St George's Cathedral Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St George’s Cathedral Catholic Primary School 28 Lambeth Road, London SE1 6HR

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this small, friendly and harmonious school. The school’s values are demonstrated by adults and children on a day-to-day basis. A sense of compassion and respect is clear throughout the community. The school encourages pupils to learn from their mistakes and to learn confidently. Working relationships between staff and pupils are kind and caring. The school has very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils know they can talk to someone if they are worried about anything. As a result, pupils feel very happy and safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The majority of pupils that attend the school speak English as an additional language (EAL). The school supports these pupils effectively, so that they can achieve well and meet the high expectations set by the school. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their learning across the curriculum. They go on many exciting visits to support their academic and wider development. Pupils achieve well, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s cultural diversity is celebrated by all. Every year the school organises an international week, which finishes with ‘International Day’. This supports pupils to learn about four contrasting countries in a continent every year. By the end of Year 6, pupils have learned about the cultures of many countries.

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

The school has designed a broad and ambitious curriculum for all pupils. Leaders have thought carefully about the key knowledge they want pupils to learn and the order in which they should learn it. For example, in computing younger pupils learn to create and debug simple programs. This enables older pupils to design, write and debug more complex programs that accomplish specific goals. The school’s focus on language and vocabulary particularly supports pupils with EAL. For example, children in Reception are taught to explain their mathematical reasoning in full sentences. In Year 3, pupils explained their mathematical thinking using key terms, such as vertices, denominator and 5 and 6 June 2024

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numerator confidently. However, leaders have rightly identified that the curriculum in a few subjects needs further development. In these areas, the curriculum is not fully embedded. This means occasionally the work pupils are set in class does not support them to learn the curriculum as securely as they should.

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Reading is a big priority at the school. Children develop their language skills in Nursery effectively. From the start of Reception, they practise segmenting and blending their words. The books that pupils read match the phonic sounds they are learning. Pupils who fall behind are identified quickly and receive a range of support. Children in Reception have regular story times. They enjoy voting for their favourite books to listen to next. Pupils in all year groups are passionate about reading.

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The school identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities quickly. It supports pupils effectively to access the curriculum by adapting teaching and resources. Typically, teachers have secure knowledge of the subjects they teach and present new knowledge clearly to pupils. However, sometimes the checking of pupils’ learning is not precise. This means that pupils move on to new subject content before they are fully ready.

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Pupils are respectful to staff and kind to each other. They behave very well in class and around the school. Pupils talk excitedly about the rewards they receive for good behaviour and hard work. Children in the early years listen to each other, take turns and cooperate well. Pupils say that bullying is very rare, but they know it will be dealt with if it does happen. The school’s close work with parents helps to improve pupils’ behaviour and attendance. Leaders identify and address the reasons that pupils miss school. As a result, pupils attend school regularly.

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The school provides many opportunities for pupils’ wider development. The school has run many visits this year to different museums, the farm, places of worship, science workshops, the fire station and the Houses of Parliament. Many pupils sing in the school choir or take part in competitive sports, including athletics, football and basketball. Pupils also learn first aid, road safety and bike riding. A high proportion of pupils are involved in the vibrant school council and the ‘spiritual life’ group.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the high-quality training they receive and leaders’ support for their workload and well-being. Governors know the school well and are clear about its strengths and areas for development. Leaders are firmly focused on the school’s ongoing improvement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 5 and 6 June 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, the checking of pupils’ understanding is not carried out systematically in lessons. Teaching moves on too quickly to new subject content before pupils are fully ready. The school should ensure all staff develop expertise in the checking of learning and making appropriate adaptations to teaching activities, where necessary.  In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not fully embedded. In these subjects, the school does not make sure that pupils build up a cohesive body of knowledge over time. The school needs to embed the chosen curriculum in those subjects and year groups so that pupils are able to embed learning in their long-term memory and know more and remember more as they progress through the school.

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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 12–13 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, 5 and 6 June 2024

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 5 and 6 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 December 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Roman Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Southwark. It was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in October 2023.  The school operates and manages a breakfast club.  The school does not use any 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 any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with members of the school senior leadership team, a selection of subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and computing. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their 5 and 6 June 2024

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learning and looked at samples of their work. The inspector also considered the curriculum in other subject areas.  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 those responsible for governance, including the chair of the governing body. The inspector also spoke with a representative from the local authority and a representative from the diocese.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were considered through discussions and looking at information collected from Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Christian Hicks, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 June 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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