St George's Hanover Square CofE Primary School

Inspection of St George’s Hanover Square CofE Primary School South Street, London W1K 2XH

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 October 2021

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 19 and 20 October 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this welcoming school. They enjoy learning. The school encourages pupils to become confident and to develop strength of character. For example, recently pupils performed poems that they had learned off by heart linked to Black history. This has boosted their enthusiasm for learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for pupils to learn well. They have thought about the subject content in English and mathematics they want pupils to know and when it should be taught. They are developing the curriculum plans in other subjects. However, not all staff have the subject expertise to help pupils achieve highly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is generally calm and orderly. Pupils know what is expected of them when moving around the school and at playtimes. Pupils said that they would tell an adult if they were worried about anything. They know what bullying is. When it happens, teachers deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have recently made new links with the wider community, including with local businesses, charities and subject experts, to enhance opportunities for pupils. For instance, pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 are working alongside a professional journalist to create a school magazine.

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better?

The school has experienced a period of unsettled leadership since 2018. Current leaders are at the early stages of establishing a quality education for all pupils at the school. Leaders have prioritised developing the curriculum in English and mathematics. Leaders in other subjects are now beginning to identify the key content that they want pupils to know and the order in which it should be taught. In history, for instance, they are identifying the knowledge that pupils need to know by the time they move on to the next stage in their education. Other curriculum subjects, such as art and music, have recently been given greater priority. For instance, art has been taught by a specialist since the autumn term 2021. The school’s curriculum matches the ambition of the national curriculum.

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better?

Some teachers have received training on teaching phonics. This helps children to make a strong start to reading in the early years. Children read books that match the sounds they know. They practise reading regularly. Some other staff are not as well trained to help pupils build reading fluency or catch up quickly. Leaders have designed the reading curriculum to support older pupils to expand their vocabulary by learning new words. Typically, teachers help pupils to develop effective reading strategies, for example by modelling how a reader thinks when they are reading.

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better?

Some staff do not have the subject knowledge needed to deliver curriculum content confidently beyond their areas of expertise. In some subjects, teachers rely heavily on curriculum plans provided and follow them exactly. They do not check how well pupils have understood new learning before introducing new content. Pupils’ 19 and 20 October 2021

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learning is not secure when teachers move on too quickly before pupils have a grasp of recently taught content. Leaders have not made sure that staff have received training to help them to adapt the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have plans in place to deliver training for staff.

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Some teachers check what pupils know to identify misconceptions and inform what should be taught next. However, assessment is not used routinely to help pupils to embed and use knowledge securely.

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Leaders provide opportunities for pupils to build character in a number of ways. Each classroom has a reflection area to develop pupils’ spirituality. Pupils have opportunities to take responsibility for their local environment through initiatives such as ‘eco-club’ and working with local businesses on projects, including recycling. Pupils celebrate differences and are encouraged to be respectful towards people who have different faiths and cultures. They are taught about healthy relationships, what a real friendship is and how to recognise those who are trustworthy.

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Children in Reception have settled in quickly since they joined the school in September. They follow instructions and routines readily. The oldest pupils are particularly diligent in their approach to learning. Throughout the school, pupils’ typically sensible behaviour helps lessons to proceed uninterrupted.

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Governors know the school well. They have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and what needs to be developed. Governors meet regularly with leaders and ask challenging questions about the quality of education that the school provides. Staff said they feel supported by leaders regarding their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive up-to-date training. Leaders train staff to be vigilant for the signs that may mean a pupil needs help. For example, leaders use safeguarding scenarios to help staff to think about the action they would take should any problems arise. All staff know how to report any concerns and who to go to for support. Records show that they do so swiftly should any concerns arise.

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Safeguarding

Through the school’s curriculum, pupils are taught about possible risks to their well- being. They know how to stay safe online, including the importance of not revealing personal details.

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Safeguarding

Leaders secure the help pupils need by working with external services as appropriate. 19 and 20 October 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders and teachers do not use assessment well. They do not regularly check what pupils know and remember or help pupils to embed their learning. Leaders and teaching staff should make effective use of assessment to support pupils’ learning, including those with SEND, and use the information to inform teaching.  Some staff have not had appropriate subject training to teach the curriculum beyond their areas of expertise. This means that not all pupils learn new concepts securely. Leaders should ensure that all staff are supported to address any gaps in their knowledge of subjects so that they are confident to teach subjects and support pupils’ understanding.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 19 and 20 October 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Petra Slater (Acting Headteacher)

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School details

Website www.sghsprimary.co.uk Date of previous inspection 15 June 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The acting headteacher has been in post since January 2021.  The interim deputy headteacher started in September 2021.  Since the school’s previous inspection, there have been five headteachers.  There are two mixed-age classes. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 are in one class together and pupils in Years 4 and 5 are together in a second dual-form class.  The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in March 2017.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation. 19 and 20 October 2021

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 Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, three members of the governing body and representatives from both the local authority and diocese.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors reviewed safeguarding arrangements by scrutinising records, talking to leaders and staff and through discussions with pupils.  The inspectors considered the views of parents and staff through Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Alison Colenso, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

James Robinson Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 October 2021

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regulates and inspects to 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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