St George's Church of England Aided Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St George’s Church of England Aided Primary School Kesteven Road, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 1SX

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Inspection dates: 30 April and 1 May 2024

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a well-led school where pupils are enthusiastic in their learning. They are proud of their school and make every effort to do well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Expectations of behaviour and work are high. Pupils meet these expectations. They live out the school values as they strive to ‘let their light shine’. Pupils behave very well in the classroom and on the playground. Pupils feel happy and safe. Relationships are positive. Pupils know that they can talk to an adult if anything is worrying them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff take great care to meet the needs of all pupils. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school makes sure that it includes all pupils in everything that it does.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a compelling sense of community at this school. Individual families feel valued within the wider ‘family’ of the school. Caring support is available for all.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers hold the school in high regard. They appreciate the quality of education and pastoral care based on strong values. As one parent said, ‘Our child is developing into a confident and caring young person under the stewardship of the school.’

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

The school has constructed an ambitious curriculum, which pupils enjoy. Pupils build up their knowledge in logical sequences. The curriculum provides regular opportunities for teachers to check what pupils know. These checks help teachers to identify any misconceptions that pupils may have.

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

Pupils achieve in line with national expectations in most curriculum areas. This includes in reading and in mathematics. The school has identified that pupils have not received the support they need to develop their writing skills fully. A review of how pupils learn to write has taken place. Changes have been made to how pupils are supported to develop 30 April and 1 May 2024

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higher-quality writing, including through opportunities to write at greater length. However, these changes are not yet fully embedded.

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Children in the early years are quick to learn the routines of school life and are well behaved. They engage with a well-planned early years curriculum. Excitement is evident as children learn about subtraction using hot cross buns. In the outdoor learning area, they enjoy the superhero training obstacle course. Across a wide range of activities, interactions with adults are positive. These support and challenge children to become independent learners. This helps to ensure that children are ready for key stage 1.

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Positive attitudes to learning extend throughout the school. In lessons, pupils focus intently on their learning. In a physical education (PE) lesson, pupils paid careful attention to instructions as they developed their skills. Pupils in a mathematics lesson used different resources to help them understand fractions. They rose to the challenge of the activities.

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In mathematics, the school builds pupils’ understanding in small steps. This approach begins in the early years. When necessary, teachers adapt plans to ensure that no pupil falls behind. Teachers are knowledgeable and enthusiastic. They recap previous learning well. This helps pupils to remember what they have learned. Most pupils enjoy the challenge of mathematics. As one pupil explained, ‘I just think it’s really fun the way our teacher teaches it!’

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The programme for teaching pupils to read is well established. The school is quick to spot any pupils who struggle with the phonics programme. Support is immediate for these pupils. As a result, all pupils achieve success in learning to read. The school prioritises reading in every year group. All pupils visit Stamford library to explore the books on offer. They enjoy sharing a variety of texts with their class teachers. Through the ‘Brilliant Bookworm’ initiative, the school partners with parents to boost reading.

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The school places a high priority on character development. Leaders and staff reinforce the school’s values at every opportunity. An annual Aspirations Day introduces pupils to exciting possibilities for future careers. Pupils take part in a variety of sporting events, including a mini-Olympics. A wide range of clubs develops pupils’ interests in areas such as music and wildlife. There are lots of opportunities for pupils to take responsibility. They serve in different roles, including as well-being champions and reading ambassadors. Pupils learn about people from different backgrounds. They show respect for others and discuss British values with maturity.

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Governors have a clear vision and an accurate picture of the current strengths of the school. They work very well with leaders to take the school forward. The local authority has also provided effective support to help the school improve.

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Staff value the work of leaders to support their well-being and workload. Staff morale is high.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Until recently, pupils have not received the support they need to be able to develop their writing skills confidently. Consequently, pupils’ writing skills are not as well developed as they could be. The school should ensure that recent changes to how staff teach pupils to write are fully embedded, enabling pupils to write confidently and well.

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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 December 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 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). 30 April and 1 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Laura Martin (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 December 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The executive headteacher has been in post since September 2023.  The school is part of the Diocese of Lincoln. The most recent section 48 inspection of this Church of England school, which is an inspection of the school’s religious character, took place in April 2024.  The school does not use any alternative education 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 his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher, the head of school and other leaders. The inspector spoke with groups of staff and pupils. He met with members of the governing body and spoke with a representative of the local authority. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and PE. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to pupils reading with a familiar adult. He also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in a range of other subjects.  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 observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around the school site.  The inspector spoke with parents and carers at the school gate. He also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, and to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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 The inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including school improvement plans, attendance data and minutes of governing body meetings.

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Inspection team

Martyn Skinner, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 30 April and 1 May 2024

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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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