St George's Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St George’s Primary School St George’s Road, Wallasey, Merseyside CH45 3NF

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Outcome

St George’s Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at St George’s Primary School. They are well cared for by staff. They know that they can go to a trusted adult if needed. Pupils can also post their worries in the virtual worry box, and they know that staff will always make time for them. If there is any bullying, staff deal with it quickly and well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All staff have high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils rise to these expectations. As a result, pupils behave well during lessons and at breaktimes. There is very little low-level disruption. This means that pupils can get on with their learning without distraction. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of after-school clubs, such as basketball, netball and chess.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking on extra responsibilities, such as mini police. This enables pupils to have the opportunity to participate in peaceful demonstrations about safe parking around the school. Pupils also enjoy their roles as eco-councillors, as well as being members of the school council.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum, which meets all the aims of the national curriculum. In most subjects, leaders have clearly identified the important knowledge that pupils must know and remember. Teachers deliver the curriculum effectively in these subjects. Consequently, pupils achieve well. 8 and 9 March 2023

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In a few subjects, leaders’ thinking about what pupils must know and remember is less clear. In these subjects, there is so much content that teachers are unsure what they should prioritise. This leads to some key concepts not being taught. As a result, pupils do not gain a secure enough foundation on which to base their future learning.

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Pupils in key stage 1 learn very well. They have a secure foundation on which to build when they enter key stage 2. However, at times, and in a few subjects, the curriculum that older pupils experience does not build well enough on what has been learned in key stage 1. This leads to some unevenness in pupils’ progress over time.

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Teachers use assessment strategies effectively to identify any pupils who are not keeping up with their learning. These pupils are given effective and timely extra support to help them catch up.

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Leaders have ensured that reading is a priority across the school. Children learn phonics right from their very first days in Reception. Leaders have ensured that staff have had the training they need to deliver the early reading curriculum well. This means that teachers know which sounds to teach to pupils and when to teach them. Leaders have ensured that the books pupils read are well matched to the sounds they know. Children in the early years enjoy listening to a wide range of stories read by their teachers. Older pupils enjoy reading their own books for pleasure. They are especially excited to use the new outdoor reading shed.

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Leaders work well with staff to ensure that pupils with SEND are identified early. Pupils with SEND are supported by experienced and knowledgeable teachers, ensuring they have access to a full curriculum. The support that pupils with SEND receive is effective. It helps pupils to achieve well. Pupils with SEND participate with their friends in a range of clubs and class trips. They also represent the school at competitions, such as a chess tournament.

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Pupils, including children in the early years, enjoy coming to school. They behave well and make the most of their learning time. Pupils understand that every day counts, and coming to school regularly helps them to be the best learners they can be.

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Leaders provide a range of opportunities that support pupils’ wider personal development. For example, pupils recently visited the Houses of Parliament, learning about politics and democracy. Leaders ensure that, through the curriculum, pupils are taught about the importance of respect and tolerance. As a result, pupils are considerate and respectful towards others.

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Staff are proud to work at this school. They feel valued and well supported due to the wide range of professional development on offer. Leaders are considerate of staff’s well- being and have recently reviewed the marking policy to reduce workload. Governors have a secure view of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They are diligent in holding leaders to account for the quality of education that pupils receive.

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The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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There is a shared culture of safeguarding at St George’s Primary. Leaders ensure that staff know how to keep pupils safe. Staff are trained to be alert to any potential harm that pupils may face. They respond quickly when they are worried about a pupil’s welfare. Staff report any concerns about pupils in a timely manner. Leaders follow up any concerns swiftly to ensure that pupils and their families get the appropriate support they need.

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The curriculum supports pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe. This includes how to keep safe when online and the potential dangers of cyber-bullying.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not clarified the essential knowledge that pupils should know and remember. In these subjects, there is too much content for pupils to learn. This leads to some key concepts not being taught or emphasised enough. This hinders pupils’ future learning. Leaders should identify what pupils should know and remember through the curriculum.  In some subjects, the curriculum for older pupils is not designed well enough to capitalise on the strong foundations that pupils gain in key stage 1. This leads to some unevenness in how well pupils progress through the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that, in these subjects, the key stage 2 curriculum enables pupils to build on what they already know and can do.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour, or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2017.

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

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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. 8 and 9 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256196 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 December 2017 under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders make use of one registered alternative provider.

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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 leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other senior leaders. The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body and the local authority.  The inspectors met with the leaders responsible for SEND and early years.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and design and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and teaching assistants, 8 and 9 March 2023

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spoke to some pupils about their learning, listened to pupils read and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspectors looked at the single central record of staff suitability checks. They met with the leaders responsible for safeguarding and sampled case studies and documentation.  The inspectors met with a group of pupils and spoke to pupils during breaktimes and lunchtimes.  The inspectors spoke with some parents and carers as they dropped their children off at school. They also reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s parent questionnaire, Parent View.  The inspectors held meetings with members of staff and considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Kelly Butler, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Alex Farrow Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 March 2023

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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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