St Peter’s School Celebrating Inspection Report

Staff, pupils, parents and Governors at St Peter’s School are celebrating the report of their excellent recent inspection by the Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI). The ISI does not give a qualitative assessment as OFSTED do, and the only possible outcomes are that standards are “met” or “not met”. The report which is published in full on the school’s website confirms that the school met all of the standards included in the inspection which covered regulatory compliance and educational quality.

St Peter’s academic curriculum was described by the ISI as “ambitious and broad, suitably adapted to meet pupils’ diverse needs”. With 82% of pupils achieving A* to B in A Levels, it was no surprise to read that pupils “typically achieve high outcomes at GCSE and A Level”, crediting the quality of teaching from Early Years which continues throughout the school. The inspectors gave the feedback that “pupils are keen to learn” and about the “positive professional relationships” between pupils and teachers who have “detailed knowledge of pupils’ individual skills and aptitudes”. Acknowledgement of the “effective individual support” given to children with SEND and those who speak English as a second language was also noted by the ISI.

The inspectors recognised the importance St Peter’s gives to physical and mental health and emotional wellbeing from Nursery through to the senior school, identifying a “nurturing approach” and the range of techniques and resources such as the Wellbeing Hub, a bespoke building opened in September 2024. The ISI recognised the importance St Peter’s puts on encouraging pupils to enjoy exercise and our high participation rates in sport, as well as the wide range of cocurricular activities on offer.  This is a central part of the approach at St Peter’s, developing skills and interests while promoting positive health, and the report identified that “Leaders provide a wide range of extra-curricular and enrichment activities which support pupils’ personal development” and that “pupils readily take on leadership roles”.

As a day and boarding school, the inspectors remarks on “well resourced” boarding provision including pastoral support, accommodation, activities and supervision were welcomed. They noted the “positive boarding house ethos” and that “leaders provide a calm environment where can relax, feel at home and participate in a range of social events”.

Likewise, their positive comments on our careers provision and that, at all age groups, the curriculum nurtures “pupils’ appreciation and understanding of all groups of people” and that they “learn to respect and celebrate individuality and to avoid stereotyping”.

It was a great source of pride to the school comments about our pupils’ behaviour, describing them as “courteous and respectful” and that they “listen to one another and are understanding, appreciating that not everyone thinks or acts as they do”.

Safeguarding will always be paramount at St Peter’s and the ISI recognised the school’s commitment to this vital area. The report notes that “the well-trained safeguarding team, including those in the early years, are knowledgeable” have “positive and effective working partnerships with external agencies.” Staff training ensures they have high levels of vigilance and enables them to teach pupils how to stay safe with records of recruitment and pre-employment checks being “meticulously kept”. In addition to safeguarding, St Peter’s was found to be fully compliant in all statutory areas including fire safety, security, health and safety, administration and HR.

Jeremy Walker, Head Master of St Peter’s School said “It was such a pleasure reading this report which was a true reflection of everything we seek to do at St Peter’s and we thank the ISI for conducting such a thorough and detailed inspection. To have their acknowledgement of the importance we place on balancing the academic, co-curricular and pastoral focus for pupils aged 2 to 18 is a testament to all involved. I would like to thank all of the staff, pupils, Governors and parents who were involved in the inspection, and I hope they take great pride in seeing the outcome. Most importantly I would like to thank our pupils who made such a positive impression on the inspectors by being themselves, and wonderful examples of Peterites. As you would expect, having received the report we will not rest on our laurels and will always continue to strive to make the school even better and always adapting to changes ahead.”