St George's Academy

Overview

St George’s Academy is a secondary school where pupils are described as “polite and respectful” and who “feel safe” within a strong sense of community. The report highlights that the school is “aspirational for all” and has taken “effective action” to improve recent Key Stage 4 outcomes through curriculum enhancements and strategies addressing barriers like attendance. While the overall effectiveness is rated as Good, the inspection identifies specific inconsistencies in teaching delivery and support systems that require attention to ensure all pupils achieve their potential.

Strengths

• The curriculum is “broad and ambitious,” with a “very broad range of vocational courses” well-matched to pupils’ interests.
• Staff “present new knowledge clearly” and help pupils make connections to prior learning in most lessons.
• The school has “prioritised reading,” providing personalised support to quickly identify and address gaps in reading knowledge.
• Pupils benefit from a “well-considered curriculum” for personal, social, and health education, learning about safety, healthy relationships, and British values.
• Sixth-form students achieve well and leave for “ambitious destinations,” supported by personalised career advice and work experience.

Areas to improve

• Systems for identifying the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and sharing precise information with staff are “not as rigorous as they need to be.”
• Curriculum delivery is “not consistent across the school,” with some lessons lacking sharp focus on key knowledge and failing to address misconceptions quickly.
• The school lacks “robust systems” to monitor the impact of strategies employed to support its vision for a high-quality education for all.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”