St George’s Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St George's is a school where 'every child matters'. Leaders have created an oasis where children are welcomed, nurtured and prepared effectively for their next steps. Pupils enjoy coming to school.

They rise to the high expectations that staff have of them. Lessons are calm and productive. Staff understand pupils' individual needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) or those who speak English as an additional language.

Staff use this understanding to support pupils effectively. Most pupils achieve well as a result.

Staff forge strong relationships with pupils.

Pupils feel safe. Every day starts with time for pu...pils to reflect and share how they are feeling. This enables staff to identify and help pupils who might have any worries.

The school is the hub of the community. Leaders have built strong relationships with parents and carers. The school provides parenting workshops, literacy sessions and well-being support, as well as food and uniforms to families who need it.

The school works effectively with families to encourage regular school attendance. As a result, rates of absence are low.

Pupils gain an understanding of the world through the additional experiences the school provides.

A recent highlight was the school's St George's Day celebration. Here, pupils and families came together to share the food and cultural heritage of families who are part of this vibrant school community.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has crafted a well-considered curriculum, including in the early years.

The curriculum is relevant to pupils. For example, in history, pupils learn about the triple trawler tragedy. The school provides training for staff to help them understand how to teach each subject well and how to support pupils with SEND effectively.

The school continually strives to improve pupils' experience and achievement. Recently, leaders have successfully worked to strengthen pupils' outcomes in phonics and writing.

In lessons, teachers' explanations are clear.

In most cases, staff check carefully to make sure pupils have the knowledge they need to deepen their learning. Teachers use this information to provide tasks that consolidate and build on what pupils already know. As a result, pupils achieve well.

Occasionally, these checks are not as precise. Where this is the case, staff's explanations or their choice of activities are not as carefully matched to pupils' stage in learning as they should be. This can limit the depth of pupils' understanding.

Many pupils speak English as an additional language. The school's focus on oracy and talk is skilfully woven through the curriculum. This helps all pupils, especially those who are new to English, understand and discuss what they are learning.

Adults successfully adapt the curriculum to help pupils with SEND learn alongside their peers. Some pupils access the school's 'nurture' provision. Here, some pupils with SEND are taught a bespoke curriculum that is well matched to their needs.

The school ensures that pupils learn to read quickly and with confidence. Staff teach the school's established reading curriculum well. Pupils develop fluency in reading by regularly practising the sounds they are learning in words, sentences and books.

Those pupils who need a little extra help in reading receive regular and effective catch up support. Pupils are enthusiastic about reading. They are particularly inspired by the school's participation in the annual 'Big Malarkey', where pupils preview unpublished books and meet different authors.

Staff in the early years help children get off to a good start in their education. Adults teach children the routines and expectations of school. Children are calm and settled.

They learn to play well together. Through skilful modelling and questioning, adults prompt children's thinking. Adults encourage children to use new words and phrases.

For example, in Nursery, children were seen excitedly acting out the story of 'Goldilocks and the Three Bears' using key phrases from the story.

The school provides strong pastoral care. Pupils can discuss anything that worries them with specially trained staff.

Pupils learn about important themes such as drug and alcohol misuse and how to have healthy relationships. Pupils learn that all people should be treated equally. However, the curriculum does not ensure that pupils develop a depth of understanding about different groups of people, including those of different faiths or those with protected characteristics.

Leaders, including trust staff and those responsible for governance, have high expectations for pupils in the school. The trust works with leaders, gently holding them to account for their actions. Leaders have a clear understanding of the strengths of the school and the areas to improve further.

They work alongside staff to strengthen the quality of education and wider aspects of the school's work. Staff feel that leaders are considerate of their workload and proactive in trying to reduce it.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school does not consistently check to make sure that pupils have understood and remembered what they have been taught. As a result, sometimes, teachers' explanations or the work set do not closely match pupils' stage in learning. The school should ensure that staff check what pupils know and can do and provide opportunities that build on and deepen pupils' understanding.

• The way the school teaches pupils about protected characteristics and people of different faiths is not as developed as it could be. Some pupils do not develop a deep understanding of those who are different to themselves. The school should ensure that these aspects are explicitly taught and staff check to ensure pupils know and understand about them.