Arreton St George's Church of England (Aided) Primary School

Inspection of Arreton St George’s Church of England (Aided) Primary School School Lane, Main Road, Arreton, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 3AD

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 15 and 16 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and proud to belong to this welcoming school. The school is inclusive and the heart of the local community. The values of love, hope and courage run through the school. Pupils talk enthusiastically about why these are important and the ways they can demonstrate them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The behaviour of pupils helps them to learn. Pupils know that staff will provide support and help with any worries they may have. From the early years onwards, children are taught how to share, be kind and include everyone in activities. These skills build so that pupils recognise themselves as positive members of the school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s ambition for pupils to achieve well is clear. However, due to historic weaknesses in the curriculum, not all pupils achieve as well as they could. Pupils struggle to understand age-appropriate concepts because they have not mastered the basics in preceding years. Published outcomes for mathematics have been too low for too long.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are eager to take on a range of responsibilities which develop them as leaders. Pupils say these roles help others and make the school a better place. Parents and carers are exceptionally supportive of the school and appreciate the personalised care their children receive.

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

The school has had a turbulent year. School improvement work has been hindered, and pupils have experienced many changes as a consequence. The school has tackled weaknesses in provision with some success. However, more work is needed to ensure the curriculum is implemented effectively.

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

The school’s curriculum is more developed in some subjects. For instance, in physical education and early years, the curriculum is well planned and sequenced to meet the changing needs of each year group. This helps pupils build on prior learning and remember essential knowledge securely. The school’s work in other subjects remains ongoing. For example, there are inconsistencies in how well the mathematics curriculum is implemented. This includes the curriculum’s sequence. It is not coherent. This impacts what pupils learn and the order in which important concepts are taught. A focus on mastering basic skills such as times tables fluency has not been successful. Over time, pupils are not learning the right content effectively and are not ready for the next stages of learning.

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

The school has a truly inclusive ethos. Every pupil is welcomed and made to feel a part of the Arreton community quickly. Leaders have put in place an effective process that identifies pupils’ needs. Training and ongoing support develop staff’s understanding of how best to meet and deliver these needs as intended. This is helping to improve how pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) can learn more successfully alongside their peers. The school is working to improve targets on pupils’ SEND support plans, so that teachers are clearer on the next steps in learning. 15 and 16 July 2025

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Reading is a top priority. Leaders have successfully introduced a well-structured phonics programme that begins as soon as children join Reception Year. The books that pupils read support their learning because they are closely matched to the sounds they know, so they build fluency and confidence. Staff deliver lessons precisely and check understanding before moving on. This helps give pupils the best start possible when learning to read.

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Pupils work hard in lessons and enjoy learning new things. They behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes towards their learning. The vast majority of pupils attend well. The school is reducing the barriers affecting the attendance of some individuals effectively.

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Pupils value the opportunities to develop their interests and talents beyond what they study. The school offers a wide range of clubs, from karate and football to choir. A lunch club is provided for pupils who benefit from a calmer space to eat and socialise with their friends. Pupils were proud to represent the school in their winning performance at the Isle Dance competition in February 2025, inspired by the school’s values. This helped pupils build their confidence and teamwork, and apply their creative skills.

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Children in Reception Year benefit from an ambitious curriculum and a stimulating learning environment. Staff interact well with children to develop their language and communication skills. Children benefit from well-designed activities to help them become more independent and resilient. As a result, children are well prepared for Year 1.

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After a period of uncertainty and a decline in standards, leadership has stabilised and been strengthened. The school makes decisions in the best interests of its pupils. Leaders have secured substantial support from the school community in their school improvement work. There is a real sense of teamwork among staff united with a common purpose. Staff value how considerate leaders and governors are for their well-being, without compromising the ambitions to make further improvements. Staff morale is high, and they are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils’ achievement in mathematics is not consistently strong over time. They do not build fluency or master foundational skills such as rapid recall of their multiplication facts, and they are not well prepared for the next stage of their learning. The school should ensure that staff implement the mathematics curriculum as intended, focusing on pupils’ achievement at all stages of education. 15 and 16 July 2025

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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). 15 and 16 July 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 July 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school was subject to a statutory closure notice in December 2024, for the end of the academic year. The decision to close was reversed in June 2025.  The number of pupils on roll is significantly lower than when the school was last inspected.  The school has moved to three separate mixed-aged classes. At the time of the inspection, these are grouped as: Reception, Years 1 and 2; Years 3 and 4; and Years 4 and 5. There is a separate class for Year 6 pupils.  As a Church of England school, Arreton St George’s is part of the Diocese of Portsmouth. The most recent section 48 inspection was in July 2018.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  Since the previous inspection, the number of children in the early years has reduced to fewer than five. Inspectors have decided not to give a grade because there is a risk that it may be possible to identify individual children from such small numbers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held a wide range of meetings with the headteacher, members of the school’s wider leadership team, curriculum leaders and teaching staff.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair. He also spoke with representatives from the local authority and the Diocese of Portsmouth.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, music and physical education. Deep dives included visiting a range of lessons and looking at pupils’ work. It also involved talking with staff and pupils about how teaching in these subjects builds pupils’ knowledge over time. The lead inspector also heard pupils read to a known adult.

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Information about this inspection

 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors 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.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff and spoke to a range of staff and pupils about their views of the school.  Inspectors also took into account the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, and the free-text responses. The lead inspector also talked with parents in the afternoon of the first day of inspection.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including the school development plan and the school’s self-evaluation.

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Inspection team

Gareth Flemington, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Parker His Majesty’s Inspector 15 and 16 July 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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