St Peter's Catholic First School

Overview

The report states that pupils are “happy and feel secure” and that leaders “want the best for pupils.” Most children achieve well in core subjects, though the report notes that the approach in some subjects is “still developing” and that staff subject knowledge requires strengthening.

Strengths

• Pupils show “good levels of perseverance and resilience” and most reach national expectations in reading, writing, and mathematics.
• Staff provide effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including adapted tasks and extra sessions.
• Early years provision is praised for its “strong focus on improving children’s communication and language skills.”
• Safeguarding arrangements are “effective,” with “stringent” recruitment checks and clear systems to keep pupils safe.
• Leaders and governors provide “effective support” for staff, including training and workload reduction.

Areas to improve

• Teachers lack sufficient subject knowledge in some areas and do not always check how well pupils retain information, leading to uneven achievement.
• The lowest attaining pupils are not catching up quickly enough in reading because support and resources are “not always targeted well enough.”
• Pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values and other faiths is at an “early stage,” leaving them less prepared for life in modern Britain.
• A large number of vulnerable pupils are persistently absent, causing them to “miss vital lessons.”

Safeguarding

The report confirms that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective” and that pupils are “well looked after.”