Our Lady and St George's Catholic Primary School

Inspection of a school judged Good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Our Lady and St George’s Catholic Primary School Shernhall Street, Walthamstow, London E17 3EA

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Outcome

Our Lady and St George’s Catholic Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this kind and nurturing school. Staff know pupils well. Pupils feel cared for and that their well-being is a priority. One pupil, representing the views of many, expressed this as, ‘The teachers are really supportive.’ Pupils are kept safe. They trust adults to listen to them if they have any concerns or worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils follow the school rules to ‘be ready, be respectful, be safe.’ In lessons, most pupils are focused on their work. They are polite, and pupils listen well to staff and each other. Pupils are articulate and share their thoughts and ideas.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ academic work. Staff understand the individual needs of pupils and offer them effective extra support if needed. By the time they leave the school, most pupils achieve at above national expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school helps to develop pupils’ character by their extensive work in the local community. For example, pupils raise money and collect items for different charities. The choir sings carols at the local hostel for the homeless, and the school hosts a Christmas dinner for elderly residents in the area.

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

The school has ensured that there is an ambitious curriculum in place for all pupils. It has identified and sequenced what pupils should learn so that their knowledge and skills build over time. For example, in history, pupils learn how to use a range of sources, including 24 and 25 June 2025

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artefacts, to understand the past. The curriculum develops to support older pupils to understand the difference between primary and secondary sources of information.

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Staff carefully check pupils’ understanding of what they learn in lessons. At the start of lessons, teachers review pupils’ previous learning to identify and address misconceptions. Pupils learn how to use subject specific vocabulary to express their thoughts and ideas. For example, in art, Year 1 pupils discussed the work of Rachel Whiteread and her use of ‘negative space’.

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The school prioritises teaching pupils to read. Staff have the expertise to deliver the phonics programme consistently well. Pupils can blend sounds to read words. They read books that the school matches to the sounds they know. Pupils who struggle with phonics get extra support to catch up. Older pupils can discuss plot events and the meaning of key vocabulary. The school also develops early writing skills effectively. Pupils build their skills from forming letters correctly to writing in different styles as they get older.

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The school demonstrates a strong commitment to inclusion. It works effectively with families, staff, and external agencies to ensure timely identification and support. Assessment and monitoring are thorough, and effective training is provided for staff to ensure that they carefully and appropriately support pupils to achieve well. In lessons, pupils use different types of support, such as helpful resources or additional adults.

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In most cases, the learning is delivered effectively, and pupils make secure progress in lessons. However, some teaching includes activities that are not well selected to help pupils to understand the key subject content that is being taught. Some activities are not conducive to focused learning and sometimes explanations do not convey key information clearly enough. Over time, this makes it harder for some pupils to understand and remember knowledge.

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Pupils generally work hard in lessons. They collaborate sensibly with each other. There are occasions when some pupils briefly interrupt learning or become distracted. However, teachers generally deal with this quickly so that everyone can get back to their learning.

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The school supports pupils’ personal development well. Pupils enjoy a wide range of different after-school clubs, such as boxing and chess. The choir sings at different events, such as taking part in an opera performance with the Waltham Forest music hub. Pupils are proud of the contribution they make to school life. This includes the ‘eco council’ who take care of plants around the school and talk to classes about taking care of the environment. Pupils are taught to show respect for people with different beliefs and opinions. They can discuss different world religions they are taught about and understand fundamental British values.

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Pupils, staff, and families feel part of a school community with a warm, caring atmosphere. Staff know that leaders consider their workload and well-being when they make any decisions. The governing body has the right knowledge and skills. It 24 and 25 June 2025

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understands its statutory responsibilities well. Governors support and challenge school leaders effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, at times the curriculum is not delivered in a consistent, knowledgeable, and effective fashion. In these instances, pupils do not consistently develop the same depth of knowledge and understanding as they do in other subjects. Leaders should ensure that they continue to develop staff’s expertise and knowledge and ensure effective delivery across the curriculum. This will help pupils to better secure their knowledge and understanding over time.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in July 2016.

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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). 24 and 25 June 2025

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School details

Local authority London Borough of Waltham Forest

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Catholic voluntary aided primary school within the Diocese of Brentwood. The school’s most recent CSI report was in May 2024.  The school does not use any alternative provision for its pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  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. 24 and 25 June 2025

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders. They also held meetings with the members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys completed by parents, pupils, and staff.  The inspector looked at a sample of the school’s policies and records, including those related to behaviour, attendance, and pupils’ wider development.

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Inspection team

Eleanor Ross, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 24 and 25 June 2025

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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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