George Pindar School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 14 January 2025

Pupils and staff are 'Proud to be Pindar'. They enjoy different ways of learning, whether through practical or creative experiences, across the school's broad and balanced curriculum. Leaders are guiding the school on an improvement journey with great skill. They are reflective. However, the more recent changes to the school's curriculum are not embedded consistently well in all subjects and classes. This learning offer does not yet fully impact on how well pupils remember and know more over time. The school knows they must further improve the offer that pupils receive to support them to attain more highly, including in Year 11 examinations. Most pupils enjoy their learning. Different teaching approaches help spark their imagination. For example, in art and technology, pupils are challenged to demonstrate increasingly difficult concepts over time. Pupils access local artists and, through this work, have the opportunity to develop their personal interests. This is leading to a deeper pupil knowledge. The staff have built strong relationships with pupils, which helps them to offer appropriate support when this is needed. Pupils' behaviour in and around school is improving. The vast majority of pupils are considerate and treat each other with respect. Too many pupils are absent from school too often. When not in school, pupils miss the opportunities the school provides, leading to gaps in their learning. In addition to learning in the classroom, pupils miss sporting fixtures, carefully planned trips and learning with teachers who are passionate about their subject. The school is inclusive. Pupils from a range of backgrounds and with a variety of needs are welcome at George Pindar School. The staff know the pupils well and ensure they feel valued and safe.

What the school should improve

• The changes to the school curriculum offer are not fully embedded. While lessons now all follow a consistent structure to support learning, some teachers do not check what pupils know and remember. Learning is not always adapted to take note of pupils' starting points. As a result, pupils do not achieve strong outcomes in external examinations. The school must continue its work to embed and adapt the curriculum fully so that pupils build on what they know and remember to support them to achieve consistently high outcomes at the end of key stage 4.
• Too many pupils are absent from school too often. This means they miss the learning opportunities that the school has developed. This creates gaps in their learning. The school must continue to work closely with pupils and their families, building on the work already in place to remove barriers to attendance and ensure attendance rates rapidly improve for all pupils.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)