Staff, governors and pupils at a Tavistock junior school are celebrating following their recent inspection by the schools' standards agency Ofsted. Education inspectors found that St Peter's Church of England Junior is a good school in which pupils achieve well — this is a double success for the school as pupils recently scored 285 out of a possible 300 for its results in the SATs which pupils sit at eleven - the highest figure in the area. The two Ofsted inspectors spent a full day at St Peter's in December and graded the school on seven areas of school life and its overall effectiveness; achievement and standards; personal development and well-being; teaching and learning; care, guidance and support, and leadership. Virtually every aspect was found to be good or better. Lead inspector Paul Sadler said: 'Pupils say they really enjoy learning and meeting friends at school and this is reflected in their excellent attendance.' The inspectors also agreed that St Peter's cares for its pupils well and both children and parents speak highly of the 'friendly and approachable staff'. Pupils at the school start with expected standards in reading, writing and maths. But, by the time they leave at age eleven, they are achieving well above average results in maths, above average in science and the expected standards in English. 'Older pupils read with confidence because of the effective techniques used to teach reading across the school and are now making good progress in their writing,' says the report. Pupils with learning difficulties receive good support and make good progress. All the children have a good knowledge of spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues. They know how important diet and exercise are in leading a healthy life and one of the school's strengths is the way the children are offered a wide range of opportunities to exercise responsibility and contribute to the community. They also enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities including sport and games such as chess. The inspectors found the curriculum is satisfactory but the school needs to ensure that class sizes are more evenly balanced. The inspectors say the school has improved well since its last inspection in 2002 and is well placed to do even better in the future, following some high quality staff appointments. Headteacher John George was delighted with the findings: 'We have always believed we were a good school and it is very gratifying to have it verified by the inspectors. 'The children, staff, governors and parents all take a pride in working together to ensure a happy and productive environment which fosters success. 'We have cause to celebrate, but also reason to ensure we continue to improve our high standards still further.'
