar.
• Pupils read regularly during tutor time. Some pupils use a computer system to check their understanding. Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy reading and are happy to read out loud and explain the context.
• Leaders’ homework policy is consistently implemented by teachers. Set homework tasks give pupils the opportunity to reinforce and check their understanding.
• The new science subject leader is using scientific enquiry to challenge pupils. This is engaging more pupils while building up their subject knowledge and allowing them to draw inference.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported well by teaching assistants who ably question and work with these vulnerable pupils in lessons. The SENCo ensures that teachers are aware of individual pupils’ needs and how best to support these pupils. As a result of these improvements in support, more pupils are enjoying their learning and some are attending school more often.
• Some teachers use school information to check on pupils’ progress regularly. These teachers use this knowledge to inform planning. In the strongest subjects, such as science, religious education, art, French and, in Years 7 and 8, English and mathematics, teachers regularly identify any gaps in pupils’ understanding and ensure that these are filled quickly. Teachers’ feedback ensures that pupils know how to improve their work. These teachers check that pupils can apply these improvements so that pupils have a clearer understanding as a result. Consequently, pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, make strong progress.
• Pupils write extensively within their subjects. However, some pupils do not always complete their written tasks, and gaps develop in their knowledge and understanding. As a result, some of these pupils are making slower progress than other pupils.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils feel well cared for and safe. All pupils are known well by all staff. Relationships between pupils and teachers are typically superb. Pupils told inspectors that they feel confident that staff will always help them to solve a problem.
• The programme for personal, social and health education includes how to stay safe and be aware of threats such as extremism. Pupils have good knowledge about matters of safety such as stranger danger and how to stay safe online.
• All pupils interviewed during the inspection commented on the positive relationships with staff as being a contributing factor to their personal development, behaviour and welfare. Staff support pupils’ well-being and recognise the challenges some pupils face. Leaders and staff provide appropriate support programmes for pupils if and when they need them.
• Pupils are extremely respectful of one another and celebrate differences. Bullying is very rare. Pupils told inspectors that when it does occur it is dealt with quickly. Pupils understand that name-calling is wrong. Pupils told inspectors, ‘St Peter’s is like one big family, where we all look out for one another.’
• The school’s culture builds on Christian values and challenges pupils to ‘Rise above the ordinary’. The personal and social education programme incorporates the school values and ‘St Peter’s five keys’ to success in life. This helps pupils develop their resilience and respect for one another, recognise the importance of friendship, build trust, understand integrity, and develop both compassion and wisdom. This approach is reinforcing greater harmony across the school.
• In assemblies, and during religious education lessons, pupils reflect on spiritual, moral, social and cultural diversity. Such activities support pupils’ understanding of British values, emphasising well the need for respect, tolerance and an understanding of the differences in today’s society.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils’ conduct is excellent.
• Pupils’ attendance is broadly in line with attendance in other schools nationally. The pastoral leader meets regularly with pupils who have low attendance and their parents. This is beginning to improve the attendance of these pupils. Rewards are now in place for pupils who attend regularly. However, leaders recognise that the attendance of some disadvantaged pupils and/or those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities needs to be further improved.
• Levels of persistent absence for some pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged remain higher than for other pupils nationally.
• The vast majority of pupils are very proud of their school. The new school uniform is worn with great pride and pupils enjoy being part of the school community. The school site is well kept. Pupils self-govern at break and lunchtimes, ensuring that they are polite to one another, and they leave their lunch room litter free.
• Pupils report that bullying is rare and when it does occur it is swiftly dealt with by staff. Pupils referred to their form tutors and the pastoral leader both taking an active role in mediating in any friendship issues.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The majority of pupils make strong progress across the curriculum from high starting points by the end of Year 8.
• In 2016, attainment was above national figures in reading and writing at key stage 2. The proportion of pupils working at greater depth was also above national figures in reading, writing and mathematics at key stage 2.
• Work in pupils’ books from the previous academic year and this year shows consistently well-developed knowledge, skills and understanding across a wide range of subjects. Pupils’ development is supported by learning opportunities across subjects. The majority of pupils’ books are well presented. However, some disadvantaged pupils with low attendance need the opportunity to catch up on missing work.
• The whole-school focus on promoting reading ensures that pupils draw on a range of strategies to read fluently, with good comprehension. The school’s information on current pupils suggests a larger percentage are reading above expectation in most year groups.
• Historically, pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, have made less progress than pupils nationally at the end of key stage 2 in mathematics. Pupils join the school in Year 5 with key stage 1 standards in reading, writing and mathematics which are above the national average. However, baseline testing and primary transition information have recently identified a group of pupils in need of extra support in key stage 2. Intervention is now in place to reduce these differences and ensure that pupils catch up.
• The Year 7 catch-up funding has helped pupils with low literacy skills to improve their reading and writing. This has helped pupils to make accelerated progress across Years 7 and 8.
• The pupil premium funding has been deployed to support pupils with poor attendance, and/or low literacy and numeracy skills. While there have been small increases in some disadvantaged pupils’ attendance, further work is needed and planned to improve some pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills in Years 5 and 6.
• The progress pupils make across Years 7 and 8 in mathematics ensures that pupils have both the appropriate knowledge and understanding and are able to apply their skills to the new GCSE at secondary school.
• There is a smooth transition for pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, to secondary schools at the end of Year 8. This is because subject specialists across Years 7 and 8 ensure that pupils can apply their knowledge and skills appropriately.

School details

Unique reference number 141349 Local authority Windsor and Maidenhead Inspection number 10036796 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Middle deemed secondary School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 9 to 13 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 204 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Ms Rebecca Scott-Saunders Headteacher Mr Andrew Snipp Telephone number 01753 866253 Website https://sites.google.com/site/stpetersoldwindsor/ Email address office@st-petersoldwindsor.org.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• St Peter’s Church of England Middle School is significantly smaller than the average secondary school.
• The majority of pupils are White British, although there are increasing numbers of pupils from Asian backgrounds. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is broadly average.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average.
• The school does not offer any alternative off-site provision to its pupils.
• A new headteacher and executive headteacher joined the school in September 2016. The school has experienced many changes in staffing over the last three years. Almost all members of teaching staff are new to the school since the last inspection.
• The school converted to an academy in November 2014 and is sponsored by the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 15 lessons across a range of subjects and year groups. Ten of these lessons were joint lesson observations with the school’s leadership team.
• Inspectors looked at samples of pupils’ written work from the previous academic year, across a range of abilities, subjects and year groups.
• Inspectors visited four tutor groups and observed an assembly. They met with pupils from Years 5, 6, 7 and 8 and talked to pupils from all year groups in lessons and informally around the school.
• Inspectors listened to a group of Year 5 and 6 pupils read.
• Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the headteacher, senior leaders and middle leaders. They met with the chair and governors from the local governing body, as well as the chief executive officer from the Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust.
• Inspectors considered the school’s policies, including those for: safeguarding, behaviour, attendance, pupil premium and special educational needs. They reviewed the school’s self-evaluation, improvement plan, surveys, governing body meeting minutes, Oxford Diocesan Schools Trust minutes and school improvement reports produced by the trust. They also looked at records relating to current pupils’ progress and attendance, as well as behaviour and exclusion logs.
• Inspectors reviewed the 58 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and met with two parents. They also reviewed the 13 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Caroline Walshe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector John Burridge Ofsted Inspector