On 25th and 26th March, our school underwent a Catholic Schools Inspection under Section 48 of the Education Act 2005. This is a statutory inspection for Catholic schools in England and Wales, evaluating the school's Religious Education, Collective Worship, and Catholic Life. These inspections are conducted by the Catholic Schools Inspectorate (CSI) rather than Ofsted and usually occur every three to five years to ensure a school’s distinct character and mission are being maintained.

I am delighted to share with you that St. Peter’s has been judged to be Outstanding in the three focus areas: Catholic Life & Mission, Religious Education, and Prayer & Liturgy, resulting in an overall judgement of Outstanding. Furthermore, we were judged to be Outstanding in all 9 areas. Inspectors spoke incredibly highly of our school and recognised St Peter’s as ‘a beacon of Catholic practice’, with ‘an ethos that ensures that Christ is at the heart of the school’.

Some of the highlights from the report include:

• The quality of relationships at every level, which exemplify the impact of the school’s mission.

• Strong leadership – resulting in rapid improvements in the key areas of the inspection.

• Well considered planning and implementation of the new RE curriculum (Religious Education Directory) resulting in high levels of pupils’ enjoyment and engagement in lessons.

• Participation by all members of the community in deeply moving liturgical experiences.

• The ability of pupils from their earliest years to reflect deeply on messages from scripture and translate these into how they can live their daily lives.

This judgement is a fantastic achievement for the school, and I am very proud of the whole school community—pupils, staff, Trust leaders, governors and families—for the contribution they have made to this achievement. The report reflects the strong faith life we nurture here, the high-quality teaching in Religious Education that we deliver day in and day out, and our genuine commitment to prayer and liturgy as central to who we are as a Catholic school.

A full copy of the inspection report can be found below.