St George’s Catholic Voluntary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Pupils make consistently good progress in all year groups in the school. Standards in Year 6 for reading and mathematics are on track to be above last year's national levels.

Teaching is good and there is some that is outstanding. Teachers have good subject knowledge and ensure teaching builds on pupils' previous learning. Teachers check on pupils' understanding daily and plan work at exactly the right level.

If pupils don't understand a topic they are given extra help so they catch up straight away. Behaviour is good. Pupils are polite and courteous to adults and to each other.

Pupils from a wide range of backgrounds get on wel...l with each other. Pupils feel safe. Leaders and governors have made sure teaching and achievement have improved, and they continue to improve.

They know the school well and plans for improvement successfully focus on key areas with clear actions that are carried out effectively. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have introduced rigorous systems for checking and improving teaching so that it is at least good in all year groups. It is not yet an outstanding school because : There is not enough outstanding teaching.

Lessons do not always proceed at a brisk pace and pupils do not have enough opportunities to talk about their own and each other's work. Marking does not always tell pupils how to improve. Standards in writing are lower than in reading and mathematics.

Pupils do not have regular opportunities to write at length in all subjects and their handwriting and presentation are not of a consistently high standard.

Information about this school

The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds.

The largest group is White British. The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding given to schools for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after and those with a parent in the armed services) is above average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average.

The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational need is also below average. Some pupils in Year 2 to 6 are taught in mixed-age classes. St George's Catholic Voluntary Academy converted to become an academy in September 2012.

When its predecessor school, St George's Catholic Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be satisfactory overall. No comment can be made about floor standards, as the academy has not yet had a Year 6 group take national tests. The school is part of the Holy Family Catholic Academy Trust with another six Catholic schools in Derby.

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