St. Peter's Church of England First School Review 2026: Small first school, rural setting, strong wraparound offer

For this school, the most reliable public “results picture” currently comes through formal inspection rather than a dense set of published performance metrics in the national tables for a small cohort.

The most recent graded Ofsted inspection, carried out on 22 and 23 June 2022, rated the school Requires Improvement overall, with Requires Improvement for Quality of Education and Leadership and Management, and Good for Behaviour and Attitudes, Personal Development, and Early Years provision.

For parents, the key implication is to separate two questions. First, is the day to day culture orderly and supportive for young children. The inspection grades for behaviour, personal development, and early years suggest that routines, conduct, and wider development were viewed as strengths at that time. Second, is teaching consistently strong across subjects and year groups. The judgements on quality of education and leadership indicate that this was the priority area for improvement in the most recent graded review, and it is the part of the story parents should probe most carefully at open events.

A further “opened” entry appears on the Ofsted record in connection with academy conversion, with an academy conversion letter dated 05 July 2024. That does not replace the 2022 graded judgements, but it does confirm a structural change, and families can reasonably expect ongoing work around curriculum consistency and leadership capacity in a small school context.

The curriculum is explicitly designed around mixed age classes, with a two year rolling long term plan so that children in combined classes still access full coverage over time. That approach can work very well in a small first school, particularly when staff are strong at pitching tasks at different levels within the same lesson.

For pupils, a rolling programme can bring real benefits. Younger children often learn from older classmates’ vocabulary and routines. Older pupils can consolidate understanding through explaining, reading aloud, or modelling expectations. For parents, the practical question to ask is how the school tracks progression so that a child moving through the two year cycle does not repeat content at the same level. The existence of a structured long term plan is encouraging, but the impact depends on assessment precision and subject leadership, which are the areas most likely to feel stretched in a small setting.

Religious Education and collective worship appear to be woven into weekly life, rather than treated as an add on. The school describes daily collective worship that includes pupil led and adult led elements, plus regular visitors from local church leaders and clergy. The implication is that faith and community links will be visible even for families who are not regular churchgoers, albeit levels of personal observance vary widely across Church of England schools.

Because this is a first school that ends at Year 4, transition planning matters earlier than in a typical primary. In Staffordshire’s three tier system, the normal point of entry for middle school is Year 5, and admissions are coordinated through the local authority timetable.

In practical terms, families should treat Year 4 as a key stepping stone year. The best questions to ask are which middle schools typically take Marchington children, how visits and transition days are handled, and whether the curriculum sequencing in Year 4 is designed with Year 5 expectations in mind. If you are comparing options, the FindMySchool Local Hub pages can help you keep track of likely onward routes and manage a shortlist without losing the admissions thread.

Reception entry follows Staffordshire’s coordinated admissions timetable. For children starting school in September 2026, the published closing date for primary applications is 15 January 2026.

For in year admissions, the school indicates that parents can apply directly using the relevant form.

Two practical tips for families:

1. Use FindMySchool’s Map Search to sanity check travel time and daily logistics, especially if you are considering a move that is “nearby” but not truly easy at peak school run times.

2. Treat wraparound availability as part of admissions planning, not an afterthought, since it can be a deciding factor for working families.

Wellbeing is presented as a deliberate focus in the school’s own public messaging, alongside outdoor learning and wraparound provision. In a small first school, pastoral strength often shows up through quick identification of worries, strong home school communication, and consistent routines across mixed ages.

Safeguarding expectations are clearly stated on the school site in the standard way for English schools, emphasising a culture where staff and volunteers share responsibility. For parents, the meaningful questions are operational, how concerns are recorded, how early help is used when needed, and what training looks like across a small staff team.

Outdoor learning is the standout strand that is explicitly named, including Forest School Fridays. In practice, a regular Forest School pattern can strengthen vocabulary, teamwork, and practical problem solving, especially in early years and Key Stage 1, where learning through talk and play is central.

Wraparound care is also positioned as a feature rather than a minimal add on. The published headline offer is before and after school care within a wide window, which can widen access for families whose working hours do not fit a standard 3:15 finish.

If you want more “club” detail beyond outdoor learning, it is reasonable to ask what changes term by term, and whether older pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 have structured enrichment that prepares them socially and academically for middle school.

The school publishes a structured day outline. School opens at 8:50am, with registration at 9:00am, and the end of day listed as 3:15pm for Reception and Key Stage 1 pupils. Families with older children should confirm the finish time for Year 3 and Year 4 if it differs.

Wraparound is presented as available across a wide span for families who need it. For nursery aged children, the school publishes attendance hours across the week; families should check the current nursery offer directly with the school and the local authority funding rules, as early years arrangements can change year to year.

• Ofsted judgement is not yet back to Good. The latest graded inspection (June 2022) rated the school Requires Improvement overall. Families should ask what has changed since then, and how improvement priorities are being implemented in a small setting.

• Small cohort dynamics. A small first school can be brilliant for confidence and belonging, but it can also mean fewer same age peers and fewer separate class groups per year. This suits some children far better than others.

• Earlier transition point. Moving on after Year 4 is a meaningful shift. Parents should plan early for the Year 5 move into middle school and understand the local pattern.

• Faith is part of the weekly rhythm. Collective worship and church links are described as regular features. Families should be comfortable with that presence, even if personal observance at home is lighter.

St. Peter’s suits families who want a small, village based first school with clear Christian character, outdoor learning as a regular feature, and wraparound care positioned as a practical support rather than a token add on. The limiting factor is less about breadth and more about confidence in academic consistency, because the most recent graded inspection rated the school Requires Improvement overall. For parents prepared to probe improvement work, transition planning after Year 4, and the realities of small cohort life, it can be a good fit for younger children who thrive with familiarity and outdoor learning.