Redfield Edge Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Strengthen teaching to improve pupils’ achievement by ensuring that teachers:
  • plan learning that consistently challenges the thinking of the most able pupils in mathematics and extends their skills in writing
  • consider carefully the desired outcomes from activities that children in the early years choose to complete
  • provide effective support and challenge so that the most able children in the early years make the strongest progress.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Senior leaders have instilled a strong sense of ambition and established effective teamwork across the school. The successful partnership of the headteacher and deputy headteacher has ensured that there has been a faster rate of improvement over the last year. Their systematic approach to increasing the school’s effectiveness has resulted in secure and sustainable improvements.

• Leaders, including governors, work well together to drive forward improvements. A strong feature of the school’s leadership is the way all leaders are committed to sharing their knowledge and skills to improve teaching, learning and assessment.
• The school’s evaluation of its performance is accurate. Following a decline in key stage 2 results in mathematics in 2016, leaders took swift and effective action to improve teaching and pupils’ achievement. Development plans are sharply focused, with precise actions and timescales to ensure that they have the required impact.
• Middle leaders have introduced some effective strategies to improve teaching and they check carefully that teachers follow their guidance. They provide timely support and training to help staff increase their expertise. In this way, they have been successful in improving teaching and learning for most pupils. Leaders recognise that there is more work to do to raise standards even further for the most able.
• Leaders give teachers precise and regular feedback about the strengths in their practice and where they need to improve. The performance of staff is clearly linked to the school’s priorities to raise pupils’ achievement. Governors set challenging targets for the headteacher.
• The stimulating curriculum engages pupils’ interests and provides for effective learning. A wide variety of educational visits and enrichment activities has a positive impact on broadening pupils’ horizons and developing their personal skills.
• The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong and helps raise pupils’ aspirations. Their understanding of British values is developed well through topics such as ‘The Power of Parliament’, where pupils visit Westminster and study democracy. For example, during the inspection, pupils spoke knowledgeably about the benefits of democracy and how apartheid is unfair, showing good empathy and understanding of life in other societies. These activities ensure that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• The school promotes equality of opportunity at all times and tackles any discrimination promptly and effectively. The pupil premium is used to provide well-targeted teaching for disadvantaged pupils, supporting their academic progress and emotional and social development successfully. As a result, they make good progress.
• Leaders and staff are skilled in providing the additional support needed both in and out of classrooms to secure good progress for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The sport premium has been used wisely to increase the numbers of pupils participating in a wider range of sports and competitions. Also, staff have improved their skills by working alongside specialist coaches.
• Leaders have made good use of the support provided by local authority advisers and other external consultants. This has helped leaders, including governors, to improve their own effectiveness. Furthermore, work undertaken in partnership with four other local schools has brought about the sharing of good practice between leaders and teachers.
• Parents are extremely supportive of the school and most agree that the school is well led and that their children are taught well. They appreciate the welcoming environment and the dedication and approachability of leaders and staff.

Governance of the school

• Since the previous inspection, governors have reorganised the way they work to make sure they are better trained and equipped with the knowledge and skills to check on the school’s work effectively. They provide leaders with unwavering support and a good level of challenge. They make regular, extensive visits to school to monitor the school’s work. They are well informed about the achievement of different groups of pupils and how the school’s performance compares with national figures. They have a clear view of the quality of teaching and understand how the performance of staff is managed to address any underperformance promptly and to reward effective practice.
• Governors’ financial management is sound. They know how additional funds are spent to help disadvantaged pupils and to develop sport. They have a clear overview of the impact on pupils’ achievement and physical well-being.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders have created a culture where safety and support for pupils’ welfare are of high priority. They ensure that policies and procedures are up to date and check that they are adhered to. They provide all staff with regular and effective training, for example in child protection. Parents support the view that their children are kept safe in school and are well looked after by staff.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is consistently good. It has improved over the past year as teachers receive clear, helpful guidance and high-quality training to promote effective learning for all groups of pupils. Although this is not yet reflected in published information, the consistently good teaching is reflected in the standard of pupils’ work in their books and assessment information on their current progress, and is confirmed in reports from the local authority.
• Teachers plan a variety of learning activities that interest and motivate pupils. Increasingly, they have high expectations of pupils’ achievement and their behaviour. Staff work hard to make sure that learning is both challenging and enjoyable.
• Disadvantaged pupils benefit from carefully targeted teaching that enables them to catch up with other pupils and achieve well. Sometimes, the most able pupils in this group do not have the right level of challenge to achieve as well as they could in mathematics and writing.
• Teachers and teaching assistants are skilled in providing precise support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They give pupils useful strategies for managing their feelings and help them to integrate well socially with their classmates.
• Strategies to develop pupils’ fluency in their reading are proving successful. New literature purchased by the school in topics such as World War 2 and the Stone Age helps to engage both boys’ and girls’ interests. As a result, standards across the school have improved.
• Strategies to extend the richness of pupils’ written vocabulary are proving successful. Boys in particular like the new level of challenge such as including the ‘word of the week’ in their writing. However, occasionally writing tasks are not effective in extending the skills of most-able pupils.
• The teaching of calculation skills in mathematics is extremely thorough, ensuring that pupils develop their competence before applying their knowledge to reasoning and solving problems. On occasions, teaching is not sufficiently challenging, resulting in some pupils, particularly the most able, not achieving as well as they could.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Warm and effective relationships characterise the school’s culture and make this a very welcoming and orderly environment in which to learn. Pupils develop good personal and social skills because these are an integral part of the school’s curriculum and at the heart of the school’s work.
• Pupils are positive that they feel safe in school. They say that bullying, derogatory behaviour and aggressive language are extremely rare and not tolerated at the school. They have a clear understanding that bullying can take different forms such as physical bullying or racist name-calling. They are confident that any such behaviour is dealt with promptly and effectively.
• Pupils receive good training in maintaining their personal safety, both in and out of school. Pupils spoke knowledgeably to inspectors about how to keep themselves safe, including when on the internet, and how to report any concerns.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well cared for and participate fully in what the school has to offer.
• The school is committed to developing strong relationships with parents, who, in turn, speak highly of staff and how they support their children. They say that the school communicates with them regularly and provides good opportunities for them to find out about their child’s learning or for them to raise any concerns.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.

• Pupils are well mannered and friendly. They show a genuine interest in visitors and speak enthusiastically about the school and their achievements. They listen politely and talk respectfully to adults and to each other. They ask whether they can help and consider each other’s welfare, particularly that of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The school’s system for managing behaviour is effective and encourages pupils to apply themselves well in lessons and concentrate hard on their work. Pupils undertake a variety of roles, such as those as librarians, school councillors or ‘piplings’ (play leaders) with obvious pride and sense of responsibility.
• Occasionally, a few pupils lose concentration and are inattentive in lessons, which slows their progress.
• Pupils enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in their high attendance and good punctuality.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Over the past year, pupils have made faster progress, particularly in mathematics, and attainment has risen across the school.
• The school’s internal assessment data, the learning observed in lessons and the work in pupils’ books show that progress is strong. By the end of each key stage, more pupils than previously are on track to achieve the expected standard for their age or higher. This prepares them well for the next stage of their education.
• Attainment in reading was above the expected standard for both key stages 1 and 2 pupils in 2016. Pupils read with fluency and lively expression. They demonstrate good levels of understanding, including those who are low attaining, and use their knowledge of phonics effectively to read unknown words.
• Pupils write to good effect in a range of styles from poetry to fantasy stories. Standards of presentation and handwriting are impressive by the time pupils reach Year 6. However, on occasions, they are not required to extend their skills sufficiently in their writing tasks, which hampers progress.
• Pupils demonstrate greater mastery of calculation skills than previously. They are able to apply these skills to other aspects of mathematics to solve problems and to give reasons for their answers with increasing success.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because their support is fine-tuned to meet their needs, and their attainment shows improvement. Extra help to improve their attitudes to learning and self-confidence is successful and is resulting in a speeding up of their academic progress.
• Effective use of the pupil premium enables disadvantaged pupils, including the few who are most able, to achieve as well as others from similar starting points. This is diminishing any differences in their attainment.
• The most able pupils make good progress as their work usually requires them to apply their knowledge well. Sometimes, they are not stretched in their thinking and reasoning about mathematics or required to extend their skills sufficiently in writing tasks, which limits progress.

Early years provision Good

• Parents are appreciative of the effective arrangements for starting school. These ensure that children settle quickly into their new routines. They speak highly of the approachability of staff and welcome the frequent opportunities to contribute to their children’s learning.
• Most children start school with the knowledge and skills that are broadly typical for their age. From their starting points, the majority make good progress in all areas of learning and start Year 1 as confident learners with the skills and knowledge typical for their age. However, this is not always the case, particularly for the most able children.
• Good attention is paid to safeguarding so that children are kept safe both indoors and out. Staff are vigilant in ensuring that any children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and others considered vulnerable, are supported sensitively. Children play together very cooperatively and their behaviour is good.
• The early years leader knows the strengths and areas requiring development in the provision and is implementing a training programme for staff. Increasing use is made of visits to see best practice in other settings and gather ideas. The school has recently extended the range of strategies used to promote mathematical development.
• Learning journeys track children’s progress carefully and show how the activities are adjusted to meet the needs of disadvantaged children well, particularly in their personal development. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have their needs identified at an early stage. The school works well with other agencies to ensure that children’s needs are met effectively, for example in the development of their speech.
• Teaching is consistently good and children benefit from well-planned, adult-led teaching, including the teaching of phonics, which underpins the development of early reading and writing skills successfully. Children were observed during the inspection developing their mathematical skills by counting forwards and backwards to music, learning their number bonds to 10 effectively.
• Children also learn from following their interests and staff help them to develop their language skills well as they play. However, at times, staff are not clear about what they want children to learn, particularly in the activities that children choose for themselves. When this occurs, children’s progress is hampered, especially for the most able.

School details

Unique reference number 109011 Local authority South Gloucestershire Inspection number 10025097 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 198 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Jo Parker Andrew Foss 01454 867165

www.redfieldedgeprimary.co.uk andrew.foss@redfieldedgeprimary.co.uk

Date of previous inspection 4 July 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Pupils are organised in seven single-age classes.
• It is part of an informal partnership with three other local primary schools and an all-through specialist school, collectively known as the RISE Alliance.
• Most pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.
• A broadly average proportion of pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• The school provides care for pupils through breakfast and after-school clubs.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations of pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• This inspection took place over two days. Inspectors observed teaching and learning across the school, most in conjunction with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. In addition, they made visits to classrooms, the dining hall and the playground, as well as attending an assembly.
• Meetings were held with pupils, governors and school leaders. The lead inspector also spoke with an adviser from the local authority, who provides support to the school.
• Inspectors took account of the 63 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), and written comments. They also took account of the 16 responses to the Ofsted staff questionnaire and the 76 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils.
• Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including the school’s improvement plans. They examined information on current pupils’ progress, minutes of governing body meetings, safeguarding procedures and the plans for the use of the sport premium.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read, talked to them in classrooms and evaluated samples of their work.

Inspection team

Sandra Woodman, lead inspector Claire Mirams Spence Allen

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector