St George's Academy

Age group 11–18 Inspection date(s) 2–3 May 2012 Inspection number 382011 St George’s Academy Inspection report

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Unique reference number 136044 Local authority N/A Inspection number 382011 Inspection dates 2–3 May 2012 Lead inspector John Mitcheson HMI

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Academy School category Non-maintained Age range of pupils 11–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 2246 Of which, number on roll in the sixth form 374 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Graham Arnold Headteacher Paul Watson (Principal) Date of previous school inspection N/A School address Westgate Sleaford NG34 7PS Telephone number 01529 302487 Fax number 01529 301170 Email address stga@st-georges-academy.org achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and

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other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. Inspectors observed 41 lessons on two of the academy’s sites. An inspector accompanied by a senior leader visited a further four part-lessons as part of a learning walk on the third site. In all, 45 teachers were seen. Inspectors held metings with senior and middle leaders, five groups of students and the Chair of the Governing Board. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line Parent View survey in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at a range of documentation including 290 questionnaires from parents and carers, 65 from staff and 150 from students.

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Information about the school

St George’s Academy opened in January 2010 following the joining together of St George’s College of Technology, the Aveland High School and Cotelands High School. Prior to this, both high schools were National Challenge schools. There are two single-gender grammar schools nearby which attract a significant proportion of more-able students each year. The academy operates on three sites, one four miles and the other nine miles from Sleaford. One site will be closed in July 2012. On the two remaining sites, major rebuilding projects are close to completion. The academy is much larger than average, with a large sixth form run jointly with a local grammar school. The majority of students are White British. The proportions known to be eligible for free school meals and from minority ethnic backgrounds are below national averages. The percentage of disabled students and those who have special educational needs, mostly specific learning or behavioural, emotional and social

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Information about the school

difficulties, is above average. Pupil mobility is lower than average. The academy specialises in mathematics and computing. In its first Ofsted monitoring inspection in June 2011 it was judged to be making good progress towards raising standards. The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 St George’s Academy provides students with a good education. Since opening, it has raised significantly the achievement of students and ensured that the large majority acquire the skills and qualifications needed for the next stage of their education, training or the workplace. It is not outstanding because improvements are uneven across key stages and sites. A higher proportion of students show improved progress on the main site mainly because there is more leadership capacity to drive improvements.

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Key findings

 The sixth form is satisfactory. The notable improvements in Key Stage 4 have not been matched here. A new head of sixth form has been appointed to raise achievement and increase students’ involvement.

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Key findings

 Good teaching, a broad, enriched curriculum and a well-coordinated range of interventions have ensured that the achievement of most students is good. Over 60% of those in Year 11 have already attained at least a C grade in English and in mathematics. Following Key Stage 4 examinations later this year, overall standards are expected to rise further to above national averages. Given students’ low starting points, this represents good progress. Not all more-able students are sufficiently challenged in lessons.

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Key findings

 Most students attend regularly and behave exceptionally well. They are keen to learn and work diligently in most lessons. A minority become passive learners when lesson planning is not matched precisely to their needs or when inconsistencies in teaching fail to stimulate their interest.

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Key findings

 Outstanding leadership by the Principal has blended together students from three predecessor schools and improved provision for them to enable them to succeed. Accurate and effective self-evaluation has rightly identified the weaknesses in the sixth form and the reasons for the variations between sites. Good governance provides a clear strategic direction for the academy. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that students’ achievement improves at similar rates in all key stages and on both academy sites by:  embedding the new arrangements for the leadership and management of the sixth form promptly so that they lead to significant improvements in

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 using the new sixth form centre buildings to generate a stronger identity and ethos for the sixth form  improving the guidance and support provided for sixth form students so that they pursue appropriate courses and feel well supported in their learning  adding further senior leadership and management capacity in the academy’s smaller site.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Gain greater consistency to the quality of teaching so that a higher proportion is good or outstanding by:  checking that lesson planning is matched precisely to the needs of students of all abilities and interests  providing sufficiently challenging work to extend the learning and progress of the most-able students.

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Achievement of pupils

Attainment on entry is lower than found nationally. It is notably lower on the two smaller sites compared to the main site on which the majority of students are based. A minority of students joined with significant shortfalls in their knowledge, skills and understanding. Coordinated support to improve basic skills in reading and numeracy is tackling these shortfalls and ensuring that most students meet national expectations by the end of Year 9. The overwhelming majority of questionnaires reflected parental views that their child was well taught and making good progress. Evidence gained by inspectors confirmed this view and judged students’ achievement as good. Concerted efforts to raise achievement have led to year-on-year improvements since the academy opened. Most students attained at least five A* to C grades last year, and over half of them attained five A* to C grades including English and mathematics.

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Achievement of pupils

Although improvements have brought students’ attainment closer to the national average, or in the case of mathematics higher, the rate of improvement has varied between subjects and sites. For example, students made better progress in mathematics than in English over the past two years. This gap has narrowed significantly this year due to a focus on improving progress in English. The percentages of students attaining two A* to C grades in science is much lower on both of the smaller sites, partly because students’ prior attainment is lower but also Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

because monitoring and interventions to accelerate students’ progress have not led to similar improvements in results.

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Achievement of pupils

Improved monitoring of individual students’ progress is enabling senior leaders to coordinate actions to provide extra support for students who need it. For example, the attainment gap between all students and those known to be eligible for free school meals is closing rapidly due to targeted support for them. Disabled students and those who have special educational needs receive good support, enabling over three quarters of them to attain at least five A* to C grades in 2011. The gap between the attainment of the academy’s most-able students and the attainment of similar students nationally is also closing but remains a key priority for improvement. The vast majority of students attain well in both of the academy’s specialist subjects.

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Achievement of pupils

Attainment on entry to the sixth form is low. Most students pursue Advanced level awards in a range of subjects, some taught collaboratively at a partner school. Not all students have been suitably prepared for the rigours of these courses. A lack of clear guidance on entry and insufficient monitoring of their academic and personal well-being led to a high proportion of them discontinuing their studies in Year 13 last year. This year, improved transitional arrangements have strengthened the care and support for students and retained a higher proportion of them in learning. Generally good and some outstanding teaching has enabled most students to make satisfactory progress and attain broadly average standards.

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Quality of teaching

Observations of lessons by inspectors, some carried out jointly with senior leaders, confirmed the academy’s view that the quality of teaching is good. Teaching was good or outstanding in well over half of lessons seen and was having a direct impact on raising students’ achievement. Most teachers knew their subject and their students well. They had high expectations of students and managed their behaviour effectively. A focus on developing students’ life-skills adds significantly to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural education.

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Quality of teaching

Where teaching was good, lessons were well planned, enabling students of similar abilities to learn together in groups or in practical activities for sustained periods of time. For example, in a Year 10 science lesson, small groups worked together to investigate the electrolysis of brine. The teacher facilitated learning by supporting individual groups without distracting other students or slowing the pace of learning. Challenging questions were posed to test their understanding and sum up their findings. Students with specific special educational needs received effective one-to- one support that enabled them to engage fully in practical activities.

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Quality of teaching

Where the quality of teaching was no better than satisfactory, teachers talked for too long or failed to provide suitable activities to capture students’ interest. This slowed the rate of progress made and at times led to some quietly disengaging from learning. A minority of teaching did not include tasks matched to the abilities of more-able students, so they were not sufficiently challenged to work hard or think Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Discussions with students confirmed the views of senior leaders and most parents and carers that the academy is a safe place to be. Movement around the three academy sites is calm and sensible, and students show respect for one another. They wear their uniforms with pride and some assume responsibility as captains, prefects and councillors. Students on the two smaller sites said that they knew everyone, which helped them to make friends easily. Inspectors judged behaviour to be good rather than outstanding because a small minority of parental questionnaires raised concerns about some misbehaviour and incidents of physical bullying on one of the smaller sites which were not dealt with effectively. Inspectors raised this issue with students, who said they feel safe, mostly free from bullying and enjoy the academy, but confirmed that some incidents had occurred. Additional support provided by the ‘Leicester Street’ support base is helping to reduce significantly the proportion of

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

students temporarily excluded from the academy.

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Leadership and management

The considerable challenges presented by the amalgamation of three schools, the closure of one school this year, and the disruption caused by two large building projects have not deflected the Principal from driving improvements across the academy to raise standards. His leadership has steered the academy into a position of strength; standards are rising inexorably, state-of-the-art facilities are due for opening later this year and it is oversubscribed.

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Leadership and management

Middle leaders are held accountable for the standards achieved in their subjects. Lessons are routinely monitored by a range of senior and middle leaders. This generates a wealth of information, but it is not always used systematically to promote best practice. A broad, balanced curriculum across all key stages meets the needs of the vast majority of students. Accurate self-evaluation informs detailed development planning. Senior leaders are tackling the lower achievement of certain groups of students and promoting greater equality of opportunity. Senior leaders acknowledge that more work needs to be done to reduce the unevenness of achievement throughout the academy.

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Leadership and management

The closure of one of the academy sites has been handled sensitively. Staff morale has remained high and students feel they have received the care and support to help them to achieve well in examinations this year. Senior leadership and management capacity varies across the remaining two sites. To address this, the Principal and governors have committed an equivalent proportion of time to both sites next term and a newly appointed vice-principal will lead the sixth form. Support and challenge for the Principal are provided through weekly meetings with the Chair of the Governing Board. All statutory requirements are met and robust procedures to safeguard students, including the single central record, are securely in place.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance: the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of St George’s Academy, Sleaford, NG34 7PS

Earlier this week we visited your academy to meet with you, join you in lessons and talk with your teachers. Thank you for making us feel welcome, especially those of you that agreed to meet with us to share your views, and those who completed questionnaires. You all represented your academy very well and made quite an impression on the inspectors, so well done.

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Inspection of St George’s Academy, Sleaford, NG34 7PS

We found that St George’s Academy provides you with a good education. Many more students now attain at least five GCSE or equivalent qualifications. This bodes well for you as you approach your GCSE examinations later this year, so keep up the hard work. Behaviour is good and attendance is far more regular. We found a couple of things that need some further work, so we have asked your senior teachers to make the following improvements:

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Inspection of St George’s Academy, Sleaford, NG34 7PS

 make sure that the new leader of the sixth form makes full use of the new buildings to raise the profile of students and the standards they achieve, and make sure that they feel well supported and cared for

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Inspection of St George’s Academy, Sleaford, NG34 7PS

 make sure that students achieve equally well on both sites of the academy

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Inspection of St George’s Academy, Sleaford, NG34 7PS

 check that lessons always meet your different needs, abilities and interests and provide you with really challenging work.

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Inspection of St George’s Academy, Sleaford, NG34 7PS

Mr Watson and his staff are doing a good job. You can help them by letting them know your views on what other improvements you would like to see.

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Inspection of St George’s Academy, Sleaford, NG34 7PS

John Mitcheson Her Majesty's Inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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