St George's CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St George's CofE Primary School Church Street, Hyde, Cheshire SK14 1JL

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this caring and welcoming school. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils try hard to ensure that their conduct embodies the school’s values of honesty, friendship and forgiveness. They listen carefully to their teachers and try their best in lessons. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have forged positive relationships with pupils. Pupils said that this helps them to feel happy, well cared for and safe. They know that there is always an adult there for them if they have any concerns. Pupils understand the different forms of bullying, including cyber bullying. They know that teachers will deal with any problems, including incidents of bullying, quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils readily assume responsibilities, such as being a prefect or joining the ethos group. Pupils enjoy contributing to the local community. For example, they work closely with the local church and support people in need through a regular foodbank. Older pupils take their roles as buddies for children in the early years very seriously.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the variety of clubs and activities available to them, such as art, cooking and gardening. They value spending time in the forest school area.

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

Leaders have created a well-thought-out and ambitious curriculum which prepares pupils well for future study and to take their place in a diverse society. Leaders have ensured that learning is well organised to build on what pupils already know. Links to the local area and visits to places of interest enhance the curriculum and help to make learning more meaningful for pupils. For example, Year 5 pupils spoke knowledgeably about their learning in geography after a recent visit to London. 28 and 29 March 2023

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In many subjects, teachers design learning that helps pupils to remember the most important curriculum content. However, in a small number of subjects, leaders have not identified the most important knowledge and skills they want pupils to be able to know and do at each stage. This means that, on occasion, teachers are not sure what curriculum content to teach and in which order. This occasionally hinders how well some pupils learn in these subjects.

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Teachers have a strong knowledge of the subjects they teach. In most subjects, they present new information to pupils clearly. Teachers skilfully check pupils’ understanding and identify any misconceptions they may have. They adapt their delivery of the curriculum to ensure that pupils’ gaps in learning are quickly addressed.

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In the early years, leaders quickly and accurately identify children who start school with weak language and communication skills and limited vocabulary. Teachers work closely with parents and carers to make sure that these pupils get the extra help and support they need, so that they are prepared well for the demands of key stage 1.

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Leaders have prioritised the teaching of reading. Well-trained staff deliver the phonics programme consistently well. Pupils who find reading more difficult benefit from effective support. Skilled staff support these pupils to learn the sounds that they need to catch up quickly and become fluent readers. Most pupils’ reading books match the sounds that they know.

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Older pupils spoke enthusiastically about their favourite books and favourite authors. They love visiting the school library. Pupils enjoy reading to Flossy, the therapy dog. They appreciate it when their teachers read stories to them.

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Pupils with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life. Leaders ensure that these pupils’ additional needs are identified early. Teachers are fully equipped to help pupils with SEND to access the full curriculum. Leaders make sure that pupils with significant learning difficulties and complex needs are supported equally well.

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Through the wider development programme, pupils learn how to be responsible and active citizens. They spoke knowledgably about British values, such as democracy, individual liberty and the rule of law. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They are respectful of other cultures and faiths.

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Staff are proud to work at this school. Staff said that leaders are supportive of their workload and care about their well-being.

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Governors know the school well. They use the detailed information that they receive from leaders to hold leaders to account effectively. Governors are proud of the school’s role in contributing to the local community. 28 and 29 March 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff receive appropriate safeguarding training. They provide regular updates for staff about safeguarding issues. All staff are clear about how to report a concern about a pupil’s welfare. This helps them to provide pupils with the guidance and support that they need to flourish.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are committed to ensuring that the most vulnerable pupils receive timely and appropriate support. Leaders work effectively with external partners, including social care, to secure these pupils and their families the help that they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including learning about online safety and how to stay safe in the local community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not identified the most important knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember. This means that some teachers are not clear about exactly what to teach. Occasionally, this hinders some pupils from learning as well as they should. Subject leaders should ensure that teachers are clear about the knowledge that pupils should learn and in which order this content should be delivered.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, St George’s CofE Primary School, to be good in September 2017. 28 and 29 March 2023

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How can I feed back my views?

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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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. 28 and 29 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268654 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.st-georges-hyde.tameside.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 St George’s CofE Primary School converted to become an academy school in October 2020. When its predecessor school, St George’s CofE Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of the Chester Diocesan Academy Trust. The last section 48 inspection took place in October 2022.  Leaders do not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector carried out this ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with pupils about their work and school life. He spoke with members of the governing body, the chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust, 28 and 29 March 2023

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a representative of the diocese, the headteacher, senior leaders and members of staff. He also met with parents and carers before school.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including information about safeguarding and checks carried out on newly appointed staff. The inspector also spoke to staff about safeguarding and about their workload and well-being.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. He also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. There were no responses to the pupil survey.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour as they moved around the school, in class, in the dining hall and in the outdoor play area.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions with subject leaders, visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, met with teachers and spoke with

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pupils. He also met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector observed pupils reading to a trusted adult.

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Inspection team

Craig Richardson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 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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