Belgrave St Peter's CofE Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 April 2025

This is a very inclusive and welcoming school. There is a strong sense of camaraderie and being part of the 'school family'. The school's values of love, faith and hope guide pupils of all faiths and cultures strongly. The school is calm, with a purposeful atmosphere. Pupils live up to the high expectations for their behaviour. Staff provide sensitive support when pupils find this difficult. Pupils learn to use their 'big voice' to resolve problems or disagreements for themselves. They listen respectfully. Pupils know that there is always a trusted adult to turn to if needed. Pupils benefit greatly from a range of wider opportunities. A fire engine visit enhanced younger pupils' learning about the Great Fire of London and fire safety. Pupils build resilience while learning cycling proficiency or spending time in the forest school. They develop talents in sports, art and drama through attending clubs. After years of turbulence in leadership and staffing, the school is in a better place now. With greater ambition, it is making substantial improvements. Mostly, parents and carers recognise and appreciate the changes. However, the school has not realised recent improvements in the quality of education fully. Pupils' achievements have not yet consistently reached the expected standards.

What the school should improve

• The school has not ensured that staff have sufficient expertise in teaching phonics and reading. Sometimes, staff do not provide the right support for pupils who have fallen behind. Some pupils are not catching up with phonics quickly and learning to read as well as they should. The school should ensure that staff have the necessary expertise to support pupils at the earlier stages of learning to read effectively.
• The curriculum is relatively new and still at an early stage of being embedded. Sometimes, it is not modified sufficiently to take account of pupils not having the prerequisite knowledge to build from. This means pupils find it more difficult to integrate new learning into their understanding of a subject. The school should ensure that the curriculum is adapted where necessary and implemented effectively.
• Checks made on pupils' learning lack consistency and rigour. As a result, pupils' misconceptions are sometimes overlooked and persist. The school should ensure that staff check pupils' learning thoroughly to identify and address misconceptions and gaps in pupils' knowledge swiftly.
• Sometimes, staff do not adapt learning activities appropriately to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This hinders how well these pupils can learn. The school should ensure that learning is adapted effectively so pupils can achieve consistently well.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)