Redgate School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/Ofsted

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Mrs Pauline Corfield Headteacher Redgate School Somersall Street Mansfield Nottinghamshire NG19 6EL

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Redgate School

Following my visit to your school on 9 March 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken since the school’s previous monitoring inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Redgate School

The inspection was the third monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection that took place in February 2015. The full list of the areas for improvement that were identified during that inspection is set out in the annex to this letter. The monitoring inspection report is attached.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Redgate School

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Redgate School

Leaders and managers are taking effective action towards the removal of special measures.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Redgate School

The school may appoint newly qualified teachers before the next monitoring inspection I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Interim Executive Board, the Regional Schools Commissioner and the Director of Children’s Services for Nottinghamshire County Council. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

 As a matter of urgency, improve the safeguarding arrangements in the school, by: – making sure that governors understand their statutory duty to keep pupils safe in school and have the skills and knowledge to hold the school’s leaders to account – completing a full audit of all aspects of the school’s work around safeguarding which results in swift action being taken to deal with omissions and breaches where needed, so that all statutory requirements are met – implementing a safeguarding policy that specifically meets the needs of the pupils who attend Redgate School – ensuring that there is a very clear, documented process put in place to ensure that non-attendance is recorded and followed up – making sure that documents containing important information about pupils’ well-being and safety are well organised so that contact information for other professionals can be accessed quickly and agreed actions checked.

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

 Improve the quality of leadership and management, including governance by: – ensuring that all safeguarding procedures are effective – reviewing policies and procedures to make sure that they are up to date and ensure a consistent approach to teaching and learning across the school – tracking and analysing the achievement of all groups of pupils – making sure that the impact of how all of the pupil premium and primary and physical education and sport funding is spent is evaluated and reported on an annual basis – ensuring that leaders have an accurate view of all aspects of the school’s effectiveness.  Improve the effectiveness of the early years provision by developing staff understanding of the characteristics of effective learning, so that there is full implementation of the Early Years Foundation Stage requirements.

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

An external review of governance, to include a specific focus on safeguarding, should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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Evidence

During the inspection I observed the school’s work, scrutinised documents and met with the headteacher, the teacher in charge of early years education, three members of staff, the Chair of the Interim Executive Board (IEB), two other members of the IEB, and I had a telephone conversation with a representative of Nottinghamshire local authority. Informal discussions were held with pupils during lessons and at lunchtime. The monitoring inspection focused on how well leaders and managers were improving the quality of teaching, pupils’ behaviour and systems to keep pupils safe.

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Context

Redgate is part of the Debdale Federation, which includes Redgate School and Yeoman Park School. Since the last monitoring inspection, the acting headteacher has become the permanent headteacher of Redgate School. The IEB took the decision to restructure the senior leadership teams of both schools so that there is no longer an executive headteacher overseeing Redgate School and Yeoman Park School. The headteachers of both schools now report directly to the IEB. The IEB is currently working with the Regional Schools Commissioner to consider future options for the schools’ designation.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Since starting work at the school in September 2015, the headteacher continues to have a very positive impact on the many improvements across the whole school. She is well respected by the staff team and pupils. The headteacher demonstrates an incredible determination to improve all aspects of school life for the benefit of pupils. Her work has ensured that the school is improving rapidly.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Since the last monitoring inspection, the headteacher has been successful in extending the range of leadership opportunities available to staff. Leaders use performance management well to monitor the work of teachers and teaching assistants. This has led to each of them improving the quality of their work and taking on responsibilities which lead to improvements in provision for pupils.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Since the time of the last full inspection in February 2015, the leader for the early years provision has improved the quality of education in this area of school beyond all recognition. She describes the original inspection as a significant turning point which has allowed the school to reflect on all that it does. Her determined attitude and willingness to develop her own teaching practice is having a positive impact on her colleagues. As a result, many staff at Redgate School are becoming better learners themselves. They are prepared to give new ways of working a chance and this is benefiting pupils because they now get access to better teaching throughout the week. The IEB is extremely conscientious in fulfilling its duties. IEB meetings are well run by a highly proficient Chair and as a group they leave no stone unturned when requesting information from school leaders about the impact of their work, including

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

aspects of safeguarding pupils. They receive good-quality information about pupils’ achievement and pupil premium spending. The IEB ensures that the actions reported by leaders actually take place by visiting the school regularly.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The IEB has worked hard to establish a shadow governing body. This new group has not yet started their work at the request of the Regional Schools Commissioner. The IEB is working closely with the Regional Schools Commissioner to find an appropriate sponsor for academy conversion. The IEB demonstrates a clear desire to find a highly skilled academy trust to complement the very positive work already completed by school leaders.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

All leaders have responded well to the priorities for further improvement that were identified at the time of the last monitoring inspection. The headteacher is rightly proud to be able to show these improvements to the IEB, local authority representatives and inspectors.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Teachers and teaching assistants have worked hard to make classrooms more lively places in which pupils can learn. Lighting is used more appropriately than at the time of the last monitoring inspection and all spaces in the school building have been maximised to provide pupils with more opportunities to direct their own learning. This work has meant that pupils are more active in their learning and the school is starting to feel like an exciting place to be.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Marking of pupils’ work in English and mathematics is of a very high quality. All work scrutinised during the inspection had been checked by members of staff and, where appropriate, incorporated teachers’ feedback for pupils about how to improve their work to be even better next time.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

Teachers use individual learning plans well to plan activities. These plans address key areas of pupils’ development in addition to individual targets in subjects. The individual learning plans are starting to ensure that targets within pupils’ statements of special educational needs or within their education, health and care plans are clearly planned for and progress checked.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

During the inspection, teachers and teaching assistants talked with enthusiasm about how the quality of teaching had improved since September 2015. The inspection findings align with their views. Teachers and teaching assistants are clear that they now need to plan lessons so that all pupils get access to a broad curriculum and that each aspect of the curriculum is studied in sufficient depth throughout the school.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Pupils’ behaviour is improving because the quality of teaching and the school environment have improved so much. During the inspection, pupils moved calmly and safely around the school buildings and grounds. Pupils socialised and played well with one another at lunchtime and break time. The level of supervision that adults give to pupils is appropriate and this is allowing pupils to develop their independence.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

The staff team are better able to meet the personal development needs of individual pupils because they have increasing confidence in their own abilities and those of their colleagues. The staff act as good role models for pupils.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

The use of ‘safe spaces’ around the school is much improved. These areas have been converted to promote independent learning or relaxation spaces for pupils.

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External support

Nottinghamshire local authority is providing effective support to Redgate School and to the IEB. It takes its responsibilities very seriously and now demonstrates an increasing confidence in the school. It provides an appropriate level of support and challenge to school leaders, which has helped to make many of the improvements seen during the inspection. The local authority officer’s progress monitoring visits are rigorous and provide school leaders with helpful feedback.

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Priority for further improvement

 Leaders must ensure that all pupils have sufficient access to teaching in all aspects of the school’s curriculum.

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