Titan St Georges Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are at the very heart of everything at St Georges.

They speak highly of their relationships with staff and how they get the help they need to learn. Pupils engage with learning well. This is despite almost all of them having had a disrupted experience of education before.

The school works holistically to find out what barriers exist for pupils as they arrive. Pupils' additional needs, including special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are identified well. Appropriate support is put into place to help them.

Pupils settle in quickly. They understand that staff care deeply for them and want them to succeed. Pupils feel safe and go on to do we...ll in their studies.

Some pupils are able to sustain a return to a mainstream school. Those who complete their time in Year 11 go on to positive next steps in their education or training.

Pupils' personal development is central to how the school supports them over time.

Pupils talk positively about the trips they experience. They are helped to build their aspirations through these trips, their lessons, and other opportunities. Pupils work towards understanding that they can succeed well and make the most of the opportunities they have through this fresh start.

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

Right from when pupils start, the school strives to understand all it can about the pupils it is going to work with. Staff seek to establish strong positive relationships with all those involved with the pupil. They use external agencies well to gather a detailed picture of pupils' life experience so they can be suitably supported.

On joining the school, pupils are carefully assessed. A wide range of barriers to learning are considered, including reading ability and any possible SEND needs.

Pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read are supported appropriately.

These interventions are helping them to catch up with their peers. Pupils are regularly encouraged to read aloud in lessons. There is a strong focus on supporting their vocabulary.

For example, pupils explore a range of texts within the ambitious English curriculum. Pupils can recall what they have done across subjects and use subject-specific language well.

The school has high aspirations for what pupils can achieve.

The curriculum across different subjects reflects this. GCSEs and vocational qualifications are in place to support pupils' wider interests and their progress beyond the age of 16. Teachers in all subjects work responsively with the pupils to address any gaps in knowledge.

They carefully shape the planned curriculum to fit pupils needs. Pupils with SEND are included, adapted for and achieve well.

Pupils become increasingly more prepared for the next stage of their education.

They are helped to understand risk factors around them and build their understanding of healthy relationships. Pupils discuss and debate issues in a considered way. Learning from the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum is reinforced regularly during form time.

Leaders ensure that the curriculum is responsive to local needs and the context of the pupils.

Leaders at all levels hold very high expectations of pupils' conduct. When they are struggling, pupils are supported to reflect and self-regulate.

Over time their behaviour improves. Pupils demonstrate that they understand those very clear expectations. They treat staff with respect and work together well in the classroom.

The school keeps a strong watch on the attendance of its pupils. Careful analysis and fast action mean that pupils improve their attendance over time. A range of strategies are used to help pupils overcome the distances that some of them have to travel.

For example, the school has a minibus to support some pupils who otherwise would have difficulty getting to school. However, some pupils are not as punctual to school as they could be. This means they do not benefit enough from the learning that goes on at the start of the day.

Staff appreciate the support they get as part of the team at St Georges. They talk highly of the professional development they receive and their wellbeing days. Staff enjoy working together to give the pupils the best possible experience.

Leaders are aware that refinement is needed to improve the consistency of following all of the school's policies that support pupils, such as behaviour and the curriculum. There are small areas of practice which are inconsistent. These can affect pupils' experience, meaning they do not always make the most out of their time.

Trustees have a strong oversight of what the strengths and areas for development are. They act in a timely fashion to support the leadership and help secure sustained change. Trustees and leaders work effectively together.

This contributes greatly to pupils and staff being able to work and learn in an inclusive environment. It is a place conducive to re-engaging pupils with a high-quality education.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Sometimes school policies in place are not always implemented consistently. So, the actions taken to support pupils at times are not as impactful as they could be. The school should ensure that all staff routinely apply the school's policies to support pupils' development further.

Punctuality is not as strong as it could be. As a result, pupils miss valuable time in lessons. The school should consider how to support pupils to access more of the ambitious curriculum being delivered.