Titan St Georges Academy

Inspection of Titan St Georges Academy Prestbury Road, Birmingham B6 6EE

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

The executive headteacher of this school is Nicola Hutchison. This school is part of Titan Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Nicola Walters. 25 and 26 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are at the very heart of everything at St Georges. They speak highly of their relationships with staff and how they get the help they need to learn. Pupils engage with learning well. This is despite almost all of them having had a disrupted experience of education before. The school works holistically to find out what barriers exist for pupils as they arrive. Pupils’ additional needs, including special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are identified well. Appropriate support is put into place to help them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils settle in quickly. They understand that staff care deeply for them and want them to succeed. Pupils feel safe and go on to do well in their studies. Some pupils are able to sustain a return to a mainstream school. Those who complete their time in Year 11 go on to positive next steps in their education or training.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ personal development is central to how the school supports them over time. Pupils talk positively about the trips they experience. They are helped to build their aspirations through these trips, their lessons, and other opportunities. Pupils work towards understanding that they can succeed well and make the most of the opportunities they have through this fresh start.

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better?

Right from when pupils start, the school strives to understand all it can about the pupils it is going to work with. Staff seek to establish strong positive relationships with all those involved with the pupil. They use external agencies well to gather a detailed picture of pupils’ life experience so they can be suitably supported. On joining the school, pupils are carefully assessed. A wide range of barriers to learning are considered, including reading ability and any possible SEND needs.

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better?

Pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read are supported appropriately. These interventions are helping them to catch up with their peers. Pupils are regularly encouraged to read aloud in lessons. There is a strong focus on supporting their vocabulary. For example, pupils explore a range of texts within the ambitious English curriculum. Pupils can recall what they have done across subjects and use subject-specific language well.

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better?

The school has high aspirations for what pupils can achieve. The curriculum across different subjects reflects this. GCSEs and vocational qualifications are in place to support pupils’ wider interests and their progress beyond the age of 16. Teachers in all subjects work responsively with the pupils to address any gaps in knowledge. They carefully shape the planned curriculum to fit pupils needs. Pupils with SEND are included, adapted for and achieve well.

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better?

Pupils become increasingly more prepared for the next stage of their education. They are helped to understand risk factors around them and build their 25 and 26 June 2024

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understanding of healthy relationships. Pupils discuss and debate issues in a considered way. Learning from the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum is reinforced regularly during form time. Leaders ensure that the curriculum is responsive to local needs and the context of the pupils.

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Leaders at all levels hold very high expectations of pupils’ conduct. When they are struggling, pupils are supported to reflect and self-regulate. Over time their behaviour improves. Pupils demonstrate that they understand those very clear expectations. They treat staff with respect and work together well in the classroom.

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The school keeps a strong watch on the attendance of its pupils. Careful analysis and fast action mean that pupils improve their attendance over time. A range of strategies are used to help pupils overcome the distances that some of them have to travel. For example, the school has a minibus to support some pupils who otherwise would have difficulty getting to school. However, some pupils are not as punctual to school as they could be. This means they do not benefit enough from the learning that goes on at the start of the day.

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Staff appreciate the support they get as part of the team at St Georges. They talk highly of the professional development they receive and their wellbeing days. Staff enjoy working together to give the pupils the best possible experience. Leaders are aware that refinement is needed to improve the consistency of following all of the school’s policies that support pupils, such as behaviour and the curriculum. There are small areas of practice which are inconsistent. These can affect pupils’ experience, meaning they do not always make the most out of their time.

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Trustees have a strong oversight of what the strengths and areas for development are. They act in a timely fashion to support the leadership and help secure sustained change. Trustees and leaders work effectively together. This contributes greatly to pupils and staff being able to work and learn in an inclusive environment. It is a place conducive to re-engaging pupils with a high-quality education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes school policies in place are not always implemented consistently. So, the actions taken to support pupils at times are not as impactful as they could be. The school should ensure that all staff routinely apply the school’s policies to support pupils’ development further. 25 and 26 June 2024

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 Punctuality is not as strong as it could be. As a result, pupils miss valuable time in lessons. The school should consider how to support pupils to access more of the ambitious curriculum being delivered.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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How can I feed back my views?

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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How can I feed back my views?

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). 25 and 26 June 2024

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School details

Date(s) of previous inspection 9 July 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Titan Education Trust. The trust contains two schools, Titan St George’s Academy and Titan Aston Academy. Several staff work across both schools.  The school admits pupils from KS3 and KS4 who have been excluded, are at risk of permanent exclusion or who have become disengaged from learning. Many pupils have experienced disruption to their education or have refused to attend school in the past.  Some pupils stay at the school for just a few weeks, while others stay to complete key stage 4.  The school uses no alternative provision at present.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 11 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 25 and 26 June 2024

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 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.  During the inspection, inspectors held discussions with the executive headteacher, headteacher, other senior and middle leaders and the special educational needs coordinator.  Inspectors held discussions with members of the board of trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics and PSHE. For each of these subjects, inspectors met with subject leaders, carried out visits to lessons, spoke to pupils and looked at some of their work.  Inspectors also reviewed curriculum planning for physical education and visited science and food lessons.  Inspectors visited form time and reviewed the schools’ extra-curricular activities with leaders.  Inspectors met with members of staff and spoke to pupils formally and informally

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at various points in the inspection.  An inspector spent time talking to leaders from some schools who commission places at this school.  An inspector visited and spent time in the ‘reflection’ room and OASIS provision talking to staff and pupils.  Inspectors looked at records and spoke to staff in relation to behaviour, bullying, attendance and safeguarding.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding arrangements by checking the school’s approach to staff recruitment, scrutinising policy documents and meeting with the designated safeguarding lead.  An inspector spoke to a parent and reviewed feedback from parents who emailed the school during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Richard Wakefield, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Simon Smith Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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