Peterborough primary school told it requires improvement by Ofsted inspectors - despite quality of education being rated as good

A Peterborough primary school has been told it requires improvement by Ofsted.

Inspectors visited Queen's Drive Infant School, near the city centre, in February, and while there were a number of positives highlighted in their report – including the quality of education and the behaviour of pupils – the school was given an overall rating of ‘requires improvement.’ The school had been rated as ‘good’ in the previous inspection.

In their report, the inspectors, described the school as ‘a caring community’ and a ‘harmonious and calm environment.’ They said: “Leaders have created a well-considered curriculum for the older pupils. Subject leaders take care when thinking about what pupils need to know and how to revisit it over time. In science, for example, children look at different types of materials in early years and learn about their properties in Year 1.

“This building of knowledge allows Year 2 pupils to make a good choice of material for a particular product. This approach to planning the curriculum helps pupils to learn and remember more over time.

“The curriculum is not as well considered in the early years. Many activities are available for the children in each classroom but, too often, they do not have an explicit purpose.”

The report added: “Leaders, and other relevant staff, do not have a clear understanding of the statutory guidance around the information a school must retain when employing new staff. As a result, they were unaware of the weaknesses in the retention of staff recruitment, selection and vetting information.”

However, the school was given praise for how they kept pupils safe, how they prioritised early reading skills for children, as well as the range of activities on offer for youngsters.

The report said: “Pupils enjoy the range of activities that they can join in with. This includes singing and music clubs, as well as sports, gym, science and art activities. Pupils also appreciate the many trips that the school organises to different places.”

To read the report in full, visit https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/provider/21/110723