St George's Church of England Primary School, Great Bromley

Inspection of a good school: St George’s Church of England Primary School, Great Bromley Brook Street, Great Bromley, Colchester, Essex CO7 7HX

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Outcome

St George’s Church of England Primary School, Great Bromley continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are warm and welcoming here. They are proud of their school and many have leadership responsibilities on the school council or as prefects. Pupils look out for each other. In Year 6, they act as ‘big friends’ to children who start in Reception. Older pupils also help younger pupils to read as a reading buddy. Pupils feel safe at school and know there are adults who can help them if they are worried about something.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is an inclusive school. Leaders want the very best for all children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is clear in the way that all pupils participate in, and enjoy, all aspects of school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well around the school, although occasionally low-level disruption is not addressed by teachers. Pupils feel that bullying is rare. They are confident if it does happen it is addressed quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the range of opportunities available to them. Leaders have designed a programme of lunchtime activities and after-school clubs, such as the gardening club. These are well attended.

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

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. Over the last two years, leaders have focused on improving the curriculum across all subjects. They regularly review the curriculum to ensure it achieves their aims. This has led to recent changes in mathematics to better build on what pupils already know and can do. 4 May 2023

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Leaders have made reading a priority. Children begin to read as soon as they start in Reception. Teachers and other adults teach phonics consistently well. They have received appropriate training to help them do this. Books are carefully chosen to help pupils practise the sounds that they learn. Pupils who struggle to read are given expert help to catch up. Across the school, pupils enjoy reading. Teachers help pupils select challenging texts. Leaders routinely check how well pupils of all ages are learning to read. They use this information to challenge and help pupils at all stages of reading.

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Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They use this to teach the curriculum well. However, in some foundation subjects, teaching does not focus precisely enough on the knowledge that pupils should learn. Assessment within these subjects does not focus on the specifics of what has been taught so does not help teachers accurately identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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Teachers understand the needs of pupils with SEND. Leaders provide them with helpful information about pupils with SEND, which they use to adapt their teaching. Teachers have regular opportunities to work together to ensure pupils receive the help they need.

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The school’s values of courage, respect, friendship, compassion, perseverance and responsibility are displayed not only in the school hall but in the attitudes that pupils exhibit. Pupils’ personal development is catered for through personal, social and health education lessons that are woven through the school’s thematic curriculum. This is enhanced with other opportunities, such as a Mars themed enrichment day and visits by local bird breeders and beekeepers.

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Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes around the school and during breaktimes and lunchtimes. They are polite and friendly to their peers and to visitors. Leaders have organised a range of different activities for pupils to engage in during lunchtimes, including badminton, football and crafts. Pupils value and participate well in these.

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Leaders have designed behaviour principles, which teachers implement within their own class expectations. Where this approach works well, behaviour in classes is positive. This starts in Reception, where the youngest children learn clear routines and are praised for displaying good behaviour. However, this structured approach is not displayed in all year groups. Sometimes, teachers do not have high enough expectations of pupils’ behaviour, including pupils with SEND. This means that, occasionally, low-level disruption can persist without challenge and disrupt the learning of others.

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Senior leaders and the local governing body work together effectively. Leaders are sensitive to the well-being of staff and work to reduce their workload where possible.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff are alert to safeguarding concerns and are confident in how to report these. They receive regular training to develop their knowledge 4 May 2023

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in this area. Leaders maintain clear safeguarding records. Concerns are acted on quickly and appropriate referrals are made to outside agencies.

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Pupils are taught how to keep themselves and their friends safe both in person and online. Pupils know that if they have a concern, there are adults in school who will help them.

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Leaders carry out appropriate pre-employment checks on new staff.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teaching of the foundation subjects does not always focus on the precise knowledge that pupils should learn. This means that pupils can develop gaps in what they know. Assessments in these subjects do not help identify these gaps accurately. Leaders should ensure that in foundation subjects the curriculum is taught as planned and that assessment focuses more precisely on the knowledge that pupils should have learned.  Some teachers do not always have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour in classes. This means that a few pupils can disrupt the learning of others. Leaders should help teachers implement the school’s behaviour principles reliably, to ensure that teachers have high expectations of all pupils, including pupils with SEND.

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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 November 2013.

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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. 4 May 2023

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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. 4 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10286243 Type of school Primary

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provision

Appropriate authority The governing body

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provision

Date of previous inspection 21 February 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a religious character. Its previous section 48 inspection took place in March 2017. The next section 48 inspection will take place in the next eight school years.  The school provides a breakfast club and wraparound provision for pupils.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and other members of staff. The lead inspector also spoke with members of the local governing body. 4 May 2023

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 Inspectors met with representatives of the local authority and the diocese.  Inspectors completed deep dives in these subjects: reading, history and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector checked the single central record of pre-employment checks, spoke with leaders responsible for safeguarding and looked at safeguarding records.  Inspectors considered 39 responses to the online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including 38 written responses from parents. They considered survey responses from 25 pupils and 14 members of staff.

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Inspection team

Marc White, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Bessie Owen His Majesty’s Inspector 4 May 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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