Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in Peterborough celebrates 50th anniversary with good Ofsted rating
Staff, children and parents say school is ‘like a family’
A Peterborough primary school celebrated a very special anniversary with a Good Ofsted rating.
Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School in Bretton was formed half a century ago – and the school continues to go from strength to strength following their latest Ofsted inspection.
The inspectors said pupils greeted visitors to the school with a smile – and that ethos meant the community described being part of Sacred Heart as being ‘like a family.’
In their report, the inspectors said: “Pupils have positive attitudes and work hard during lessons. They are ready to learn and behave well.”
The report added: “The school supports pupils’ personal development well. Pupils are taught how to look after themselves both physically and emotionally. Pupils know about the importance of exercise and a balanced diet. They also value the pastoral support they receive, including
the opportunities to pray. Pupils behave respectfully towards each other and staff. Lessons are calm and purposeful.”
When it comes to lessons, the inspectors said: “The school’s curriculum is ambitious. It sets out what pupils will learn and by when. Subject documents include the vocabulary that pupils will learn to help them read and write with confidence. Pupils meet the same themes in later lessons and topics. This helps them to develop a deeper understanding and remember their learning.”
However, there were some improvements the inspectors said could be made, with the report saying: “The curriculum documentation in some subjects is new. As a result, teachers have not yet got to grips with the best ways to teach the key knowledge. This means that some
learning activities are not well chosen or matched to the intended learning. Consequently, in these subjects, pupils do not learn as much as they could. Leaders should ensure that staff are well trained to implement the curriculum in all subjects and monitor this work effectively.”
Head teacher Thomas Claxton said he was ‘incredibly proud’ of the school – and the hard work of everyone in the school community for the good report.
He said: “I am incredibly proud of the ongoing hard work of our entire school community and happy that this has been recognised by Ofsted.
"Parents, rightly, have confirmation that we are providing an excellent education for their children.
"We are pleased that our inclusive approaches to teaching and learning and our hard work on curriculum development was complimented. Staff quite rightly feel proud to work at our school and our achievements are because of their continual dedication.”