St George's CofE Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 7 January 2025

St George's is a kind and nurturing school. Right from the start in early years, pupils are well cared for. Staff warmly welcome pupils into school each day. Pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), say they feel safe and happy in school. Pupils are polite and respectful to each other and adults. They know the importance of treating everyone equally. The school has high expectations for its pupils across all aspects of school life. It recognises that this is not consistently reflected in academic achievements. The school's values of 'courage' underpin pupils' behaviour and attitudes. Pupils conduct themselves calmly around the school. They know the school's 'golden rules' and disruption to pupils' learning and misbehaviour at social times are rare. Pupils trust adults to deal with any incidents of misbehaviour quickly and fairly. Pupils enjoy a wide range of activities that the school provides for them alongside the academic curriculum. For example, they enjoy sports and arts clubs and positions of leadership, such as health champions and eco councillors. Older pupils speak fondly of the Castleton residential trip and their upcoming performance at the Hallé. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the experience their children have at this school. They rightly praise the school's nurturing ethos.

What the school should improve

• In a small number of subjects, implementation of the curriculum is variable. This means that pupils do not always benefit from the high-quality learning that the school intends. The school should continue to make sure that staff have the necessary skills and expertise to deliver the curriculum well.
• In those subjects where the curriculum is being refined, the school is still shaping its approaches to assessment. This prevents teachers from identifying pupils' misconceptions and the gaps in their prior learning as quickly as they should. The school should ensure that, as it develops assessment systems in these subjects, teachers are suitably equipped to check that pupils' earlier learning is secure.
• The school does not have as secure an understanding of how well pupils are learning in some subjects compared to others. This means they do not have as full a picture of where to make improvements. The school should ensure they check how well pupils are learning across subjects so they better understand where they might need to make necessary improvements.

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