St George’s Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy here.

They enjoy coming to school and attend regularly. Pupils form strong positive relationships with their teachers and their peers. Because of this, pupils know who to turn to should they need support, and they feel safe here.

Leaders have made sure that pupils learn about the different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying. If bullying happens, teachers deal with this swiftly and effectively. The school's pastoral team works closely with pupils and parents to provide support to those who need it.

Leaders prioritise pupils' personal development. For example, many pupils regularly take on responsibilities, such as safeguarding champio...ns, eco warriors and playground buddies. Pupils benefit greatly from these opportunities and are rightly proud of the contribution they make to school life.

These opportunities allow pupils to engage with important concepts and become active citizens in both their school and local community.

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. They have clear expectations for what pupils should be taught.

In most subjects, pupils do well. Across some of the foundation subjects, leaders are working to develop the curriculum further.

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

In some subjects, such as mathematics, design and technology, and music, the curriculum is well planned.

Leaders have identified the crucial knowledge that pupils should gain. Leaders have carefully ordered this, so that new learning builds in small steps upon the things that pupils already know. Where this happens, pupils achieve well.

In some foundation subjects, this approach is less well developed and the knowledge and skills pupils should be taught are not planned carefully enough. Because of this, teachers are sometimes unclear about the precise knowledge pupils should be taught and when. Where this happens, pupils sometimes struggle to remember what they have been taught, which can become a barrier to learning.

Additionally, some leaders do not check carefully enough on the implementation and impact of the curriculum. As a result, leaders have not identified those staff that need further support to deliver the curriculum well. Consequently, pupils' experiences of the curriculum are variable.

Throughout the school, pupils enjoy reading from a wide range of books. Leaders provide additional support for pupils across the school who are at the early stages of reading. They have made sure that all staff who teach the early reading programme are well trained.

As a result, pupils are learning to read with increasing fluency. Staff encourage pupils' interest in books by reading to them every day.

Leaders are quick to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

They make sure teachers have the information they need to support these pupils. As a result, most pupils with SEND receive support that is well matched to their individual needs. Leaders recognise that there is still some work to do to ensure that personal targets for some pupils with SEND are more precise.

Pupils behave well here. Most model the positive behaviours expected of them at every opportunity. For example, in most lessons pupils work hard and focus on their learning.

Where this is not the case, teachers are quick to challenge any unwanted behaviour. Leaders' work to support those pupils who struggle to meet their high expectations is having a positive impact.

Leaders ensure that pupils have ample opportunity to develop their passions outside of the classroom.

For example, pupils benefit from a wide range of clubs, such as yoga, multi-sports and choir. Leaders have made sure that all pupils can access these.

Governors are committed to their roles and are aware of their statutory duties.

Leaders from the multi-academy trust work closely with the governors to support them in their roles. Staff feel that leaders are considerate of their workload and are confident that leaders will support them if they should need it.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The safeguarding team understands the importance of keeping pupils safe. Leaders and governors make sure that all relevant recruitment checks are carried out before staff start to work at the school. Leaders have provided staff with safeguarding training, so that they can identify when a pupil might be at risk of harm.

They check that staff understand how to spot signs of potential abuse. Staff know what to do if they have a concern about a pupil's welfare. Leaders' record-keeping is effective.

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe online and in the community.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some foundation subjects, the curriculum is not yet suitably ambitious and well sequenced. As a result, pupils' knowledge and skills do not build securely over time.

Pupils find it difficult to recall what they have been taught, and some are held back in their learning. Leaders should continue to review curriculum design to make sure that they identify the important knowledge and skills that pupils should learn. ? In some curriculum areas, leaders have not yet made sure that all teachers have sufficient subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum well.

Consequently, some teachers do not deliver the curriculum well enough, so that pupils' learning builds successfully on what they already know. When this happens, this limits pupils' progress. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders and staff have sufficient subject knowledge to lead and deliver all aspects of the curriculum well.

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