St Giles’ and St George’s Church of England Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This warm, welcoming and inclusive school is a place where pupils rightly feel cared for, happy and safe. Everyone is welcomed with open arms. Leaders put pupils at the heart of everything they do.

Individual support for all pupils means that leaders' high ambition for all is realised.

Pupils behave very well. However, some pupils find managing their behaviour more difficult.

Leaders put many things in place to support all pupils to behave well. These are successful. The specialist base 'The Hive' is a sanctuary for pupils who become overwhelmed or need extra support.

This highly effective provision helps pupils to manage their emotions really well. ...Harriet, the school's therapy dog, complements the excellent provision on offer in the specialist base.

Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities to stay fit in body and mind when out in the wonderful school grounds.

They engage with the many resources sensibly. There really is something for everyone. Well-being ambassadors are on hand for any pupils who need support.

These elected pupils understand the role they have to play and are proud to have such an important responsibility.

There is a highly caring culture. Pupils are extremely kind towards each other and respect differences.

They understand that, 'We can disagree, but always respectfully.'

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

Leaders actively promote and prioritise reading. Staff teach reading consistently well.

Children get off to an excellent start in Nursery, where they learn to identify initial sounds and, when ready, move on to finding pairs of words that rhyme. The newly introduced phonics programme is supporting pupils to read well and begins as soon as pupils start in Nursery. Staff are expert teachers of early reading and support pupils skilfully.

Staff's expertise means that they notice any pupils who are falling behind and give them extra help so they catch up quickly. The books pupils read match sounds they learn in lessons. The well-equipped, frequently visited library allows pupils to enjoy a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books.

Pupils enjoy the 'Relax to Read' sessions when they get to enjoy reading books on beanbags and floor cushions, both inside and outside. Across the curriculum, and in a wider range of books pupils read, they encounter new vocabulary and its meaning. All this helps pupils to become confident and fluent readers.

Leaders have designed a curriculum for most subjects that provides pupils with the knowledge and skills to achieve well academically and socially. However, in a small number of subjects, such as history and geography, teachers are less clear about what pupils should learn. In these subjects, leaders have not set out in detail what pupils should learn in a clear order.

As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and they are not building their learning up over time as well as they might.In the early years, leaders have designed a curriculum that ensures children are well prepared for key stage 1. Adults help children in the early years to become confident and independent learners.

Children play and work well together. Trips support and bring their learning to life, such as their recent visit to a local farm. Staff place a strong emphasis on supporting the children to speak well and confidently.

As a result, children become confident communicators.

Opportunities to promote pupils' personal development are deeply embedded into the curriculum and are of an exceptional quality. Pupils are supported to be active and responsible citizens.

Leaders plan many ways for pupils to learn that everyone is valued and equal. Pupils contribute to their local community in many ways. For example, they visit a nearby old people's home to help them with exercise, reach out to lonely people in their community and raise money for charities that are important to them.

They find out about the world of work through visits from local experts in science and engineering. Pupils see how their classroom learning can be translated into fulfilling careers. The many roles of responsibility, such as well-being ambassadors, prefects, school councillors and being members of the worship council, help pupils to build character while contributing to school life.

They show a deep respect for all, celebrating differences. Pupils say they 'see it as their duty to help people'. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) flourish. Leaders make sure their needs are identified quickly. They set pupils ambitious, achievable academic and behaviour targets.

Staff carefully adapt the support they offer each pupil in lessons. This allows all pupils to achieve to the best of their ability. There are reasonable adjustments made to the behaviour policy for some pupils, which enables them to feel included in classes with their friends.

This is done with warmth and patience, having taken the time to get to know pupils and their parents. This helps all pupils, including those with SEND, to get the best out of their learning experiences. 'The Hive' provides bespoke support for any pupil that needs it.

Its unique offer ensures success and achievement for all who attend it.

Leaders and staff are highly thought of by parents and pupils. Pupils describe staff as kind and always able to help.

Staff appreciate the trust that the leadership team and governors place in them. They recognise leaders' efforts to consider their workload. Governors are well informed about all aspects of school life.

They visit regularly to assure themselves of the quality of education on offer.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders prioritise safeguarding.

There are thorough checks completed to ensure that all staff are suitable to work with children. There is a strong culture of safeguarding throughout the school. Leaders know their families extremely well and provide effective support where necessary.

Staff are well trained to recognise when pupils and their families may need help. They rapidly raise concerns, and leaders take swift action to ensure the right support for families is in place at the right time. Leaders act with determination and decisiveness to keep their pupils safe.

Safeguarding records are robust and detailed. Governors have strong oversight of the safeguarding provision. Pupils say they trust all staff in school to keep them safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not clearly identified the small steps of knowledge that help pupils build their knowledge in a well-sequenced and logical way in all curriculum subjects. As a result, pupils are not able to build on their prior learning as well as they might. Leaders should continue to refine a small number of foundation subjects, so that the small steps of learning are clearly identified to enable a logical and sequential building of knowledge.