St. George's Primary School & St. George's Nursery School, Great Yarmouth

Inspection of a good school: St George’s Primary & Nursery School, Great Yarmouth St Peter’s Road, Great Yarmouth, Norfolk NR30 3BQ

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 November 2023

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Outcome

St George’s Primary & Nursery School, Great Yarmouth continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe and happy at St George’s. The school has high expectations for the learning and behaviour of all pupils. There is a calm, quiet atmosphere in the school. Behaviour is typically good in class and around the school. Pupils like their teachers, enjoy learning and work hard in lessons. Pupils achieve well in most subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils from many different backgrounds get on well together. Adults rapidly resolve any arguments, when necessary.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are exceptionally well cared for. Pupils say they know who to go to if they are worried about anything. Adults listen to them, and pupils are confident that they will get the help they need.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the many after-school clubs. Most take part in clubs at some point during the school year. Pupils love the wide range of visits and visitors linked to subjects they are learning. There are opportunities for families to have fun visits together to places like a local circus. Most parents appreciate everything the school does for them and their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children make an excellent start to their education in Nursery and Reception. Children quickly settle down due to consistent routines and the high expectations of all staff.

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

The school knows its pupils and families exceptionally well. The school has high expectations for what all pupils can achieve. It has designed a curriculum that is firmly rooted in the requirements of the national curriculum. In addition, the curriculum is carefully tailored to meet the specific needs and interests of the pupils. The curriculum is in its second year of implementation due to disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 14 and 15 November 2023

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Consequently, not all subjects are fully developed. In a few subjects, it is not clear what pupils must know, understand and be able to do by the end of a lesson or series of lessons.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included in every lesson. Teachers check how well pupils are learning throughout lessons. Teachers suitably adapt the curriculum to ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND, make strong progress from their starting points in most subjects.

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Children start to learn to read as soon as they join the school, in Nursery. The reading curriculum is well structured. All adults are carefully trained, and there is consistency in how reading is taught across the school. The school is vigilant in checking pupils’ progress in learning phonics. Teaching groups are checked every day to ensure that pupils make the progress of which they are capable. Pupils love books and reading from the word go. They rapidly learn phonics. All pupils read fluently by the end of Year 3. Books are well matched to pupils’ reading stage.

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Reading is of the highest priority to the school. Pupils appreciate the large variety of books available to them in school. Older pupils read a wide range of different authors and types of books. Pupils are pleased that the school has given them time to read every day.

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Learning behaviour has improved since the last inspection. The school ensures that all adults have the same approach to managing pupils’ behaviour. The curriculum is interesting; therefore, pupils enjoy their lessons and listen attentively to their teachers. Attendance has improved. The school supports families who need help in getting their children to school every day. There are robust systems to dissuade families from taking holidays in school time.

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The school has designed a ‘thinking curriculum’. In every subject, pupils learn to think deeply and reflect on what they are learning. Discussion and debate are at the heart of lessons. For example, older pupils can talk about the pros and cons of deforestation. The ‘thinking curriculum’ contributes well to pupils’ personal development. Pupils are well prepared for life beyond the school.

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Children thrive in the early years. The school has high expectations for what all children can achieve from the moment they start. The curriculum is designed to ensure that children are ready for Year 1. There are opportunities to learn both inside and outside the classroom. Children feel safe. They are confident to talk to adults about their learning. Children behave well because learning is interesting and fun.

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The school has addressed the issues from the last inspection. There is an exceptionally strong sense of teamwork among staff. Everyone works together to make the school the best it can be for staff and pupils. Teachers have no concerns about workload. They are proud to be part of the school.

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Governors know the school well. Their visits help them to support and challenge school leaders effectively. 14 and 15 November 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teachers do not clearly explain what pupils should know, understand and be able to do by the end of a lesson or sequence of lessons. As a result, pupils do not remember the intended knowledge by the end of a unit of work. The school should ensure that, in all subjects, teachers are clear about the important knowledge they want pupils to learn by the end of a sequence of lessons so that pupils know and remember more by the end of each unit of work.

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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 school to be good in 19 and 20 June 2018.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium 14 and 15 November 2023

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funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 14 and 15 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.stgeorgesprimary.norfolk.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 June 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There have been some changes in leadership since the previous inspection. A new headteacher and assistant headteacher are in place.  There has been an increase in the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language who attend the school.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with senior leaders, teachers, a group of governors and representatives from the local authority. 14 and 15 November 2023

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 The inspector met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead, the school’s social worker and the parent support worker. To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator and scrutinised provision for pupils with SEND.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum 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 inspector also talked to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.

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 The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and to the parent survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text messages. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Julie Winyard, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 November 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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