St George’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and well cared for in this school.

They benefit from a broad and rich education. Leaders expect pupils to succeed academically. Pupils achieve well because they benefit from an effective curriculum that is taught well.

They are welcoming towards others and they are happy to celebrate the differences between people.

Teachers have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. Pupils strive to give their best in lessons and around the school.

Pupils conduct themselves sensibly and behave well. Pupils value the support that they receive from their teachers. They are respectful towards their peers and adults.

Pupils are confident that ...teachers will help them if they are worried or upset. This makes them feel safe. Bullying is dealt with seriously and promptly by leaders.

However, sometimes leaders do not record concerns regarding safeguarding, attendance information or inappropriate behaviours accurately. As a result, governors and leaders do not have an effective oversight of such issues.

Pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities that nurture their interests.

For example, they participate in different clubs such as gardening, dodgeball and sewing clubs. Pupils play a range of instruments such as the ukulele and keyboard.

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

Leaders have constructed a curriculum that matches the scope and ambition of the national curriculum.

The curriculum is rooted in the school's values and it helps pupils to appreciate the diverse society in which they live.

Leaders select the content of the curriculum carefully so that pupils are introduced to new learning in a logical order from the early years to the end of Year 6. The curriculum in the Reception classes enables the children to be well prepared for their education in key stage 1.

In most subjects, teachers have secure subject knowledge. Most teachers carry out effective checks to make sure that pupils have learned what they should. Teachers use this information carefully to address misconceptions and adjust their future teaching to quickly address any misconceptions.

Reading has a high priority across the school. Leaders make sure that children learn to read as soon as they start in the early years. Teachers deliver the phonics programme effectively.

They ensure that pupils who find reading difficult, including those pupils with English as an additional language, receive the support that they need to catch up. Pupils develop a love for reading. They make extensive use of the school library.

Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the fiction and non-fiction texts that they have read.

Leaders identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) early. They ensure that the right support is in place for pupils in and out of class.

Leaders make sure that parents and carers are kept informed about their child's progress. Teachers adapt their teaching to meet the needs of pupils with SEND so that they can achieve well.

Pupils' conduct around the school is mostly calm and orderly.

They are cooperative and respectful towards one another in class. Pupils are eager to learn. Children in early years learn to share and regulate their emotions.

Most pupils attend school regularly and on time. Leaders work with agencies that support vulnerable and disadvantaged families well. However, they do not analyse the information that they hold about pupils' attendance as well as they could.

This hampers their ability to spot patterns and to tackle persistent absences more efficiently.

Leaders make sure that pupils receive sound guidance to ensure that they become active, socially responsible and tolerant citizens. Pupils who are new to the country feel welcomed.

Pupils learn about being healthy in mind, body and soul. They understand what healthy relationships look like. Pupils can apply for a range of leadership positions such as eco ambassador and restorative ambassadors.

Leaders support pupils' mental health well. A range of trips and visits build pupils' interests in the subjects that they study. For example, pupils' trip to a Chester museum helped them understand more deeply the life of a Roman soldier.

Leaders, including those responsible for governance, are committed to the school, its values and the community that it serves. However, governors do not have an accurate view of the school's strengths and weaknesses. This is because they do not have sufficient understanding of their statutory responsibilities, including those related to safeguarding.

This is compounded by the limited information that they receive from school leaders to support them in holding leaders to account effectively. Staff are positive about leaders' measures to support their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff are vigilant about signs and symptoms of safeguarding risks. Leaders enlist a wide range of services to support vulnerable pupils. All staff, including governors, receive training to keep pupils safe.

Staff report their concerns to safeguarding leaders in a timely manner and action is taken promptly. However, the records of these concerns, including incidents of inappropriate behaviour, are sometimes not accurate or recorded and reported clearly. Records of safeguarding incidents are sometimes held in numerous places.

This hampers leaders' ability to see patterns and take preventative measures where necessary.

Pupils know how to keep safe online. They learn to spot risk and inappropriate behaviour.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders do not record or report information about safeguarding and behaviour incidents well enough. This means that leaders and governors are not able to gain a clear picture of the school's strengths and weaknesses in these areas. Governors should ensure that leaders improve their recording of safeguarding concerns and incidents of poor behaviour so that leaders are able to monitor the effectiveness of the school's work more effectively.

• Leaders do not analyse attendance information well enough. This means that they do not have a clear overview of absence trends, including for certain groups of pupils and new arrivals, over time. Governors should ensure that leaders analyse patterns of attendance more rigorously and that they receive accurate reports of these trends in order to hold leaders to account.

• Governors' understanding of their statutory responsibilities is not strong enough. This means that they sometimes accept the word of leaders and do not hold them to account well enough. Governors should ensure that they are fully equipped to carry out their duties effectively.

Also at this postcode