Edward Peake CofE VC School

Overview

The report describes Edward Peake CofE VC School as a “warm and welcoming community” where pupils are “proud of their school” and “enjoy learning.” Inspectors found that the school has designed a “broad and ambitious curriculum” and that teachers possess “strong knowledge of the subjects they teach,” enabling them to explain concepts clearly. The inspection confirms that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, “learn and achieve well” within a supportive environment.

Strengths

• Pupils are “polite and respectful,” behaving well in class so that “learning proceeds without distractions.”
• Teachers use “well-crafted questions” and routine checks to help pupils “layer new knowledge on top of what they already know” and address misconceptions quickly.
• The school has “accurately identified the individual barriers to learning of pupils with SEND,” providing detailed support that helps them progress.
• A well-designed ‘life skills’ programme helps pupils link school values to concepts such as “tolerance and respect” and keeps them safe online and in real life.
• Governors “effectively hold leaders to account” alongside the local authority and diocese, while staff value efforts to manage workload and well-being.

Areas to improve

• Assessment does not always support pupils to produce written work that “explains their thinking in depth,” meaning some learning is “not as deep as it could be.”
• Opportunities for pupils to develop leadership skills are “limited,” hindering their ability to contribute to school life and miss out on “character development opportunities.”

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”