St Peter and St Paul, Catholic Voluntary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 30 April 2024

Pupils are happy at St Peter and St Paul, Catholic Voluntary Academy. They are polite and respectful. Pupils say they feel safe here. They enjoy positive relationships with caring staff. Pupils are guided by the school's values to be tolerant and respect differences. Behaviour has improved in the school. Staff set high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Most pupils behave well in lessons and around school. Bullying is never tolerated and, when it happens, issues are resolved quickly and supportively. A minority of pupils who struggle to regulate their own behaviour receive effective support that helps them to improve. The school has worked hard to develop an ambitious curriculum that supports pupils to gain the knowledge and skills they need to achieve well. However, the curriculum is not yet delivered consistently well across the school. As a result, too many pupils do not achieve as well as they could. This is reflected in the most recent published outcomes. Students in the sixth form benefit from personalised academic support and a well- planned enrichment programme that supports their wider development. They value opportunities to contribute to the wider school community.

What the school should improve

• Too many pupils are absent from school too often. Pupils whose attendance is low do not benefit from the curriculum as well as they could. The school needs to make sure all pupils attend school well.
• Some staff do not always have high-enough expectations for what all pupils can achieve. Sometimes they accept work that is unfinished or of poor quality. Some staff do not always support pupils well enough to improve their work or deepen their understanding. Pupils do not achieve as well as they could. The school needs to ensure that all staff share high expectations of all pupils and support them to achieve well across the curriculum.
• Some staff do not systematically check what pupils have learned. Sometimes they do not check well enough that pupils are secure in prior learning. They do not routinely question pupils to check that they have understood new knowledge. Gaps and misconceptions are not always identified or addressed. Pupils' learning is insecure, and they do not remember what they have learned. The school needs to ensure that all staff routinely check pupils' learning and address gaps and misconceptions quickly and effectively.

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