Rendell Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. Pupils make good progress from their starting points and reach standards that are broadly in line with national averages by the end of Year 6.

Teaching is good and improving. Teachers think carefully about their lessons and work hard to make them interesting and effective. Relationships between staff and pupils are very positive.

Pupils love learning. They are eager to please their teachers and work hard for them. Pupils understand how to improve their work because teachers mark their books well and because the pupils are able to think about what level of work they are doing and what the next level looks like.

Pupils behave well... in class and around the school. They are very polite, respectful and welcoming to adults and to each other. Parents and carers have increasing confidence in the school.

They are welcomed into the first few minutes of lessons and have very positive views about their children's school experiences. The headteacher and her senior leaders know the strengths and weaknesses of the school and take effective action to improve it. Governors are knowledgeable about the school and play a very active role in helping the school move forward.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Progress is not yet outstanding. In particular, more-able pupils are not sufficiently well challenged. Teachers sometimes get pupils to work in pairs in ways that limit the progress of the most able or hide the inability of less able pupils to do the work properly.

Pupils do not get enough practice in writing longer pieces of work, especially in subjects other than English. Opportunities to do investigative mathematics and mathematical problem-solving are not consistent across the school and lack enough emphasis in some classes. Behaviour at lunchtimes is not as good as at other times of the school day.

Information about this school

The school is slightly larger than the average primary school. Rendell Primary converted to become an academy school on 1 November 2012. When its predecessor school, also called Rendell Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted in June 2008, it was judged to be good.

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (the additional funding provided by the government to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children in local authority care and those from service families) is above average. A very high proportion of pupils come from ethnic minority backgrounds. There are high proportions of pupils who speak English as an additional language, though not many of these are at an early stage of learning English.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and are supported through school action is slightly higher than other schools, but the proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is lower. The school does not make alternative provision for any of its pupils. The school meets the government's current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress.

There have been a number of long term staff absences that have led to some year groups being taught by temporary staff for long periods. Staffing is now more stable. There has been a change of headteacher since the last inspection.