George Eliot Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 18 November 2025

There have been significant improvements in the school since it joined the United Learning Trust in December 2023. For example, pupils now attend more frequently. 'The George Eliot family' is what many staff and pupils now call this school. Pupils are proud of their school. They benefit from a strong culture of care and inclusion, which helps them to feel safe and valued. Positive relationships between staff and pupils are common and a pleasure to observe. All staff and pupils clearly understand the school's high expectations. Commonly, pupils follow the school rules and support the school's 'STAR' values. As a result, classrooms are calm and learning-focused environments. Pupils enjoy being rewarded for meeting the school's expectations with incentives, such as 'golden tickets' and weekly prize draws. They want to come to school, which is evident in the significantly improved attendance figures. Pupils trust that staff will deal with any incidents of bullying swiftly and effectively. Pupils who may face barriers to their learning and/or wellbeing know that the school will help them. Staff quickly get to know their pupils and use this information to make sure that pupils can access their learning. They do this by making small but effective adaptations to lessons, such as speaking to vulnerable pupils first. Considering their context, the school has thought carefully about how to best prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. Through the character and personal development offer, pupils learn about different cultures, world religions and respect for all people. The broad range of enrichment activities include things, like ukulele club, Spanish film club and trips to Belgium and Iceland, which many pupils attend. In careers education, pupils receive relevant information about future career paths and options. As a result of this work, pupils are well prepared for their futures.

What the school should improve

• The school should ensure that staff provide more opportunities for pupils to practise and apply their learning, helping to build their confidence to independently tackle activities.

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