The Redstart Primary School

School report The Redstart Primary School Redstart Road, Chard, Somerset, TA20 1SD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  All pupils, including those eligible for pupil premium funding and disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make outstanding progress.  Pupils achieve outstandingly well, leaving Year 6 with levels of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics that are well above average.  Teaching is outstandingly effective in ensuring that, in the great majority of lessons, pupils learn to their full potential because teachers make sure that learning is exciting and challenging for everyone.  Teaching assistants make a very strong contribution to learning, both in lessons and when supporting pupils outside lessons.  Pupils behave exceptionally well around the school and they are extremely keen to learn. They are very enthusiastic about lessons and their teachers.  Attendance has improved and is now well above average. Parents and pupils agree that the school is a very safe place. Pupils love the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

many clubs and other activities which go on outside lessons.  Staff make sure that there are outstanding support and guidance for all pupils, and especially those whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable. As a result, all pupils have the same opportunity to enjoy school and do very well.  Leadership and management are outstanding. School leaders check the quality of teaching thoroughly and give staff a lot of opportunities to develop their expertise for the benefit of pupils.  Governors understand the school very well. Like all staff, they back the Principal in her high expectations. The school has improved considerably since its previous inspection, and continues to show that it can improve further.  School leaders get the best out of everybody. They encourage staff to use data on pupils’ progress to plan the most effective learning for them. Staff are working on the range of topics they teach in order to make them even more

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

exciting for pupils.  Parents, like the staff, greatly appreciate the school and what it does for their children.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 26 lessons, taught by 18 teachers. Four of the observations were carried out jointly with the Principal. Inspectors also went in to some lessons for shorter periods and observed small groups outside lessons, led by support staff. Inspectors heard several pupils read.  Meetings were held with the Principal, other staff, three governors and pupils.  The inspection team took account of 45 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and 38 questionnaires returned by staff.  The inspection team observed the school’s work and looked at a variety of documentation, including the school’s checks on its own performance, the school improvement plan, minutes of governing body meetings, information on pupils’ current progress and records relating to safeguarding. Inspectors also looked at examples of pupils’ work.

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Inspection team

John Laver, Lead inspector Additional inspector Linda Rafferty Additional inspector Huw Evans Additional inspector Mary Usher-Clark Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The Redstart Primary School converted to become an academy school on 1 July 2011. When it was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be satisfactory.  The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  The great majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional funding provided by the government for children in local authority care, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and other groups, is below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported by school action is above average. The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.  The school operates an Early Years Centre which caters for three- to four-year olds. There are

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Information about this school

two classes for children in Reception and two classes for pupils in all other year groups between Years 1 and 6.  The school operates a breakfast club and an after-school ‘Tea Club’.  The senior leadership team was reorganised in January 2014 with the appointment of two assistant principals and the reorganisation of the subject leadership structure into a curriculum development team and a key skills team.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the outdoor environment for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage in order to further improve the quality of their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children join the Early Years Centre with skills and levels of knowledge below those expected for their age, especially in language and literacy skills. By the time pupils leave school at the age of 11 their attainment in all subjects is well above average.  A combination of outstanding teaching and pupils’ keenness to learn results in all pupils making outstanding progress.  Both boys and girls do much better in the Year 1 phonics check (assessing their ability to link letters and sounds effectively) than is expected nationally. Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is well above average in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, as reflected in national test results in recent years.  All groups of pupils achieve outstandingly well. Children in the Early Years Centre and in Reception learn very well together, whether on their own, working with their classmates in small groups or doing tasks with staff. Inspectors saw children enthusiastically dressing up for World

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

Book Day and learning rapidly through play, working confidently with computer software, practising creative skills in art and design tasks or developing their early writing and counting skills.  Children enjoy the school’s outside areas, although sections of these are not very inspiring and do little to excite children or to encourage them to be imaginative.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make outstanding progress, as inspectors saw when they were taught in a variety of settings. Teachers and highly-skilled teaching assistants help these pupils develop their reading, writing and mathematics skills at a much faster rate than is expected nationally. They also make big gains in confidence and play a full role in class activities.  Pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding achieve outstandingly well. There is no significant difference from other pupils in the rate at which they gain knowledge and develop their skills in

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

reading, writing and mathematics. They make progress at a much faster rate than similar pupils do in most other schools.  More able pupils make outstanding progress because they do work which really challenges their thinking, for example when working out different ways of solving practical mathematics problems.  Pupils’ reading skills are of a very high quality. The great majority of pupils read confidently, clearly and fluently, and enjoy talking about their favourite books. Speaking skills are well above average; pupils speak confidently and at length in class discussions and when answering questions. A particular strength in pupils’ writing, apart from its range, is pupils’ pride in good presentation of their work. Teachers have successfully tackled some previous weaknesses which had been shown in some pupils’ ability to spell, punctuate and use grammar correctly.  Where there have been occasional differences in the rate of progress, for example between boys

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

and girls in developing high level writing skills, staff have quickly and successfully tackled these. Staff have been able to do so because they are very skilled at using the school’s extensive data on pupils’ progress to quickly identify any pupil who is in danger of not achieving to their full potential, and then giving those pupils helpful support.  Inspectors saw outstanding achievement in the majority of lessons visited during the inspection. It was also evident from looking at pupils’ work and the school’s own records of the rate of progress. Parents value the outstanding progress their children make in school and the outstanding teaching which goes with it.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Inspectors agreed with the school’s own judgement that teaching is outstanding. It has improved considerably since the last inspection and has been typically highly effective for the last two years. School leaders have provided very good support for staff to develop their skills at getting the best out of pupils of all abilities and backgrounds.  Pupils’ enthusiasm to learn is a notable feature of nearly all lessons. There is a very calm, purposeful atmosphere in the classroom. If the teacher or other member of staff is working with small groups of pupils, others in the class get on with their own tasks without any fuss, and work together very effectively. Pupils move easily from one task to another. When pupils are learning together as a whole class and contributing their ideas, they listen well to each other.  Teaching assistants play a full part in lessons, working closely with teachers to ensure that all

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, and more able pupils, become effective learners.  Older pupils, in particular, are used to thinking constructively about their work and reflecting on how it can be improved. Their books often contain helpful comments which teachers have made about how it can be improved further, and pupils act on these comments and so their work gets better. Pupils know exactly what they need to do to reach their targets. They enjoy challenges, such as how to find different ways of solving a problem. They enjoy using different means of finding out information, such as using the school’s high-quality resources for information and communication technology.  Lessons start promptly and pupils are clear about what they are expected to learn. Pupils told inspectors how they loved their teachers and enjoy ‘fun’ lessons.  Staff make particularly good use of the school’s extensive grounds. Forest School activities have

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

a high profile, and inspectors saw young pupils enthusiastically searching out the local flora and fauna with staff and parent volunteers, and discussing and recording the results. Pupils also benefit from staff expertise in physical education, and inspectors saw pupils making outstanding progress in learning basic gymnastic skills, because the pupils were so enthusiastic and the expectations so high.  Pupils’ learning is reinforced well by effective use of homework, which can involve independent research as well as a range of other activities.  The quality of teaching benefits greatly from the strong sense of collaboration very evident in the school. Teachers explained how they benefited from developing their skills together, through activities such as team teaching and observing each other, improving pupils’ learning in a variety of very effective ways.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. It is exemplary in lessons and when pupils are moving around the school. Pupils are very proud of their school and keen to talk about it to visitors.  Pupils have an outstanding attitude towards learning. Progress is so rapid partly because of their keenness to learn.  Pupils enjoy a wide range of activities outside lessons. These include the breakfast club, which provides a healthy start to the school day, and the after-school ‘Tea Club’. Trips, including the residential visit, are also popular. Pupils’ love of coming to school is shown by their rate of attendance, which is well above average and has greatly improved since the previous inspection. This is also due to the school’s success in working hard with the few families who have been less conscientious about regular attendance and punctuality.  Pupils welcome opportunities to develop their responsibilities, for example by serving on the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

school council. Some pupils act as buddies, and a parent commented how successful this had been in helping her child, new to the school during the school year, settle in and quickly make friends.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. All relevant procedures and policies are in place to make sure that safeguarding meets requirements. Staff and visitors teach pupils how to be safe, for example when using the internet, and the school gives parents useful advice.  Pupils insist that bullying of any sort is not a significant issue for the school. School records confirm that untoward incidents, such as racist or homophobic comments, are extremely rare. There have been very few exclusions in recent years. Parents confirm that the school provides a very safe and supportive environment. There is excellent care and support. Pupils from all backgrounds and circumstances have the opportunity to do well in school, enjoy their time there

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

and feel free from any sense of discrimination.

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The leadership and management is outstanding

 Every member of staff who submitted a questionnaire to inspectors or talked to them was positive about all aspects of the school. This is a testament to the outstanding leadership and management. In particular, it is the success in uniting all staff and pupils in being committed to driving the school forwards, whilst keeping a very supportive and happy learning environment.  Pupils and parents are very complimentary about the Principal, who is described as being both ‘relentless’ as well as ‘very supportive and approachable’ in aiming for excellence. A parent described the Principal as ‘being the first to roll her sleeves up and get stuck in.’ ‘The children love her.’ School leaders have tackled the issues for improvement identified at the previous inspection very successfully, particularly those to do with making teaching more consistently effective.  There have been several notable improvements in the last two years. One has been the way in

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The leadership and management is outstanding

which school leaders systematically assess pupils and make sure that staff use the results to work out how exactly to ensure that each pupil gets the right level of work or support to enable them to learn to their full potential. This has had a major impact in boosting progress in all aspects of English and mathematics.  The way in which school leaders use assessment and check teaching has been another major improvement since the previous inspection. Staff collect data and track how pupils are progressing. More importantly they use that information to ensure that work is not too easy or too hard, but encourages all to try hard so that they make the best possible progress. School leaders check the quality of teaching regularly, and have given good advice and support to less experienced staff. This has had a very positive impact on pupils’ progress in all the key subjects.  The school judges its own performance very accurately and there is no complacency. Leaders

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The leadership and management is outstanding

continue to plan further improvements. The school’s track record of success so far shows that the school is very well placed to further help pupils and staff achieve ambitious targets.  School leaders make sure that there is good accountability as part of the drive for success, by linking teachers’ pay to progress and the achievement of individual targets.  The reorganised senior leadership team, along with curriculum teams, is busy developing the school’s range of subjects in an even more exciting way, by bringing a stronger international flavour to the various topics pupils study. This is part of the school’s strong promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  There are strong links with other local schools. These enable staff to share ideas and help their professional development. Pupils also benefit from wider opportunities, for example through using science facilities at the nearby secondary school. There are strong links with parents, who

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The leadership and management is outstanding

are keen to come into school to celebrate pupils’ successes.  The leadership uses primary sports funding to improve standards in physical education and give more opportunities for pupils. The school provides specialist sports coaching, which has had a very positive impact on standards. The funding also supports clubs and other opportunities for pupils to develop their enjoyment and skills, for example in successful sports competitions.  The governance of the school:  The governing body contains several experienced and very knowledgeable members who support the leadership very well, but also ask searching questions about the school’s performance in the quest for the best outcomes. For example, governors expect to know how effectively additional resources provided through sports funding and pupil premium funding are used to raise standards. Governors know how the progress of all groups in the school

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The leadership and management is outstanding

compares with the performance of equivalent pupils nationally. They are also very aware of the strengths in teaching and how it might be improved further. Governors go into lessons and listen to reports from staff. They are appropriately trained in their responsibilities to ensure safeguarding and to supervise the management of staff performance. The governing body is very proud of the school, but is not complacent. Rather, it is determined, like the Principal, to keep moving the school forwards.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 136926 Local authority Somerset Inspection number 431095

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 456 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Eric van den Barselaar Headteacher Suzanne Flack Date of previous school inspection 9–10 May 2012 Telephone number 01460 67457 Email address office@redstart.somerset.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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