St George's Church of England Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that work in history and geography meets the needs of lower-ability pupils.
• Provide sufficient support and challenge for pupils from average starting points so that more reach greater depth in their learning at the end of key stage 1 in reading and mathematics.
• Ensure that all subjects have the leadership needed to make continued improvement.
• Continue to work to improve communication with parents so that they are better engaged in the life of the school, understand its aims and values and know that their voice is heard.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and his senior leadership team have gone the extra mile to improve the quality of teaching and so raise pupils’ outcomes.
• Senior leaders have used training and professional development as powerful tools to ensure that teachers have the skills needed to fulfil their roles effectively. Consequently, the quality of teaching is now good.
• Staff at the early stage of their career are effusive in their praise for the support they have received. They feel their training has been extremely helpful and say that all staff, including their mentors, are approachable and knowledgeable. They have appreciated meeting other new teachers at local authority training events and say that the opportunity to visit other schools has proved invaluable.
• Teachers with subject responsibility have provided support for the senior team by monitoring standards in their subjects and making improvements where needed. However, there are no appointed leaders for some subjects, which puts additional pressure on senior leaders to make up the shortfall. Governors understand this is not a sustainable position in the long run.
• The diocese and the local authority have supported the school well. Their work has provided challenge and validated school leaders’ views during a time of change.
• Leaders use additional funding well. For example, leaders have successfully increased the proportion of disadvantaged pupils who reach greater depth in their learning across the school this year. The physical education (PE) and sport premium has been used effectively to improve pupils’ physical well-being.
• The curriculum gives due weight to progression across a range of subjects so that, as well as English and mathematics, pupils study subjects such as science, history, geography, art and music in depth.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered well by the school’s values, the curriculum and other activities. Texts for whole-class reading often have a moral dimension and teachers use these and other opportunities to encourage discussion and debate. Music is strong in the school, as shown by pupils’ singing in assembly, which was truly uplifting. Pupils gain perspectives on other people’s lives through mixing with those from other local schools and visiting elderly local residents, for example.
• Pupils are very clear about the school’s values, and what these mean in their daily lives. They talk often of respect and understand that valour can be challenging yourself to do something you find really daunting. This spurs them on to take risks in their learning.
• Leaders have also ensured that pupils understand fundamental British values such as democracy. Pupils can see how mutual respect and tolerance enable their debates to run smoothly, as they listen to and value differing opinions expressed.
• Leaders ensure that the curriculum offers plenty of opportunities to challenge stereotypes. For example, during science week, pupils learned about female and minority ethnic scientists and wrote about their lives in great detail. Pupils regularly use gender neutral vocabulary such as ‘firefighter’.
• Leadership of special educational needs is very effective. Since the new leadership team took up post, pupils’ needs have been far more accurately identified. This means that support for them can be targeted more effectively. Leaders have trained teaching assistants to deliver specific interventions. These are having a positive effect in helping pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities make better progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• A small number of parents offered their views to the inspector and most of these were very positive about the school. However, a few expressed particular concerns. Although these were not supported by inspection findings, they did demonstrate a weakness in aspects of communication with parents. Leaders are keen to seek ways in which to address this.

Governance of the school

• Governance is effective.
• Governors provide a good level of support to leaders during times of significant change. They responded well to recommendations from a review of governance.
• They have a wide range of skills that they put to good use to analyse school performance and plan for ongoing improvements. They visit the school often in order to gather sufficient information to challenge school leaders to ensure that provision continues to improve.
• Governors demonstrate a good knowledge of the local community which they share with leaders to help them plan to meet pupils’ and families’ needs better.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Procedures for checking the suitability of staff, volunteers and any other visitors are robust. Staff know how to report concerns. Leaders responsible for safeguarding act swiftly to ensure that the most vulnerable pupils are kept safe. They work well with external agencies and are insistent in ensuring that cases are heard when they need to be and appropriate arrangements are made for keeping pupils safe.
• Procedures for administering first aid and supporting pupils with medical needs are thorough and well organised.
• Staff know pupils and their families well. Leaders and governors have a good knowledge of local issues and incorporate these into their approach to safeguarding. For example, there is gang activity locally, so leaders work with the police to protect pupils from the risk of being drawn into this.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Pupils learn well because the work teachers give them is usually tailored to their starting points, particularly in English, mathematics and science. Teachers’ explanations are clear and they use questioning well to probe pupils’ understanding of new concepts. This ensures that teachers know how well pupils are doing and helps them plan subsequent learning.
• Teachers use innovative methods to ignite pupils’ interest and get them to tackle demanding work. For example, teachers are aware of the difficulties that pupils who speak English as an additional language have with particular verb forms and a Year 6 activity was planned accordingly. The stimulus for the work was a visit to the school grounds to examine a ‘crime scene’. Clues left included a bottle of poison and a marriage certificate in the names of Capulet and Montague. The activity motivated pupils, who applied the correct verb forms in their incident reports.
• Teachers also use topics that pupils enjoy to develop the depth and range of their writing. For example, in key stage 1, pupils read a book about a lost penguin. They then wrote fact files about penguins, instructions for what to do if someone finds a lost penguin, captions for other lost animals and questions they would ask a lost creature. The quality of their work shows that they were really interested by the subject matter.
• The imaginative tasks planned by teachers make strong links across subjects to strengthen pupils’ learning. For example, when learning how to use apostrophes, pupils wrote about the properties of leaves from different trees. One pupil wrote, ‘an aspen’s leaf is crinkly’, so reinforcing grammatical accuracy in the context of useful scientific information.
• Teachers’ subject knowledge is now secure. They have very high expectations in subjects such as science, history and geography. For example, Year 2 pupils were asked to compare different kinds of farm, using the correct vocabulary of arable, dairy and livestock. Their explanations showed they clearly understood the difference.
• The school has specialist teaching of art and music. In art, pupils in Year 5 were taught how to draw faces using the correct proportions, with some science about how the eye reacts to light added in to deepen learning. Pupils were extremely focused and diligent and work in their art books shows strong progress across the year. The local authority music provision works with the school. Through this high-calibre teaching, pupils will be more than ready to play at the Royal Festival Hall later in the year.
• The teaching of phonics is effective. Even the very youngest pupils use phonics well when trying to spell unknown words. Pupils who read with the inspector used phonics as well as other reading skills to read with fluency. The most able pupils use some really sophisticated strategies to ensure that they understand what they are reading. They could explain these really well.
• Teachers use behaviour management techniques consistently well to create a conducive atmosphere for learning.
• This good teaching means that pupils make good progress from their starting points. However, when compared to national figures, too few pupils with average starting points make the extra progress needed to convert from the expected to the higher standards across key stage 1, particularly in reading and mathematics.
• Work in history and geography is not tailored carefully enough to the needs of lower-ability pupils, such as those who have SEN and/or disabilities and pupils at the early stages of learning English.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils take pride in their work, as seen by the care they take in their handwriting and presentation.
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive. They engage wholeheartedly in their work.
• Kindness is important to pupils. They insist that no one would ever be lonely in the playground because others would always look after them.
• Pupils understand the school’s values of respect, achievement, valour and community. They say that they try to live up to these every day.
• Pupils’ emotional needs are well met. For example, there is a specially trained member of staff they can go to if they have any problems.
• Pupils’ physical well-being is a priority too. Under the new leadership, the number of after-school clubs has increased considerably, giving pupils more opportunities to take part in healthy pastimes. The food on offer at lunchtime has also improved, with a newly introduced salad bar which staff encourage pupils to try.
• Pupils say they feel safe at school. They can cite many ways in which leaders help them to stay safe. For example, memorable assemblies and workshops on road safety, lessons on how to ride your bike on the road safely and what to do in case of a fire all help them feel safe.
• Pupils are very clear about e-safety. They know you should never give anyone any personal details and would always tell an adult if anything they encountered online made them feel uncomfortable.
• Pupils have a good understanding of the many forms bullying can take. They cite name-calling, teasing and physical harm, as well as ostracising someone or spreading malicious rumours. The pupils who spoke to the inspector insisted there was no bullying at St George’s because they all respect each other.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. The behaviour policy is clear and staff adhere to the prescribed systems. Pupils say they appreciate the rewards they receive when they behave well. They truly believe these encourage the good behaviour seen in the school.
• Conduct is good. Pupils move around the school sensibly, meeting adults’ high expectations. In the past, pupils rushed their lunch to get as much playtime as possible. Now, to ensure that they eat well, they have to sit for at least 15 minutes at the dinner table. Staff encourage them to make this a social occasion by modelling conversation and persuading them to try healthy options.
• Classroom routines are well established. Pupils follow instructions promptly. This means that learning time is used productively.
• There are no exclusions because staff work effectively with external agencies to ensure that pupils with particular behavioural issues are helped to manage their behaviour well.
• Attendance is a strength of the school. School absence figures are regularly in the lowest 10% nationally. Leaders, however, are not complacent. They work closely with the few pupils who do not attend as regularly as they ought to.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes have improved significantly, especially in key stage 2. In 2017, by the end of Year 6, pupils had made above average progress in reading, writing and mathematics. A higher proportion reached the expected standard in all three subjects than is the case nationally.
• Outcomes in the phonics screening check dipped in Year 1 in 2017. Leaders responded quickly with additional training and clear expectations. As a result, the quality of phonics teaching improved. Pupils currently in the school use phonics confidently in both their reading and their spelling.
• Across key stage 1, pupils make increasingly good progress. In 2017, a higher proportion of Year 2 pupils reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics than in previous years. There was a particularly strong improvement in science. However, the proportion of pupils of average ability who reach greater depth in their learning is not high enough, and has fallen since 2016.
• Teachers’ secure subject knowledge means that outcomes are good in subjects across the curriculum. The addition of specialist provision for art and music ensures that pupils make strong progress in these subjects. The use of the PE and sport premium enhances provision, ensuring that outcomes are good in this subject too.
• Standards in science have risen dramatically at both key stages. Teachers have very high expectations and strong subject knowledge. This leads to an exciting and in-depth curriculum which results in pupils developing a strong understanding of science.
• In other subjects, such as history and geography, work in books shows that middle-ability pupils do well and the most able excel. However, outcomes are not as strong for lower-ability pupils because work is not always matched to their starting points.

Early years provision Good

• Children get off to a good start in the Reception class because teachers support their learning very effectively.
• A high proportion of children join the school with low starting points, especially in communication, language and literacy. These children, as well as others, make good progress.
• The proportion of children who reach a good level of development has risen. In 2017, it was higher than average and the school’s most up-to-date information suggests it may rise further still this year.
• Staff have a good understanding of different children’s interests and needs. They plan carefully to ensure that these needs are met.
• Children have opportunities to develop their reading, writing and mathematical skills, both inside and outside. For example, children were busily writing notes about their patients when playing in the doctor’s surgery outdoors.
• The teaching of phonics is effective. Children listen carefully and therefore make good progress in acquiring the key skills which will prepare them well for Year 1 and beyond.
• Children’s skills in other areas of the curriculum are also well developed. For example, children were keen to play music to the inspector and showed that they knew a lot about how different kinds of drumsticks make louder or softer noises.
• Leaders work well to develop staff. Staff are positive about the support they receive to ensure that they continue to improve their practice.
• Staff have high expectations that children will adhere to daily routines. These routines support children in developing key skills for learning. Children listen well, follow instructions quickly and look after resources, for example by tidying them up carefully.
• Leaders foster moral development in the early years by using books with a moral message. For example, children completed work about kindness and sharing based on ‘The Rainbow Fish’.
• Children play together well. Relationships are good, both among children and between children and staff. This creates a harmonious atmosphere which supports children’s emotional development and increases their confidence and self-esteem.
• Safeguarding is equally effective as in the rest of the school. Children are encouraged to take sensible risks in their environment. For example, they have access to the large climbing equipment in the key stage 2 playground where they experiment with how high they can climb and how far they can jump.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 100827 Southwark 10047361 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary aided 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 142 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Selina Boshorin Andrew Rojas 020 7703 4772 www.stgeorgesprimaryschool.org office@stgps.org.uk Date of previous inspection 19–20 May 2016

Information about this school

• St George’s is a smaller than average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is higher than average.
• Over two thirds of pupils speak English as an additional language. This is more than three times higher than that found nationally. A number of these pupils are at the very early stages of learning English.
• The vast majority of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. The largest group is Black or Black British African heritage.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is higher than average.
• Since the previous inspection, there has been considerable staff turnover. The current headteacher joined the school as the senior deputy headteacher in January 2017, was appointed as headteacher on a temporary basis in September 2017 and confirmed as headteacher in April 2018. A number of teachers have also joined the school since the previous inspection, and the governing body has new members, including a new chair of governors.
• Children in the early years are taught in one Reception class.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed teaching in every class at least once and saw pupils learning in a range of subjects. Every visit was conducted jointly with a senior school leader.
• The inspector looked at work in pupils’ English, mathematics, religious education, science, humanities and art books.
• She held meetings with school leaders, a range of other staff, governors, including the chair of the governing body, and representatives from the local authority and the diocese. She also attended an assembly.
• The inspector met with pupils, both formally and informally, to gather their views, as well as hearing pupils from both key stage 1 and key stage 2 read.
• Although there were too few responses to the online parent survey, Parent View, for the inspector to view, she spoke to a range of parents at various points during the school day and took into account the five comments left on the free-text facility and an email sent via Ofsted’s offices.
• The inspector scrutinised a range of documents, including the school’s evaluation of its own performance, information relating to behaviour, attendance, safeguarding and pupils’ academic performance, development plans and minutes of governing body meetings.

Inspection team

Jeanie Jovanova, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector