Redwood Park Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Redwood Park Academy thrive.

They are highly motivated to do their very best. Staff are passionate that pupils become successful, proactive members of the community. Pupils develop their confidence, resilience and self-esteem.

They realise what they can achieve, and do so, through hard work and determination. Leaders ensure that this is a 'can-do' school. As parents told us, 'This is a nurturing environment, that enables my child to flourish.'



Leaders ensure that the inclusive, supportive ethos runs through the core of the school. The positive relationships between staff and pupils are palpable. Leaders waving pupils off at the end of eac...h day illustrates the relentless positivity they rightly claim is at the heart of their school.

Pupils cannot help but smile back.

Pupils behave exceptionally well. Highly skilled, caring staff have very high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

They consistently use thoughtful approaches to help pupils to manage their own behaviour effectively. Pupils understand and appreciate this.

Pupils embrace and accept diversity.

They understand people's differences. They go out of their way to ensure that everyone is respected and included in the full life of the school. They are kind to each other and bullying is not an issue.

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

Staff ensure that pupils are extremely well prepared for their adult lives. Teachers begin planning for pupils' transitions into the next stage of education as early as possible. Parents are fully involved.

Pupils leave school with meaningful accreditations. These help them to realise their aspirations and succeed in the next stage of their lives. All pupils move onto a relevant, appropriate college course.

Staff support pupils fully to be as independent and confident as possible. Pupils learn to access local amenities such as sports centres. They appreciate the opportunities this opens up for them outside of school.

Every pupil follows their own, personalised curriculum. Pupils' education, health and care (EHC) plan targets are cleverly broken down into achievable, yet aspirational, smaller steps. These sit alongside appropriate elements of a full range of curriculum subjects.

Pupils' learning is carefully and individually sequenced. This ensures that they reach the targets teachers set and achieve their full potential.

Leaders have successfully created a culture where staff feel valued and supported.

Leaders ensure that all staff receive highly effective training. Staff work collaboratively to share expertise. Usefully, specialist knowledge is shared across the school and the trust.

As a result, staff are experts at delivering learning in engaging, interesting ways that pupils fully understand.

Promoting effective communication for everyone is a fundamental part of the school. Every pupil has a detailed, useful communication plan.

Staff also use a wide range of communication strategies with pupils. This is a consistent strength throughout the school. As a result, pupils' communication is developed extremely well.

For many pupils, this is a key to reducing frustrations and increasing their understanding of the world.

Pupils' attitudes to learning are exemplary. Staff provide pupils with regular opportunities to build their resilience throughout the curriculum.

Pupils try consistently hard to succeed, even when they find things particularly difficult. For example, pupils in a physical education (PE) lesson persevered with getting yoga and gymnastic moves correct, despite their physical difficulties. Older pupils explained articulately how they felt brave enough to put themselves forward for school council and team captain elections.

Pupils are rightly proud of their achievements. Their commitment to their work in outdoor learning is impressive. For example, they attentively grow ingredients which they then make into a variety of dishes.

They donate these to a local charity for homeless people. Pupils understand the impact of their work in this enterprise.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that systems for recording any concerns are very robust. Staff are vigilant in ensuring that pupils are safe. Pupils trust staff to help them with any problems.

Staff's in-depth knowledge and understanding of pupils enables them to notice if anything is worrying a pupil who has communication difficulties. If staff notice anything, it is noted and dealt with quickly and effectively.

The family link worker knows pupils and their families extremely well.

Families value the varied support they receive. Leaders have developed strong relationships with other agencies. They work closely with these agencies to make sure that families receive any extra support as soon as possible.