SS Peter and Paul Catholic Primary Academy & Nursery

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

SS Peter and Paul Catholic Primary Academy & Nursery has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

The principal of this school is Jenny Byrne. This school is part of the St Francis and St Clare Catholic Multi Academy Company (MAC), which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school.

The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Toni Ellis, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Christopher Walker.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school that is at the heart of its community. Relationships between staff, pupils, parents and carers are very strong.

Every pup...il is cherished and supported well to 'dream big'. There are high expectations for all pupils to achieve academically and personally. Pupils live up to these high expectations.

Children get off to a very strong start in the early years, where every interaction is a learning opportunity.

Pupils work hard in lessons and treat each other with the utmost of respect. They feel happy, safe and valued.

Pupils relish the leadership opportunities they have. The school often acts on pupils' ideas.

Pupils are enthused and thankful for the rich set of experiences that they are provided with that go beyond the expected.

These experiences support pupils exceptionally well to appreciate their local community and open their eyes to the world around them. This helps pupils to be responsible citizens who contribute significantly to the school and wider community.

Pupils benefit from a wide variety of extra-curricular clubs that develop their talents and interests.

They are particularly proud of their sporting achievements and the opportunities they have to share their talents with others.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

A real strength of this school is how it ensures that all pupils have the support they need to achieve well across all aspects of school life. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified at the earliest opportunity.

The school makes sure that staff have the training they need to support all pupils in their lessons. They use a range of strategies that enable pupils with SEND to learn well alongside their peers.

From the start of early years, children benefit from an ambitious curriculum that clearly sets out the key knowledge, skills and subject-specific vocabulary that they need to know.

This is sequenced logically so that pupils develop a deep body of knowledge by the time they leave the school. The school has put in place innovative ways to help pupils remember their learning over time. In most subjects, staff use their checks of pupils' understanding to carefully plan 're-activation' sessions so that pupils revisit and build on their prior learning.

However, sometimes, the activity choices teachers provide do not enable pupils to meet the ambitious aims of the curriculum because they do not build learning sequentially over time.

Reading is a priority. Right from the start, children encounter a wide range of inspiring stories and rhymes that spark a love of reading.

Staff deliver with expertise the chosen programme for reading. There is a sharp focus on ensuring that all pupils keep up with the programme. Pupils who require extra support receive the help they need to become confident and fluent readers.

Pupils read widely and often, both in and out of school. The school places a high priority on developing pupils' oracy. Pupils benefit from a well-planned approach to communication and language.

High-quality interactions with adults support them well to develop their speaking and listening skills.

Attendance is high because pupils enjoy coming to school. They do not want to miss out on any of the exciting opportunities that they are provided with.

On the rare occasion that attendance becomes a concern, staff work collaboratively with families to overcome any barriers.

As soon as pupils join the school, they learn how to manage their feelings and emotions. The school has high expectations for pupils' behaviour and conduct.

Throughout all aspects of school life, pupils demonstrate exemplary attitudes. Pupils have a strong sense of right and wrong. Older pupils are positive role models.

They contribute highly to the calm and purposeful atmosphere that permeates the school.

The way that the school goes about developing pupils' character is exceptional. The school is relentless in providing pupils with wider opportunities to support them to be considered communicators and critical thinkers who are aspirational for their future.

A carefully considered programme of learning helps pupils to understand equality and diversity. Pupils have a strong understanding of being healthy, both physically and mentally. There are many effective systems in place that support pupils' pastoral needs.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including online.

The school is reflective and is always striving to improve further. Those responsible for governance support the school to do this very well.

The trust works collaboratively with the school to ensure that any changes made are well considered and always in the best interests of pupils. Staff feel valued and well supported. They appreciate the steps taken to reduce workload.

They are very proud to work at this school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There is variability in the implementation of the curriculum in a small number of areas.

Some teachers lack the expertise to plan activities that meet the ambitious aims of the curriculum. This means that some pupils do not have a firm enough understanding of important concepts and subject-specific vocabulary. The school should further develop staff's subject and pedagogical knowledge so that they become more expert in all the subjects they teach.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2019.