St Peter’s Church of England Junior School unlocking pupils’ potential is praised by inspectors

A junior school in Littleover has earned praise from Ofsted inspectors for the way it is unlocking pupils’ potential.

St Peter’s Church of England Junior School in Thornhill Road has been judged as Good in all areas following a recent inspection.

The report, which has now been published, states: “Through perseverance, courage, respect and compassion, staff and pupils are united in their aim to ‘unlock potential’. This aim is realised. It underpins all that happens at the school. It contributes to St Peter’s being the harmonious community that it is.”

The school is part of the Derby Diocesan Academy Trust (DDAT) which it joined in March 2020.

Since then, the school has overhauled the majority of its curriculum and introduced strategies to address learning gaps.

Pupils’ behaviour was also commended by the inspector who noted that the children knew the importance of the school’s “ready, respectful, safe’ mantra and held doors open for adults and each other.

Rewards, including house points, recognition in a ‘golden assembly’ and spending time with the school dog Nelson, were seen as helping the children to thrive, along with extra-curricular activities and opportunities to be mini-leaders and school councillors.

Head teacher Frazer Smith, who joined the school in 2021, said:  “The children at St Peter’s are incredible and I’m so proud to be their headteacher! This achievement is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our entire school community.  St Peter’s has been on a remarkable journey and it is great to see this recognised. The St Peter’s Team have shown incredible commitment to the journey of change, and the support of parents has been invaluable throughout this. The unwavering commitment of DDAT has been outstanding in this rapid journey of improvement.

“Reading the comments from the inspector about behaviour, leadership and the positive work we have done to improve the curriculum and ensure pupils are supported at all stages of their learning was heartwarming.

“A lot of hard work has gone into our curriculum redesign over the past two years, and while we know there is still work to do to embed all this change, it is brilliant that inspectors can already see the positive impact it is having.”

The school has not been inspected since converting to an academy four years ago and appointing Mr Smith as head teacher, but the inspection prior to that judged the school as ‘inadequate’.

The report highlights the improvements which have been made to the school in the intervening years, its inclusiveness and strong leadership which have led to being Good in every area: quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management.

Sarah Clark, Chief Executive Officer of DDAT, said: “We are extremely proud of the significant improvements that have been secured at the school in a relatively short period. The report highlighted just how proud pupils, staff and the vast majority of parents and carers are of the school and I certainly share that pride.”