Redruth School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Redruth School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Redruth is an inclusive and community-centred school.

Staff have high expectations for pupils' conduct and effort. Pupils rise to this challenge. They are courteous towards staff and their peers.

Pupils show interest in their learning in lessons. They do not give up easily when faced with challenging work. The learning environment is calm and low-level disruption is rare.

The school provides strong pastoral and academic support. Parents and carers trust the school to look after their children well. Pupils agree that the ...school is a happy and welcoming place to be.

They enjoy positive relationships with staff, including their form tutor. As a result, they feel safe in school.

The school values the importance of developing the whole child.

Pupils can be part of the Combined Cadet Force, take part in many sports clubs, join the music rock band, and be on the eco council. The school checks that many pupils participate in these extra-curricular activities. Pupils benefit from a range of other opportunities that enhance their school experience.

For example, a history trip to Berlin or more locally to Bodmin Jail. Many also learn life-saving techniques and gain first aid qualifications.

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

Leaders and governors know the school well.

Where published outcomes are lower for a minority of areas of the curriculum, the school is making improvements. The number of pupils who follow the English Baccalaureate (EBacc) pathway is below the government's ambition. The school recognise this and is strengthening this area.

Within the current Year 11, there are more pupils following this suite of qualifications.

Pupils learn a broad and ambitious curriculum. Subject leaders use the national curriculum to guide what is taught to pupils across each year group.

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils who struggle with reading are given timely support to catch up quickly. Pupils are introduced to a range of diverse and topical texts.

They enjoy shared reading experiences. Many pupils say they are inspired to read more outside of school.

Most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) follow the same curriculum as their peers.

Staff use the information about pupils' identified needs to tailor their support for pupils with SEND. This ensures that they are successful in their learning. The new specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND has been welcomed by the school and wider community.

Pupils and parents are positive about their experience within this first term.

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. Teaching ensures that knowledge builds progressively towards the school's curriculum goals.

However, in a minority of subjects, the curriculum is not being taught consistently well. In these cases, pupils get confused. Teaching does not accurately check what pupils know and can remember.

Pupils follow the school's Future 4 curriculum which includes topics to support their personal development. Pupils are knowledgeable about managing finances, healthy relationships, online safety, and physical and mental health. The school promotes maintaining an active lifestyle.

Pupils with SEND who attend the school's specially resourced provision, follow a personalised curriculum to develop their life skills.

The school is committed to preparing pupils well for their next steps. Pupils are encouraged to be aspirational.

The school's LEAP programme introduces pupils to a range of different careers. It also provides many stimulating additional challenges for pupils identified as having a particular talent or interest. Information about destinations shows that pupils succeed in a range of further education, training, or employment pathways.

The behaviour policy is applied fairly and consistently. There is a positive culture of belonging. However, where a small minority of pupils are persistently disruptive, or are involved in more serious behaviour incidents, the school has needed to issue suspensions and in rare examples, permanent exclusions.

A disproportionate number of the pupils who receive exclusions are disadvantaged pupils.

Staff are passionate about working at Redruth School. They benefit from a well-considered professional development programme.

Leaders listen and consult with staff regularly about issues such as workload. Staff's well-being is a priority for leaders, and governors.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a minority of subjects, there is variation in the quality of how well the curriculum is taught. This means that pupils have a mixed experience, and some do not build their knowledge of that subject as well as they could over time. The school should ensure that the curriculum is taught to a high standard across all subjects.

• The number of disadvantaged pupils that receive exclusions from school is disproportionately high. This means that this small number of pupils are often not successfully completing their programme of study in mainstream education. The school should continue its work to support pupils and their families to minimise the need for exclusions.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

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

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in December 2018.