St George's CofE Academy, Clun

Overview

St George’s C ofE Academy is confirmed as a ‘good school’ where ‘pupils thrive’ and ‘feel safe’. Leaders have established a ‘broad and ambitious curriculum’ with high expectations, fostering a positive environment where pupils are ‘kind to each other’ and ‘polite to adults’. The school is deeply embedded in the local community, with parents sharing their children’s enthusiasm for the education provided.

Strengths

• Reading is a clear priority, with a ‘structured phonics programme’ and a ‘wide range of books’ that pupils enjoy.
• Staff are ‘knowledgeable’ and ensure pupils’ work builds logically on prior learning, with clear milestones for what pupils should know.
• Behaviour is excellent; pupils ‘behave responsibly’, show ‘consideration for each other’, and disruption to learning is ‘very rare’.
• Staff are skilled at identifying and supporting pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, helping them learn effectively alongside classmates.
• Leaders plan effectively for pupils’ broader development, offering opportunities for responsibility through roles like ‘playground friends’ and ‘eco-warriors’.

Areas to improve

• Teachers must ensure pupils have ‘grasped all the necessary knowledge’ before moving on, so they can ‘recall the essential learning’ needed for future topics.
• Senior leaders should extend their monitoring and evaluation of the curriculum to cover ‘the whole curriculum’, rather than focusing primarily on core subjects.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are ‘effective’, with staff being ‘vigilant’ and able to identify pupils at risk, while leaders ensure necessary checks and support are in place.