St George the Martyr Church of England Primary School

School report St George the Martyr Church of England Primary School John's Mews, London, WC1N 2NX

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  The school has improved since its previous inspection and now provides an excellent quality of education for its pupils.  Pupils’ achievement is outstanding. Pupils start school with skills and experience that are below those usually found. They make rapid progress across all parts of the school, so that by the end of Year 6, attainment is above the national average.  All groups of pupils in the school achieve well, and make at least good, and often outstanding progress. This includes pupils eligible for pupil premium, pupils with additional needs, and pupils of Bangladeshi heritage.  Teachers work very hard to plan and teach high quality lessons which excite, interest and enable pupils to fulfil their potential.  The school is led exceptionally well by the headteacher and deputy headteacher. They are well supported by teachers with responsibilities and a strong, very experienced and committed governing body.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

All leaders want the very best for every child and have the highest expectations.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They are exceptionally polite, courteous and welcoming to visitors, staff and other pupils. They have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe.  Pupils love coming to this school. As a result, their attendance is above average and has improved year on year.  Additional adults that work in the school also make a considerable contribution to pupils’ achievement, for example when working with small groups or individual pupils during lessons.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development outstandingly well. As a result, pupils have an excellent understanding of cultures and faiths different to their own, and work very well with each other. The school’s exciting and theme-based curriculum also has an excellent impact on how well pupils achieve.  Parents, staff and pupils say unreservedly how

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

much they enjoy the school. They feel that teaching is great, that pupils are well cared for, and that the school is very well led and managed. Inspection report: St George the Martyr Church of England Primary School, 14 − 15 November 2013 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in all classes. They visited 21 lessons or parts of lessons, nine of which were observed jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. Inspectors attended an assembly, sampled pupils’ work and listened to them read.  They held meetings with leaders and managers, staff and pupils, members of the governing body, a representative from the local authority and an adviser from the Diocese.  Inspectors met informally with parents and carers at the beginning of the school day and took account of the 63 responses to the online questionnaire Parent View.  They observed the school’s work and looked closely at a number of documents, including the school’s information about pupils’ progress, the school improvement plan and other action plans, the self-evaluation report, monitoring files, reports from the local authority and the Diocese, policies and procedures for safeguarding pupils, attendance figures and information

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Information about this inspection

on the management of teachers’ performance and the monitoring of teaching.  The inspectors also analysed 21 questionnaires from staff.

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Inspection team

David Thomas Hatchett, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Gill Walley, Team inspector Additional Inspector Inspection report: St George the Martyr Church of England Primary School, 14 − 15 November 2013 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 This inner city school is located between Holborn and Russell Square in central London. It is similar in size to the average primary school. Since the previous inspection, the number of pupils on roll has increased.  There have been a number of changes in staffing since the last inspection. The current headteacher was appointed in January 2010, and a number of teachers have joined the school. The teacher with responsibility for mathematics has been in post since September 2013.  The headteacher is a leadership partner at another primary school within the Diocese.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in the Reception and Nursery classes.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.

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Information about this school

 The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well above average. The highest proportion is of Bangladeshi heritage.  The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding, which provides additional funding to be used for children in local authority care, children of service families and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is almost double the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen middle leaders’ use of pupil performance information to raise achievement across the school. Inspection report: St George the Martyr Church of England Primary School, 14 − 15 November 2013 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils make exceptional progress throughout the school and achieve above average results in tests and assessments when they leave. Pupils’ progress is at least good, and usually better in all classes. The progress of groups, including those eligible for the pupil premium, and those of Bangladeshi heritage, is also outstanding.  Children start at the school with knowledge, skills and experiences that are below those typically found. As a result of good and better teaching during the Early Years Foundation Stage, they make quick progress and begin to catch up, but as they go into Year 1, their attainment is still below average. By the end of Key Stage 1, their attainment has caught up with all pupils in the country, and by the end of Key Stage 2, they do much better than 11 year-olds nationally.  Pupils enjoy reading, read widely and for pleasure. The teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) is very good, and has led to improvements in pupils’ reading. Results in the Year 1

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

phonics check in 2012 were in line with the national average, and unvalidated data for 2013 suggests that results have increased this year. Pupils use a range of phonic strategies to help them work out words that they are not familiar with.  Lesson observations and pupils’ work seen during the inspection, and school data and monitoring records all show that pupils make good, and often outstanding progress across the school. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is broadly average in all subjects including reading. By the end of Key Stage 2 their attainment, which has improved since the last inspection, is above, and often well above, the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. Attainment in science, which was below average at the time of the previous inspection, is now also above average by the end of Key Stage 2.  Pupils and groups of pupils make excellent progress over time. In 2013, pupils in the school

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

made progress in mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2 that was in the top one per cent of all schools in the country. This is exceptional.  Pupils who are supported by the pupil-premium make excellent progress throughout the school. Because the additional funding is planned and used so well, these pupils outperform other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. The gap in pupils’ attainment within the school is also rapidly closing, and those pupils who are eligible for pupil premium are under half a term behind their peers in Year 6 in English and mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make at least good, and often outstanding progress. This is because they benefit from well-qualified and trained adults who understand their needs and work that is set at exactly the right level for them.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching over time is outstanding. The impact of this can be seen in pupils’ rapid progress throughout the school and their above, and well above average attainment in national tests and assessments in Year 6.  Teaching in lessons and part lessons seen during the inspection was outstanding overall, and never less than good. Teachers have the highest expectations of pupils. In the many outstanding lessons, teaching included very precise learning objectives and excellent feedback. Pupils benefited from high quality guidance and support from additional adults, well-targeted questioning, and challenging tasks and activities that matched pupils’ different abilities. Lessons are well planned and excellent use is made of assessment and checks to make sure that pupils are all on track to meet their challenging targets.  In an outstanding lesson observed in the Reception class, the topic of heavier and lighter was

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

discussed using real life items, including a teddy bear and pencils. The children used themselves as pretend scales as they worked in pairs to show which items in the classroom were heavier and lighter than each other. Inspection report: St George the Martyr Church of England Primary School, 14 − 15 November 2013 5 of 9

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The teaching of reading (including phonics), writing and mathematics is outstanding. As a result, pupils make exceptional gains in their learning in these subjects. Teaching in other subjects is also good and often better. Teaching and provision in science has improved since the previous inspection. Pupils have many opportunities to carry out investigations in their lessons, and as a result, their attainment has risen to above average.  Targets are set for all pupils in reading, writing and mathematics. These are set at exactly the right level, and pupils understand what level they are currently working at, and precisely what they need to work on and do to move towards the next level.  The quality of marking is first rate. It is consistently high quality in all classes throughout the school, particularly in English and mathematics. Comments from teachers and other adults identify and celebrate success, but also identify how each piece of work could have been made

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

even better. A particularly effective feature of the marking is the way that it is used as a dialogue between pupil and adult. Marking has a very strong impact and contributes very well, alongside the excellent teaching, to pupils’ outstanding achievement.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning. In almost all lessons observed, their behaviour was outstanding. Pupils have an exceptional eagerness and thirst for knowledge. Teachers and other adults apply the school’s highly effective behaviour management systems very well and consistently across all classes.  Pupils’ behaviour around the school and in the playground during break and lunchtimes is exemplary. There are very few behaviour incidents, and those that occur are dealt with extremely well. There have not been any exclusions for many years.  Parents, pupils and staff all agree that behaviour is strong and that pupils are safe in school. Bullying is rare, but pupils have a very good understanding of most types of bullying that exist, particularly cyber bullying, where an effective e-safety programme means pupils are able to stay safe when using computers. The ‘playground friends’ scheme ensures that all pupils are safe and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

play together during break and lunchtimes, meaning no child feels lonely or uncared for. This is one of the reasons why pupils enjoy playtimes so much.  The school is an exceptionally caring and cohesive community where pupils’ needs are paramount. All pupils and staff are valued and made to feel special, and high quality relationships are fostered. Equal opportunities and tackling discrimination are at the heart of the school’s work and are promoted exceptionally well. This can be seen, for example, in how well pupils from all backgrounds thrive and succeed during their time in the school. Pupils value backgrounds and cultures other than their own, and the school celebrates a range of customs and faiths, for example an Eid party for all pupils at the nearby Coram’s Fields.  Pupils are eager and enjoy coming to school very much and thrive on the outstanding teaching. Their enjoyment can be seen in attendance figures which are above the national average. The

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

school celebrates and rewards both pupils and staff who attend every day for a term and longer.  Pupils enjoy the many opportunities for taking responsibilities and leadership positions, for example in the school council, where members are elected by their classmates, and from within the council for key roles such as Chair and Vice Chair. They meet regularly with school leaders and members of the governing body.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school is a very special place to be. The headteacher, provides exceptional and unstinting leadership. The headteacher is very well supported by the deputy headteacher, senior team and the governing body. Together, they have been instrumental in bringing about the improvements since the previous inspection, and unrelenting in their drive and insistence on the highest quality of teaching and enabling every pupil to make the most of their potential. As a result of this inspiring leadership and management, teaching and pupils’ achievement have both improved Inspection report: St George the Martyr Church of England Primary School, 14 − 15 November 2013 6 of 9

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The leadership and management are outstanding

since the previous inspection and are now outstanding.  Teachers with responsibilities play their part too. Staff are committed to ensuring that teaching and plans in all subjects are of a high quality. Teachers with responsibilities have an accurate understanding of their subjects and phases, and are regularly checking how good teaching is and how well pupils are achieving. However, as some staff are still new to their roles, not all are using pupil performance data to identify trends and issues across the school and in different subjects. The school has already identified this and has appropriate training and support in place.  Leaders at all levels have a detailed and accurate understanding of the teaching within the school. Their judgements are spot on, and they conduct regular checks on how well teachers and pupils are doing. The quality of feedback that leaders give to teachers is excellent, and helps

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The leadership and management are outstanding

them improve their good or better lessons even further. Staff say how much they value the support they receive and how well the school is led and managed.  The school has an accurate understanding of its own effectiveness, strengths and minor areas for development. Priorities for development that appear in the school’s improvement plan are informed by the school’s view of its work, which also takes into account feedback from other professionals, such as advisers or commissioned consultants. Priorities on the school improvement plan are reflected in targets for teachers to improve their performance still further.  The school’s high quality curriculum has been reviewed since the previous inspection. It enables teachers to plan and deliver exciting lessons across different themes. The curriculum provides excellent links to different subjects, for example the use of history in English. There is an outstanding programme of visits to local landmarks, museums and galleries, and pupils benefit

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The leadership and management are outstanding

from a wide range of visitors.  The school has already made very good use of the primary school sport funding. Investments have been made in observing the quality of provision by sports coaches used in the school, which has already improved the quality of provision. The school has also used this funding to increase participation rates by over 20 per cent since last summer in extra-curricular sports provision, in particular for girls.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well, evident in how well pupils get on with each other, irrespective of background and how well they work together in pairs, groups and teams. Daily assemblies and collective worship also make a strong contribution. There were excellent links to customs from Spain during an outstanding Spanish lesson in Year 6, where pupils developed their understanding of cultures and values different to

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The leadership and management are outstanding

their own in addition to developing their vocabulary and pronunciation of the language.  The local authority and Diocese both provide high quality and tailored support to the school that is proportionate to its success. Additional support and challenge is provided by advisers at the school’s request, as part of its desire to get even better.  Safeguarding procedures in the school met current statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is chaired skilfully. The Chair has been instrumental in building up a highly effective group of governors who have the skills and experience to hold the school to account. Each member has relevant expertise and experience that is put to very good use.  Minutes of meetings show how well governors know the school and hold leaders to account, particularly for the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. In addition to information from

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The leadership and management are outstanding

the headteacher, governors have also commissioned external parties to provide them with objective views of the school’s effectiveness, the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. They also use data on pupil performance to make sure that pupils are achieving as well as or better than other pupils in similar schools and across the country.  The governing body has strong systems to ensure that additional funding is used effectively, such as the school’s plans for deploying the pupil-premium funding. The governing body oversees the school’s performance management processes with care, diligence and expertise, ensuring that only good or better teachers are rewarded with higher salaries. They set a good balance between support and challenge, and have been involved in resolving a number of difficult staffing situations, to ensure that pupils receive the highest quality of education. Inspection report: St George the Martyr Church of England Primary School, 14 − 15 November 2013 7 of 9

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. Inspection report: St George the Martyr Church of England Primary School, 14 − 15 November 2013 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 100040 Local authority London Borough of Camden Inspection number 425592

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3 −11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 214 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Reverend Guy Pope Headteacher Rebecca Harris Date of previous school inspection 19 November 2008 Telephone number 020 7405 5640 Fax number 020 7430 0816 Email address admin@stgeorge.camden.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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 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

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School details

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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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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