All Different, All Equal, All Flourishing.

I am delighted that you are considering Saint George’s Church of England School for your child’s education. The choice of school is one of the most significant decisions that parents and guardians have to make.

We are part of a family of schools within the Diocese of Rochester and were founding members of the Aletheia Anglican Academies Trust. Our school has had a Church foundation since 1580 reflecting the long history of the involvement of the Church of England in the education of local communities. In an ever-changing world our students need a powerful sense of who they are and where they come from. We think tradition is something to celebrate, not to ignore. We consider our school to be highly inclusive; welcoming students of all backgrounds and beliefs unified by our commitment to their well-being and sense of achievement.

I am immensely proud of what we continue to achieve here at Saint George’s. We have developed a reputation as a high achieving school providing excellent outcomes for all students academically and in terms of their personal growth. We do have exceptionally high expectations of how our students behave, speak and present themselves. This is underpinned by our Christian values, our worship and school ethos. Everyone who wishes to learn is welcome. We value our comprehensive intake, including boys and girls, believing that this best reflects the world we live in. Indeed, visitors most often comment upon the profound sense of community within the school.

The school Governors and I have a long-held belief in the potential of an all-through school to further enhance the educational provision on our site. We are delighted that this vision has now become a reality for Saint George’s School. A shared philosophy ensures that there is greater consistency around expectations, ethos and pedagogy which eliminates any unsettling transition between the primary and secondary phases. We are able to facilitate teachers working together in the primary and secondary phases which raises aspirations still further and ensures that children are not able to fall through the gaps. Our primary pupils will benefit from having specialist subject staff available and economies of scale allow greater spending on teaching and learning and the sharing of specialist and enhanced facilities for all pupils.

Welcome to Saint George’s Church of England School

Stephen Carey Executive Headteacher

Our design for pastoral and academic mentoring ensures that we know all members of our community well, enabling us to provide the appropriate support and curriculum to allow each student to realise their potential and achieve of their very best. Although we are a Church of England School that does not mean you have to attend church to obtain a place. In fact, it is part of the character of our distinctive ethos that we welcome those of other faiths, and of no faith. We respect the beliefs of others and expect the same for Christian teachings and our school ethos. We want all students to have learnt new skills, to have developed their talents and with this a love of learning making them confident, articulate, sensitive, caring citizens for the future.

Our distinctive Christian character is at the heart of all we do as we aim to develop each student’s spirituality and provide them with a strong moral code to ensure that they are well behaved, have pride in themselves and the school and show respect for others. Our motto ‘All Different, All Equal, All Flourishing’ emphasises our Christian belief that the God-given talents of all students should be encouraged and developed, recognising and valuing their unique worth. Our ethos places emphasis on creativity, honesty, resilience, inclusion and thankfulness, and respect for the earth as we are stewards of God’s creation. Above all, we believe in the potential of each student to succeed, recognising that Jesus cared equally for all people, regardless of race, gender or social background.

Community LifeAt Saint George’s we have four communities each named after a prominent Anglican cathedral; Canterbury, Rochester, Salisbury and York. Every student belongs to one of these four communities throughout their time at Saint George’s.

Our motto ‘All Different, All Equal, All Flourishing’ is at the core of the support we provide to students. This encompasses keeping students safe, promoting an awareness of, and a commitment to, a healthy lifestyle and enjoying the many curricular and extra-curricular opportunities offered at school.

Each student is well known by at least one adult within the school. Happy, positive students are motivated independent learners who can meet the high expectations we have for their progress, achievement and personal wellbeing. We un-apologetically expect 100% attendance from all of our students and that they abide by our uniform regulations.

We have an excellent program of extra-curricular activities for all students to enjoy. Students have the opportunity to take part in all number of sports, music classes, after school clubs, day and residential trips throughout every academic year.

We ensure that communication between the school and parents is good and encourage parents to take an active role in the community life at Saint George’s. We believe that good communication between the school and home supports all students to achieve.

Parents and carers are regularly kept informed about their child’s progress and we encourage all parents and carers to attend parent interviews to discuss progress with subject teachers. We invite all parents and carers

to join the Saint George’s Association which organises a number of successful events and supports the school with fundraising.

We firmly believe that listening to, and engaging with, students is essential in determining the programme of support that we provide to enable success. The opinions of our young people shape the way our school works and we aim for all to have a voice and be heard. Our tutor groups send representatives to our Community Councils which are chaired by appointed Sixth Form students. The Chairs of the Community Councils, in turn, meet with the Leadership Group to discuss the opinions and ideas from the students. The councils meet 6 times throughout the year, lead Worships and present potential whole school projects for consideration to a variety of decision makers in the school.

Our VisionAt the heart of our vision is the belief in

inclusive, educational excellence; the belief that we are called to serve all pupils, staff,

parents and the local community by providing places where all develop

and thrive intellectually, socially, culturally and spiritually in order to live life in all

its fullness.

Primary SchoolWe deliver a rich, inspiring and creative primary curriculum where learning is child-led and of high-quality. Our Christian Values of Creativity, Honesty, Resilience, Inclusion, Stewardship and Thankfulness are at the core of our school and they underpin the teaching and learning which takes place within it.

Our curriculum is both broad and balanced and is taught in a range of engaging ways. Outdoor learning is extremely important to us and our flexible timetabling allows staff to deliver learning outdoors on a daily basis, along with all children participating in weekly Forest School sessions in the amazing Forest School area we have developed in our extensive grounds. Use of the outdoors allows us to deliver subjects in a fluid, connected way, maximising learning for all children. Areas of learning are introduced by providing memorable experiences, to excite children, encouraging a thirst for greater knowledge.

Our children will develop a range of skills and knowledge to ensure they are independent, confident learners, who are able to problem solve and reflect on their own learning. Opportunities are provided across the whole curriculum to allow children to celebrate their learning and share it with others.

“Parents are delighted with the quality of education and the caring and inclusive

culture that you and your staff have enhanced

over time.”

Ofsted

Whilst the primary school facilities are of an exceptional standard including a Sport England standard multi-use games area, as part of an all through school our children will benefit from many additional opportunities and experiences. These include access to specialist staff and specialist learning facilities.

Saint George’s primary phase is a place which has high expectations and will ensure the best outcomes for all children. It is a school where children become aware of, explore and enjoy the diversity, complexity and connections between all people, things and ideas that there are in the world. We actively seek parental involvement in the learning experience and we will provide many opportunities to work together to enhance the learning process for all children.

Key Stages 3 & 4During Key Stage 3 students study a broad curriculum so as to inform and prepare them for making their choices at Key Stage 4. This is reflected in the breadth of subjects that the pupils experience including; performing arts, art and technology, modern foreign languages, RE, humanities, physical education, computing and, of course, maths, English and science. At Key Stage 4 pupils can choose to continue with these subjects or have the option to start new courses such as business and media. In the core subjects students are set according to ability.

Towards the end of Year 8, students are allocated curriculum pathways which cater for their subject choices for study at Key Stage 4. This will include coverage of the English Baccalaureate (Ebacc). The subjects included in the Ebacc are English, mathematics, science, computer science, modern foreign languages, history and geography. Starting Key Stage 4 courses in year 9 enables students to have three years to promote achievement and progress beyond expectation aided by challenging targets and enjoyment through enrichment in their learning.

In recent years we have consistently been one of the highest performing non-selective schools in Kent. We have been recognised by the DFE as one of the top 100 schools in England for the value we add to our students learning and progress. Whilst we meet the challenge of national expectations we are proud to maintain a broad and balanced curriculum to allow our students the best learning experience possible and allows all to celebrate their unique God given talents.

We believe that a combination of traditional classroom sizes and spaces, combined with innovative and collaborative pedagogy, provides the greatest support for learning.

Parents are informed of the progress that their child is making through regular reports. All reports are uploaded onto the school’s parent portal, where you will be able to see your child’s individual progress report.

Students are assessed in each subject regularly throughout each term and provided with regular S.I.T feedback in their books which detail Strength, Improvement and Target for the key piece of work set. Students are then given an opportunity to reflect on their learning and improve their work during D.I.R.T (Dedicated Improvement and Reflection Time).

Our Raising Standards Leaders monitor the attainment and progress of all students closely throughout the year and ensure that all students get the support and intervention they need to maximise the progress they make throughout their time with us.

We value our comprehensive intake, including boys and girls, believing that this best reflects the world we live in. We have a dynamic and inclusive Sixth Form with an equal mix of internal and external students choosing to join us. Our design for pastoral and academic tutoring ensures that we know all members of our Sixth Form well, which enables us to provide the appropriate support and curriculum to allow each student to realise their potential and achieve of their very best.

Performance has been recognised as exceptional in terms of the value added to each student compared to all sixth forms in Kent in recent years.

Students soon feel at home in our friendly and supportive environment. Our teachers are always available to offer the advice and guidance to help students adapt to the new challenges and more independent way that is a requirement of Key Stage 5. Whole class teaching is complemented by small group and individual study periods to help develop students and build their independent study skills.

Students will have a dedicated personal tutor who they will see daily to discuss their progress. Their role is to push, stretch and support each student as well as offer advice on progression to employment or Higher Education.

Student voice is powerful, effective and mandated to ensure that the Sixth Form cohort are being listened to and guided effectively.

Sixth Form 

“The sixth form is good. Students achieve well

and make a positive contribution to the life

of the school”

Ofsted

Part of

Meadow Road, Gravesend, Kent, DA11 7LS

www.sgsce.co.uk

01474 533082

“I sincerely hope we are your first choice school as I think we are the very best in Gravesham. My children and my grandchildren have attended Saint George’s and we have been very happy. We are a church school, an inclusive church school that welcomes people of all faiths. We are comprehensive not simply in welcoming all students but believing that all God’s gifts to our children are equal.”

Reverend Joe King The Chair of Governors