Redland Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Redland Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Redland Primary School has a welcoming and inclusive environment. Parents are very positive about the school.

Many commented on the commitment and kindness of the staff. Pupils said that they enjoy coming to school, and consequently attend well.

Pupils enjoy a broad and varied curriculum.

Staff give pupils many rich learning experiences. Leaders have recently invested in the outdoor learning provision for all classes. Pupils are keen to talk about their learning.

They are proud of their work.

Staff have high expectations for pupils' behaviour. As a result..., pupils' conduct in and out of lessons is good.

Pupils benefit from high-quality relationships with staff. They said they feel their teachers care about them.

Pupils are kind and considerate.

They know how to have healthy relationships with their peers. Pupils said that incidents of bullying are rare. When they do occur, pupils know to report them to a staff member.

Some pupils shared examples of when this has happened. They said that staff dealt with it quickly and sensitively.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

In recent years, leaders have redeveloped the curriculum.

These changes have ensured full coverage of the national curriculum for the mixed-aged classes. The curriculum is well sequenced. Leaders and teachers have secure subject knowledge as a result of the training they have had.

Leaders have recently introduced a new early reading programme. The programme is initially being delivered in the early years foundation stage. Children in this class are gaining the phonic knowledge they need to read accurately and fluently.

Any children who fall behind are identified quickly, and given the support they need. Leaders check how well pupils in Years 1 and 2 know and remember their phonic knowledge. Pupils receive additional support when needed.

Teachers check pupils' reading skills and knowledge across the school systematically. As a result, leaders know that some pupils in key stage 2 do not read as well as they should. They have plans to address this by the end of the year.

Reading and writing activities are based on class books that are carefully chosen by leaders. The books help to expand pupils' use of new and interesting words. They are often linked to the wider curriculum topics being studied.

For example, pupils in Years 4 and 5 read 'The Boy with the Bronze Axe' when studying the Bronze Age in history.

Teachers use the clearly sequenced curriculum to plan learning activities carefully, so as to build on pupils' knowledge and help them to make links. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 study the Second World War, and in Years 5 and 6 pupils study rebuilding Britain.

Teachers regularly check that pupils remember their prior learning. As a result, pupils can recall the essential knowledge they are taught, and progress through the curriculum well.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from the same curriculum as their peers.

Pupils with SEND are successful in their learning. They know how the support they receive helps break down the learning into small steps to help them learn new knowledge. For example, Year 6 pupils are shown how to use efficient calculation methods in mathematics to check their working out and final answer.

Staff recognise the importance of promoting pupils' emotional well-being. Pupils benefit from a wide range of activities within the curriculum and beyond. Many pupils were able to give examples of how this extra support had helped them overcome difficulties in school and at home.

Leaders are committed to the school, its pupils and staff. They are mindful of well-being, and consider this to ensure that the staff's workload is manageable. Governors have a good understanding of the school.

They meet with leaders regularly, and provide ongoing support and challenge to drive the school forward. However, governors recognise that their monitoring of the quality of the curriculum is underdeveloped.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Pupils said that they feel safe. They learn how to keep themselves and others safe. Pupils know what to do and where to seek help if they have any concerns.

Staff understand how to keep children safe. They are well informed as the result of regular training. Staff are aware of the signs of potential abuse or harm.

Leaders have effective systems and processes for reporting and reviewing safeguarding concerns. These systems allow leaders to have clear oversight of concerns and to respond quickly. Leaders escalate concerns to external agencies when necessary, to help families get the help they need.

Governors are aware of their safeguarding duties, and carry these out diligently.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils in key stage 2 do not have the skills and knowledge to decode and comprehend what they read well enough. Support for these pupils is not focused and well-sequenced to develop their reading.

As a result, these pupils do not catch up quickly. Leaders need to ensure that pupils who need to catch up benefit from high-quality reading teaching and support that meet their individual needs.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2012.

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