St George's CofE Controlled Primary School

St George’s C of E Controlled Primary School Church Street, Church Gresley, Swadlincote, Derbyshire DE11 9NP

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and governors responded quickly and decisively to the recommendations from the last inspection. Leaders have ensured that the quality of teaching has improved throughout the school.  By means of astute staff restructuring, the headteacher has ensured that middle leadership is improving. There is good capacity to ensure sustained improvement.  Parents and carers are highly positive in their views about the improved quality of education provided for their children.  Teachers promote good relationships in all year groups. This means that pupils are keen learners who respond readily to routines and expectations.  Teachers insist that pupils take pride in their work. The quality of work in pupils’ books is high across a range of subjects.  Attainment and progress in mathematics are strong, as a result of effective teaching in all year groups.  Standards of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics combined have improved over the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

past three years.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils conduct themselves politely around school and at playtimes and lunchtimes.  Safeguarding is effective. There is a strong culture of care and concern for pupils’ safety and well-being evident throughout the school.  Good leadership and effective teaching in the early years ensure that children make good progress and are well prepared for Year 1.  Standards of attainment and rates of progress in reading lag behind those in writing and mathematics. The teaching of phonics is not consistently good.  Pupils in key stage 2 do not currently have the opportunity to learn a foreign language. In all other respects, the curriculum is broad and balanced.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that: – middle leaders who are new to their roles are supported to become confident leaders who drive improvements in their respective areas of responsibility – the curriculum is broad and balanced by introducing the teaching of a foreign language in key stage 2 from September 2019.  Improve the teaching of reading and outcomes for pupils by ensuring that: – well-trained staff use accurate subject knowledge consistently to deliver the school’s phonics programme – an increased proportion of pupils achieve the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 – standards of attainment and rates of progress in reading at the end of key stages 1 and 2 improve to be at least as strong as in writing and mathematics.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The school has improved considerably since the last inspection. Senior leaders work as a cohesive team. They have set clear priorities and have taken decisive actions which have resulted in greater consistency in the quality of teaching and improved outcomes for pupils.  Since her appointment in January 2019, the headteacher has reviewed and restructured middle leadership. The new team consists of a combination of new and experienced leaders who have made a good start in evaluating the strengths and weaknesses in their subjects. These enthusiastic and proactive middle leaders are beginning to use the outcomes of their monitoring to draw up plans for improvement.  Leaders have taken deliberate steps to increase the involvement of parents in their children’s education and in the general life of the school. The impact of their actions is clear to see in the extremely positive views expressed by parents, both in discussion

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

with inspectors and in the high rate of responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. Typical comments were, ‘The school has been going from strength to strength,’ ‘I am proud to send my child to this school,’ and ‘There have been major changes for the better.’ Parents are strongly supportive of the changes introduced by the headteacher, including the formation of a parent teacher association and more frequent invitations to school activities.  Staff who spoke with inspectors described widespread improvements in relation to communications, parental engagement, governance and leadership. Staff say that they value the training they have received and believe that teaching has improved as a result. Morale is high among staff and they describe themselves as a ‘close team who support each other’, with a shared commitment to promoting pupils’ development and well-being.  The headteacher provides effective leadership of the provision for disadvantaged

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

pupils. She has ensured that support for pupils is regularly reviewed, so that appropriate provision is in place. Funds are set aside to raise pupils’ aspirations through activities such as involvement in an inter-school mathematics programme and opportunities to experience cultural events such as live theatre and music productions. Assessments show that, in most year groups, disadvantaged pupils are making good progress from their starting points.  The headteacher coordinates the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), from April 2019. She has reviewed the provision for pupils and has a clear plan for implementing a sharper focus on the early, accurate identification of pupils’ needs.  Leaders make sure that the primary school physical education (PE) and sport funding is used effectively in order to support pupils’ physical and mental well-being.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted through the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

curriculum and assemblies effectively, and is enriched by a range of extra-curricular activities. The school’s Christian values, aligned to British values, are prominent and widely understood by pupils. For example, there are attractive posters around the school and a ‘recipe for kindness’ display in one of the classrooms. Pupils spoke confidently with inspectors about their awareness of a range of faiths and cultures. They were keen to describe taking part in a ‘faith walk’ in Derby, in which they visited numerous places of worship. Pupils’ workbooks provide clear examples of thoughtful pieces of work celebrating faiths and an appreciation of the arts.  The curriculum is broad and balanced in all respects other than the teaching of a foreign language in key stage 2. The headteacher is in the process of rectifying this omission in time for the next academic year. Leaders have consulted pupils, staff and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

parents with a view to redesigning the curriculum so that it closely reflects the needs of pupils and the context of the school in the community. The work to strengthen subject leadership is a key facet of leaders’ plans to redesign the curriculum.

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Governance of the school

 Following the last inspection, governors responded quickly to the recommendations from the external review of governance. As a result, governors have an improved awareness of pupils’ attainment and progress so that they can hold leaders to account for the school’s performance.  Governors use the detailed reports from leaders, alongside their own monitoring visits, to gain an accurate and up-to-date overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They keep a careful check on the impact of the additional funding for pupils with SEND, the pupil premium and the primary school PE and sport premium.  Governors fulfil their statutory duties regarding safeguarding. They have made sure that their training is up to date and that the school’s procedures for keeping children safe are stringent.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Leaders and governors have ensured that employment checks meet statutory requirements. Training records are thorough and all staff who spoke with inspectors confirmed that they receive regular updates and are clear about what to do in the case of any concerns.  There is a caring, vigilant culture evident throughout the school. Leaders and staff undertake effective work to support vulnerable pupils and families facing difficulties, working as necessary with external agencies such as social care or other local authority support services. There is a room set aside for therapeutic activities with individuals or families, including positive play or nurture, led by a trained and trusted member of staff.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers in all classes have established positive relationships with pupils. As a result, pupils respond readily to teachers’ clear expectations and show keen attitudes to learning.  In most instances, teachers use good subject knowledge and skilful assessment to plan interesting activities that are well matched to pupils’ needs and abilities. For example, in a Year 6 mathematics activity, pupils completed a task to interpret data from a series of graphs. They proved themselves to be confident mathematicians, who were able to apply prior learning about graphs within the context of a recent school cake sale. Those who required it were provided with effective additional support.  The teaching of mathematics is effective throughout the school. Teachers typically use technical, mathematical vocabulary and questioning to deepen pupils’ knowledge and understanding, providing regular opportunities to apply reasoning through problem-

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

solving. Pupils’ workbooks are well presented and show that pupils in all year groups make consistently good progress in mathematics.  Pupils are guided to develop increasingly good skills in writing, as seen in the quality of work in their books and in the examples of pupils’ writing displayed around school. The positive impact on pupils’ writing of the recent focus on the teaching of spelling is also evident in their workbooks.  Teachers ensure that pupils consistently apply their writing skills across a range of subjects other than English. The Year 6 topic and science books contain good examples of how pupils show careful attention to detail in writing and illustration. On several occasions, it was noted how pupils had carried out research in order to create mini- presentations and ‘pop-up’ books. These approaches were used to good effect in pupils’ ‘pop-up’ books about Victorian children, and in the use of information

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

technology to produce presentations entitled ‘The Journey of Life’ in a religious education activity about different faiths and cultures.  Teachers have encouraged pupils to develop a love of reading through the introduction of whole-class reading sessions. These provide opportunities for pupils to study high- quality texts in depth as a class. In discussion with inspectors, pupils described with enthusiasm the texts they had read, including ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’ and ‘Wonder’.  The teaching of early reading, through phonics, is less effective. Adults involved in the teaching of phonics do not use consistently strong subject knowledge to guide pupils in the systematic development and application of phonics knowledge when decoding familiar and unfamiliar words. An above-average proportion of pupils do not pass the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are proud of the school and enjoy their learning. In discussion with inspectors, pupils said that they appreciate the wide range of subjects covered. They like and respect their teachers and could talk about the kindness and support shown to them by school staff.  Pupils stated emphatically that bullying is not tolerated at the school. Any instances are dealt with swiftly, firmly and fairly. Pupils were able to demonstrate a clear understanding of the meaning of bullying and how to keep themselves safe, including online.  The outdoor environment provides a wealth of opportunities for pupils to play together harmoniously, as well as to use the trim trail and outdoor fitness equipment to improve their physical stamina. Pupils were observed taking turns sensibly, making sure that pupils of all ages had a fair turn on the equipment. Staff make sure that lunchtimes are

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Personal development and welfare

well-supervised, orderly and relaxed social occasions.  Pupils are encouraged to bring healthy snacks into school and the younger ones enjoy the fruit that is provided for them. The introduction of ‘welly Wednesdays’ has enabled the younger pupils to purposefully explore the outdoor environment. Because of the success of this project, forest schools activities are being phased in across all year groups.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Leaders and staff set high expectations for conduct and courtesy, which are respected by pupils of all ages.  Pupils say that behaviour is good and that, when problems occur, the staff are quick to respond. Behaviour records confirm that bullying and behaviour-related incidents are rare. There has been one fixed-term exclusion since the last inspection. Records show that leaders and staff are taking external advice from the behaviour support service to reduce the risk of recurrences.  Rates of attendance are typically above the national average and persistent absence figures are consistently low.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Since the last inspection, there has been a trend of continuous improvement in standards of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics combined, at the end of key stage 2. The latest provisional results show that this improvement has been sustained and strengthened to above the national average.  Rates of progress have remained consistently in line with the national average, in reading, writing and mathematics.  Leaders have introduced more precise tracking of the progress of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. Focused teaching and targeted support are having a positive impact, notably for disadvantaged pupils. These pupils are currently making good progress from their starting points, in almost all year groups.  Attainment and progress in mathematics is strong throughout the school. This was clear to see during the inspection, from observations in lessons and from the quality of pupils’ work in all year groups.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Attainment and progress in reading tend to lag behind those seen in mathematics and writing, in most year groups. The focus on reading has led to some improvement in key stage 2. However, this is yet to be seen in key stage 1. The teaching of phonics is inconsistent and the proportion of pupils who achieve the expected standard in the phonics screening test in Year 1 has been declining over time. Latest assessments indicate a further drop below the national average in 2019.

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Early years provision Good

 Leaders have a thorough, accurate overview of the needs and abilities of the children because they carry out regular assessments of children’s progress. This knowledge enables the early years team to identify the strengths and weaknesses of each individual cohort and adapt the teaching and curriculum accordingly.  This year, leaders quickly identified that speaking and listening was an area of weakness. This has led to staff taking frequent opportunities to promote the development of these skills, as observed throughout the inspection.  Children enter the early years from a range of pre-school settings, or none, and are often at a stage in their development below that which is typical for their age. As a result of effective teaching, the proportion of children who achieve a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year is consistently close to the national average. Children are well prepared for Year 1.

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Early years provision Good

 There is a calm, purposeful atmosphere across the setting. Staff provide a range of well-planned activities across the indoor and outdoor areas, designed to engage children’s interest and promote their learning and development. This means that children are enthusiastic and receptive learners.  During the inspection, children were busily exploring a range of activities on the theme of ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’. They were keen to talk about their learning and showed a clear delight in the story. For example, one child had chosen to write his own account of the story and remained absorbed in the task, showing impressive focus and persistence as he applied the skills he had been taught in accurate letter formation and simple spelling.  In common with that seen in key stage 1, the teaching of phonics in the early years is less effective than in other areas of the curriculum. Staff do not use strong subject

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Early years provision Good

knowledge consistently to ensure that children use their phonics knowledge to read and spell with confidence.  The work in children’s books is neatly presented. Adults have high expectations and support children to establish good habits in writing. The work in mathematics is equally strong, showing good coverage of the early curriculum with evidence of clear progress and challenge throughout the year.  Staff set clear expectations and, consequently, children’s behaviour is good. They cooperate well with each other and respond readily to familiar routines, such as tidying up at the end of the session.  Safeguarding in the early years is effective. Staff training is up to date and children are safe and well cared for.  Parents speak warmly of the early years provision for their children. As in the rest of the school, parents are encouraged to become increasingly involved in their children’s learning and in the life of the school. Early years staff are on hand to deal with queries

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Early years provision Good

on a daily basis, and specific events, such as parent workshops, are offered from time to time.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.st-georges.derbyshire.sch.uk

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School details

Email address info@st-georges.derbyshire.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 to 5 April 2017

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Information about this school

 St George’s C of E Voluntary Controlled Primary School is smaller than the average- sized primary school.  The headteacher was appointed in January 2019.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average.  An above-average proportion of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in all classes, some jointly with leaders.  Inspectors looked at work in a wide range of pupils’ books and considered the school’s assessment information on the progress and standards achieved by current pupils.  An inspector listened to pupils read and talked with them about their reading.  An inspector met with a group of pupils from Years 5 and 6, and all inspectors spoke with pupils informally in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders with specific responsibilities in the school. Inspectors also spoke with a range of other teachers and support staff.  The lead inspector held a meeting with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body.  The lead inspector held a meeting with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors met with parents at the start of the school day and considered the views of

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Information about this inspection

77 parents who completed Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. Inspectors considered responses from Ofsted’s online staff and pupils’ surveys.  Inspectors considered a wide range of documentation, including the school’s improvement plan and self-evaluation summary, minutes of meetings of the governing body, attendance records, behaviour and bullying logs, external reports on the work of the school, monitoring and evaluation records and a range of documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Christine Watkins, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Karen Slack Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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