St Peter and St Paul, Catholic Voluntary Academy

Overview

Pupils at St Peter and St Paul, Catholic Voluntary Academy are described as “happy,” “polite and respectful,” with positive relationships with staff. While behaviour and personal development are rated as good, the quality of education requires improvement because the curriculum is “not yet delivered consistently well across the school.” Consequently, “too many pupils do not achieve as well as they could,” particularly where staff expectations and checking of learning are inconsistent.

Strengths

• Pupils feel safe and are guided by school values to be “tolerant and respect differences.”
• The curriculum is “well planned” with knowledge “sequenced well” so pupils build on previous learning.
• Sixth-form provision is strong, with staff teaching “challenging concepts clearly” and providing “personalised academic support.”
• Staff have “strong subject knowledge” and the school provides effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• A “detailed careers programme” and extra-curricular activities support pupils’ wider development and aspirations.

Areas to improve

• Ensure all pupils attend school well, as “too many pupils are absent from school too often.”
• Ensure all staff share “high expectations of all pupils” and do not accept work that is “unfinished or of poor quality.”
• Ensure staff “routinely check pupils’ learning” to identify and address gaps and misconceptions quickly.

Safeguarding

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