UPDATED: Wisbech school needs to improve but has made progress since the last Ofsted inspection
Pupils at a Wisbech school say it is ‘amazing and fun’ but while leaders have made many changes for the better it still requires improvement according to government inspectors.
St Peter’s Church of England School was visited by Ofsted inspectors at the start of March and they recognised that staff have high expectations of what pupils “could and should” achieve.
However, while the school was rated good in all areas including behaviour and attitude, leadership and management and personal development lead inspector Paula Masters and her fellow inspector Katherine Douglas found the quality of education ‘requires improvement’.
The report said: “Leaders are clear about what they want from staff to achieve their high expectations. That said, in some subjects, such as geography, the curriculum is not as well established. As a result, teaching is not as strong and does not enable pupils to close the gaps in their knowledge.”
It recognised that leaders have made changes to improve pupils’ behaviour in lessons which means they are able to concentrate on what they are learning.
“However, there is still too much uneveness in how learning is planned and taught in some subjects. Governors and the Diocese of Ely Multi-Academy Trust (DEMAT) challenge and support school leaders. Leaders are clear about what they want from staff to achieve their high expectations.
“That said, in some subjects, such as geography, the curriculum is not as well established. As a result, teaching is not as strong and does not enable pupils to close the gaps in their knowledge.
“Leaders have improved the reading curriculum. The leader for English has set clear expectations for how staff teach reading. Pupils’ fluency in reading is improving and some pupils are closing gaps in their learning. However, some pupils are still developing their fluency and enjoyment of reading.
“Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are progressing well in reading. Adults provide them with the help that they need.”
The report goes on: “Where the curriculum is well planned and taught, pupils do better. This is because teachers understand the expectations of the curriculum.”
Pupils’ attendance has also improved a lot in the last year
The report also mentions there have been changes in the management since the last inspection in 2017, when the school was also rated as ‘requires improvement’, but at that time the improvement was needed in all areas.
It said: “There have been a number of personnel changes in school leadership, trust positions and membership of the local governing body since the previous inspection. The headteacher (Amy Harvey) was head of school for one year. She and the deputy headteacher took up their substantive posts in September 2019.”
The report concludes that in order to improve “leaders need to consolidate improvements that have been made to the curriculum and continue to develop subjects such as geography”.
Headteacher Amy Harvey praised her pupils and colleagues and said: “At St Peter’s we are open about our vision and it is clear for people to see, but we recognise that we must continue to improve, Ofsted recognised that and agree with our next steps to make St Peter’s a ‘good’ school.”
She added: "We are now in a position to build on the positive attitudes of pupils and staff to secure the necessary improvements."
Adrian Ball, chief executive of DEMAT, said “I am incredibly proud of the wor kundertaken by Amy and her team to raise the school to its current position. The work is not yet complete, everyone knows what is required and we look forward to welcoming the inspection team back to see what has been achieved”.
