Redbridge Primary School

Redbridge Primary School Studland Road, Millbrook, Southampton, Hampshire, SO16 9BB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils make good progress as they move through the school. Sometimes their progress is rapid. Pupils’ standards are improving as a result.  Children in the early years are taught well and make good progress from their starting points.  The overall quality of teaching is good. Teachers generally have high expectations of their pupils and most set demanding work that challenges them.  The school offers an excellent range of subjects and activities. This supports pupils’ good achievement.  Pupils behave well towards one another and focus well on their learning.  The school keeps pupils safe and ensures their good attendance.  The headteacher is committed to ensuring that all pupils achieve as highly as they can. She has worked with other leaders to bring about strong improvements to teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Governors work well with school leaders and have played an effective part in helping the school to

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

improve the quality of its work since the previous inspection.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The overall quality of teaching is not yet outstanding. Not all teachers offer pupils the very high levels of challenge found across most of the school.  Pupils do not make rapid progress in every year group.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors saw teaching across the school. They observed two assemblies, 13 lessons and pupils’ behaviour in the playground and at lunchtime. Ten lessons were observed jointly with senior leaders.  Discussions were held with pupils, four members of the governing body, the headteacher and other members of staff. A discussion was also held with two representatives from the local authority.  The inspectors observed many aspects of the school’s work, including support for pupils who need extra help. They heard pupils read and examined pupils’ work in their exercise books, and on classroom and corridor wall displays.  The inspectors looked at a number of documents, including plans for what pupils should learn in each subject and plans for the school’s future development. They scrutinised the school’s arrangements for keeping pupils safe, pupils’ attendance records and minutes of governing body meetings. The inspectors

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Information about this inspection

also looked at records of how pupils’ learning is monitored and of how the quality of teaching is checked.  The inspectors considered parental views through discussions with several parents and scrutiny of the school’s survey of parental views. There were too few responses to the online Parent View survey in order to produce evidence for inspectors.  Staff views were taken into consideration by looking at questionnaires completed by 21 staff members and through discussions with several members of staff.

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Inspection team

Steven Popper, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium (the additional government funding for children known to be eligible for free school meals or in the care of the local authority) is much higher than the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is higher than in most other schools.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  Early years children are taught in one full-time Reception class.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the overall quality of teaching to outstanding so that pupils in all year groups make rapid progress by ensuring that all teaching offers the very high levels of challenge found in most of the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is passionate about wanting the best outcomes for all pupils in the school. Her drive for improvement is admired and shared by other staff. As a result, pupils’ achievement, though still not outstanding, has improved strongly since the time of the previous inspection.  Leaders at all levels have contributed well to school improvement. The deputy headteacher has supported the development of teaching skills among school staff very well. Middle leaders, such as those in charge of subjects, have trained other staff and prepared the school for the raised expectations of the new national curriculum.  Senior leaders use performance management very effectively. They monitor staff performance thoroughly and accurately, and ensure that all staff understand what is expected of them. Because of this, staff feel well supported and their teaching has strongly improved.  Leaders put considerable effort into promoting equal opportunities through the school’s outstanding

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The leadership and management are good

curriculum. Pupils from all backgrounds are offered very rich educational experiences designed to raise their aspirations and broaden their minds. For example, the inspectors saw pupils engage deeply in an operatic performance of very high quality.  The school prepares pupils for life in modern Britain well. It teaches pupils about democracy, and fosters their respect for other people and for cultures and beliefs different to their own. Pupils study the lives and work of people such as Nelson Mandela. Such work demonstrates how the school guards against discrimination and promotes positive values.  The school spends the physical education and sport premium funding well. It has increased pupils’ participation in sporting activity, including swimming, through many clubs and the use of minibuses to attend sports events.  Other additional funding is spent effectively on support for disadvantaged pupils. Their achievement and

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The leadership and management are good

attendance have improved as a result.  The school has formed very good relationships with parents and communicates very well with them, including through its website. The school gives parents many opportunities to be a part of their children’s learning. Parents who offered an opinion were very positive about the school.  The school’s safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements and are strong and effective. Staff are well trained and swift to respond whenever any issue arises. The school’s work in this area helps keep pupils safe.  The local authority has supported the school well. It has given helpful training to staff and governors, and encouraged the school’s productive informal links with other local schools.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is strong and effective. Its members keep a careful eye on the quality of teaching and the standard of pupils’ work. Governors check that performance management is used efficiently to

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The leadership and management are good

support and reward staff and they understand how underperformance is tackled. They make sure that good teaching and leadership are properly recognised and rewarded. Governors scrutinise information about pupils’ achievement carefully and in detail. They challenge leaders well when they think that any group of pupils could do better.  Governors compare the school’s performance against national expectations well, and their own expectations are high. Their impact on school improvement is good.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils take pleasure in their learning and concentrate well on their work. They discuss ideas and subjects with each other and work together very positively. They take pride in their achievements and want to do well.  Pupils are friendly towards one another. They play together happily and constructively during breaks from learning. They are courteous and show good manners during lunchtime and when travelling across the school.  Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and manage it well. There have been a few incidents of poor behaviour, but the school has responded to these diligently and effectively. School records show the school’s success in improving the behaviour of particular pupils.  Pupils who spoke to the inspectors demonstrated understanding of different types of bullying and other forms of poor behaviour. They stated that there was ‘very little bad behaviour or bullying’ in the school

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Behaviour

and that pupils treated each other well.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Staff supervise pupils well and keep them safe at school. The school grounds are safe and secure.  The school teaches pupils how to avoid risk and keep safe, including when using the internet. Pupils who spoke to the inspectors were very clear about how they could keep themselves safe when online.  Pupils’ attendance is consistently above the national average. There is very little persistent absenteeism in the school.  Pupils who spoke to the inspectors said that they felt safe in school, and parents who offered an opinion agreed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has strongly improved since the time of the previous inspection. Pupils make good progress because, overall, teaching is now good. There is some outstanding teaching in the school, but this is not yet established across all classes.  The school has improved its teaching of reading. Its new approach to teaching phonics (linking letters to the sounds they make) ensures that pupils securely develop key reading skills. Teachers make good use of high quality texts to cultivate pupils’ understanding and enjoyment of reading.  The teaching of writing has developed well. Pupils apply their writing skills across a range of different subjects. As a consequence, more pupils attain results at the higher levels at the end of both Key Stage 1 and 2.  The school has also enhanced its teaching of mathematics. Its revised approach to calculation has ensured that pupils’ progress and results in mathematics have both improved.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school makes good use of trained teaching assistants. They offer well-planned and effective support to individuals and small groups of pupils. These pupils progress well as a result.  Teachers encourage pupils well and give them good advice about how to improve their work.  Pupils who spoke to the inspectors praised their teachers and said that they enjoyed their lessons.  Most teachers give pupils a very high level of challenge, though this is not the case in every class. Where teachers set demanding work that stretches and challenges pupils, the pupils make excellent progress. However, pupils’ progress is not as rapid when teachers’ expectations are not as high.

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is good

 Pupils’ achievement has improved as a result of strengthened teaching. Pupils currently in the school make good progress in all subjects in each key stage, with some making rapid progress. The proportions of current pupils making better-than-expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics are above national figures. However, while pupils make rapid progress in some parts of the school, this is not the case in all classes.  Pupils’ test results in most subjects have tended to be lower than average, but have improved strongly. Current pupils produce work of a higher standard than that of previous cohorts.  The proportion of the most-able pupils attaining the higher levels has also tended to be lower than average. However, most teachers now give these pupils very high levels of challenge which ensure that they make good progress. This group of pupils are performing better than the most-able pupils previously

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is good

in the school.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because of the careful attention the school gives to their individual needs.  The school is successfully improving the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. In the 2014 national tests, disadvantaged pupils were approximately one and a half terms behind other pupils nationally and half a term behind other pupils in the school in mathematics. They were about two terms behind other pupils nationally and a term behind other pupils in the school in writing. The gap in reading between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally was about three terms, with the in-school gap in reading being about two terms. The school is successfully narrowing these gaps overall. Current disadvantaged pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics, with above-average proportions making

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is good

better-than-expected progress in these subjects.

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is good

 The achievement of early years children is good. They make good progress from their starting points. The school’s early years provision prepares them well for subsequent learning in Key Stage 1.  Early years teaching is good. Teachers have high expectations of children and ensure that they develop key skills in all areas of learning well. Staff make good use of the indoor and outdoor classrooms to support children’s learning and engagement.  Children’s behaviour is good. They settle to learning quickly, follow instructions and listen well. They are friendly towards each other and play and learn happily together.  Staff ensure that children are kept safe. They make sure that children do not come to any harm on any equipment or when visitors are in the school.  The early years leader and other staff have developed very good relationships with parents. They communicate with parents about their children’s learning well, and listen to what parents have to say.

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is good

Early years staff also work well with feeder pre-school settings to help ensure that children are ready to enter school.  The early years leader assesses children’s skills thoroughly and accurately. She uses her detailed knowledge of children’s needs to shape the teaching provided for them.  The early years leader has improved the quality of early years provision in the school since the previous inspection. She has strengthened the use made of the indoor and outdoor classrooms. The early years leader has also introduced effective changes to the school’s teaching of phonics. As a result, the proportion of children leaving Reception with a good level of development, though low in 2013, increased strongly in 2014. Therefore, early years leadership is good.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 116123 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 442432

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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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 201 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Shaw Headteacher Donna Clarke Date of previous school inspection 18–19 April 2013 Telephone number 023 8077 6379 Fax number 023 8051 2344 Email address info@redbridgeprimary.org.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 and 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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